Back home, and more cat health stuff

[nlbarber]

Got home from The Land of the Mouse last night without hassle--blog entries for the remaining days are in various states, and might or might not get posted sometime...

This morning in a make-up cat attention session, I found lumps near 2 of Agatha's nipples, and one of the nipples itself is enlarged. I managed an appointment with Dr. Dunn this afternoon, and it is probably either cancer or (I think I got the right phrase) mammary hyperplasia. Feline mammary cancers have a very bad prognosis--generally they metastasize, and the life expectance is 1-2 years with aggressive treatment. The hyperplasia, if I have the diagnosis right, can have various effects on quality of life too, but is not generally fatal in itself. Dr. Dunn thinks Agatha does not have any sort of treatable infection causing the lumps, in any case.

We're going to do nothing. Not going to worry about the exact cause, and just treat any secondary effects as they show up. Aggie's life expectancy at age 17 and with the kidney disease worsening isn't going to be significantly different either way, and trying to treat a cancer would definitely be too hard on her.

She's very annoyed with me for the vet visit on top of the 8-night trip to Disney World, and is hiding under the guest bed. Fred, on the other hand, who had her annual checkup this morning, is actively seeking attention just as she was before the vet trip.

Interesting side note: Fred is extremely vocal at home, complaining, demanding, or just talking. She gave maybe 2 meows on the trip to the vet, and was completely silent while there and on the way home. Agatha, who speaks only on rare occasions to demand some action on my part, cried all the way there and some on the way home, even though she was on my lap most of the return trip. Some sort of inverse action caused by the cat-carrier, perhaps...

Comments

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

My white cat Morgan is very vocal -- unless he's in the carrier. Then he just crouches and shivers. My orange cat Linnet used to be very unvocal (that's changed in the last couple of years) -- unless he's in the carrier. Then his voice drops about an octave, and he says "Ooouuuttt." Over and over and over. Clear as a bell.

[nlbarber]

Fish says "Ooouuuttt", too. Or you could just call it a mournful howl. And he only stops when we arrive at the vet, or sometimes when actually put on he exam table.

Silence from Fred was a great gift...

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Linnet actually has a two-word vocabulary. "Dooowwwnnn" and "Ooouuuttt." They're actually distinguishable from each other. I know he doesn't know what he's saying, but, man, sometimes it's just eerie [g].