Author Topic: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)  (Read 40594 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #75 on: November 07, 2018, 11:58:44 AM »
Also, it is a last resort kind of a thing.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #76 on: November 07, 2018, 01:20:02 PM »
Prescribed medication but not approved for cats - how does that work?

Veterinarians use all kinds of medicines off label for animals. It's a common practice. Both medicines Jennie is on have to be specially compounded at a safe cat dose, and in the case of the gabapentin, to eliminate the xylitol.

Wedgewood is the compounding pharmacy my vet uses. If I wanted to use a different compounding pharmacy the vet would have had to write the prescriptions for me to send them in myself.

Offline ThreeStep

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #77 on: November 07, 2018, 04:09:08 PM »
It still does not answer my question - prescription medication for a cat but not approved for cats?

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #78 on: November 07, 2018, 04:27:54 PM »
 Maybe I am not understanding what you are asking?

Most medications that vets prescribe for cats are not "approved" for use in cats. This lets the pharmaceutical companies off the hook if something happens to the cat. Cats' livers and kidneys are so sensitive, if vets didn't use anything not approved for cats, cats would have no pain medications, at all.

The medications are used "off label".

Other examples of meds that are used in cats (and dogs) "off label" include certain antidepressants like amitriptyline (used for FHS, and urinary tract disorders) and fluoxitine (prozac). Those are human meds not designed for animals, but they are used in animals "off label"

Offline Pookie

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #79 on: November 07, 2018, 04:44:14 PM »
^------ Well done, MC!   DrLisaPiersonWorthy
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Offline ThreeStep

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #80 on: November 07, 2018, 06:51:31 PM »
Thank you! Our furries have just been rather healthy - Twostep until the end and ShadowCat when she throws tantrums. Tried one this week and I told here there is no SO rushing out of a meeting, emergency vet, all you can wolf down. Drama Queen!

How is Jennie tonight, how are her cousins, how are you?

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #81 on: November 08, 2018, 04:52:25 AM »
Thank you! Our furries have just been rather healthy - Twostep until the end and ShadowCat when she throws tantrums. Tried one this week and I told here there is no SO rushing out of a meeting, emergency vet, all you can wolf down. Drama Queen!

How is Jennie tonight, how are her cousins, how are you?

Chemotherapy is another example of drugs used "off label".

Well I haven't used all those medications either, those are just some of the ones I know about, having participated in on line pet forums for the last 26 years :)

Jennie is doing great, she has been seen playing again and last night she gave Queen Eva what for!  Mazy cat is struggling with some fur not moving through, she's thrown up her breakfast 3 days in a row.  Queen Eva is behaving herself!  Silly7

I'm okay too though I woke up this morning with very little voice.  Don't know what that's about.

Thanks for asking!

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #82 on: November 10, 2018, 06:31:16 AM »
Jennie has gained an ounce and a half under my tender care. bananamiddlechild

I'm going to my sister's today and I didn't realize until last night it's going to affect the timing of her gabapentin. I pushed it to half an hour later last night and almost an hour this morning, because jno matter how I arrange my timing, she's going to have to go 9 hours again.

Shes on the first 24 hours of her piroxicam, hopefully that will help.

Then back on track.

Vet has approved the use of sub q fluids but cautions it could mask kidney damage, if it's happening, so I am to watch her drinking and peeing habits closely. Jennie doesn't drink at all so if I see her at the water bowl I will know something is up. And of course I already do watch her pee habits.

Offline ThreeStep

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #83 on: November 10, 2018, 07:16:09 AM »
That is good news on a gray Saturday morning! Have fun with your sister.

Offline Lola

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #84 on: November 10, 2018, 08:02:02 AM »
Good to hear all is going pretty good overall.
Enjoy your visit with sister.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #85 on: November 13, 2018, 06:38:55 PM »
Jennie always feels so much better after getting her piroxicam. By the second day she gets much less active, and I notice it but I don't realize how much difference there is until she has her next dose and then she's again back to almost her normal self.

Tonight she had her piroxicam at 5:30.  At 6:00 she played a little.  just a tiny bit, swatting at her string on the bed, but still, it was play.  Then at supper time she did a little bit of a Song and Dance!

And then, at MY supper time...something I haven't seen in quite some time....counter surfing to see if I'd spilled anything!  As it happens I did spill some soup, (home made) and hadn't really cleaned it up yet.  She smelled it and went looking for it.  funny2

Offline Pookie

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #86 on: November 13, 2018, 08:07:26 PM »
 funny2  at the pictures!  And multistars over the medication helping her feel better.

BTW, just out of curiosity, have you started giving her the fluids yet, and if so, do you think that helps her feel better, too?  If she's not on fluids yet, when do you plan to start them?
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #87 on: November 14, 2018, 04:43:52 AM »
I haven't started the fluids yet.  I decided to wait until after her first blood check. She's getting some water added to every meal and peeing normally, so far.  HeadButt

Offline ThreeStep

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #88 on: November 14, 2018, 07:09:28 AM »
I love the term counter surfing:)
Every morning we have prints on the very front of the stove. Somebody is checking if a can got opened by accident. No luck though - plates, spoon, cans are just sitting there for 5:30.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Jennie has been diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer)
« Reply #89 on: November 16, 2018, 05:16:07 AM »
I love the term counter surfing:)
Every morning we have prints on the very front of the stove. Somebody is checking if a can got opened by accident. No luck though - plates, spoon, cans are just sitting there for 5:30.

 funny2 funny2 funny2 I love that story, thank you for the chuckle!

I wanted to mention here some other things observed when Jennie has her piroxicam. For one thing yesterday she didn't ahve the same good evening afterwards, like she usually does.  Shew as off her food and not at all active, just wanted to curl up and sleep.

But the thing I wanted to mention as part of the pattern is the morning after (so about 12 hours later) she has the piroxicam she have a very smelly poop.  Most of the time her bloody stools don't have much odor thank goodness.  But 12 hours after the piroxicam it's pretty toxic smelling!

No sign of kidney issues (such as haning over the water bowl drinking a lot or excess pee) Jennie doens't drink at all ever, so if I see her at the water bowl I'll know.

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