Tanner Tuesday

Tanner spent yesterday at the vet school.  He received his IV doxorubicin chemo alsog with some blood work and an exam.  Next week will be a complete rest week...no blood work needed, so Tanner will not need to travel again for two whole weeks!

He is a good passenger in the car.  He talks some and is quite curious about what is going on.  He sits in the back seat, in the middle, so I can aim the air vents at him.  He will let you know if he is too warm...he prefers to be a bit on the cool side when he rides!  On the way home, he will talk and talk when we first get in the car...like he is telling me all about his day.  Then he settles down until we turn into our neighborhood and he starts talking again. 

After a good snack, he will find a nice place to sleep for a while. 

 

When I spoke with the doctor yesterday, I asked about the chances of achieving a complete remission, since he is still just showing strong partial.  She said it is hard to say, that the next ultrasound could show more improvement, no change - stable, or worsening.  She said some cats never achieve full remission, and also that many don't make it to the point Tanner is now before their cancer becomes resistant to the drugs.  She said he is the poster child right now for his cancer type and chemo protocol because he is doing so well, and that while we haven't achieved complete remission, we have had improvements at both ultrasounds, which is positive. We don't want to jinx ourselves, but I hope he will continue to do well, and beat this thing!

 

She is also going to research other cases like Tanner to see what the plan would be, if we made it to the end of the 27 week protocol, but still had not achieved complete remission, but he was still stable and doing well.  What options do we have then?

 

I am simply enjoying the time I have with my boy and hope he will be around for a long time yet to come!  We will continue to fight as long as he is doing well.  Thanks everyone for continued purrs and prayers!

Wordy Wednesday

As the wooden art piece on the shelf says, "Life is Good" for Tanner at the moment.  Monday was chemo day for him.  We went for a quick blood draw at our regular vet's office and then back home.  It was a very quick outing for Tanner and he was thankful.  The vet faxed the results of the bloodwork to the vet school, and they called and said we could give the chemo.  Tanner takes 75mg of cytoxan.  The last time we did this at home, they sent us a 25mg tablet and a 50 mg tablet.  The 50mg tablet was HUGE!!  I asked for 3 of the 25's this time and that is what we were given.  They are still a bit big, but manageable. 

 

I got the ice cream from the freezer...Auntie had picked up fudge ripple this time :)  I scooped a small spoonful (all vanilla) and called Tanner over.  He took his first pill, and licked the ice cream.  We repeated this three more times until he was done.  Then he was given another small scoop of ice cream on his plate.  He was a happy camper and did not mind his pills!

 

He is doing very well with all of this, and the only time he is worried, is in the morning when I come downstairs to go to work.  He always thinks I'm going to grab him!  I try to reassure him that he is done for the week, but he still avoids me.  Because of this, I've changed up when I give him his morning heart meds.  I have them upstairs and we get them as soon as I get up.  Then we have some playtime before Auntie is dressed and heads downstairs, playtime is over then because she is going to give breakfast!

 

Thank you all for following along with my boy on his cancer journey.  If you have any questions about anything, please don't hesitate to ask.

Tanner Tuesday - Interrupted

We interrupt this Tanner Tuesday post to bring to you the celebration of Oliver's Gotcha Day!  One year ago, this baby came to live with me.  He was a tiny fella, about 3 weeks old.  You can read a good bit about how we "got" him on his introduction post.

 

Ollie immediately tried to show Tanner who was going to be the boss...

Tanner loved his new baby.  They have been and still remain the best of friends... 

Oliver loved Smokey from the beginning too, but it took Smokey a while to warm up to the new pesky baby in the house! 

Oliver got a new cousin in November...Cousin Georgie was brought in to give Oliver a playmate his own age.  They became fast friends! 

It's been a year of new experiences and wild times, but Oliver has shown that he belongs in our family.  I am thankful everyday for the facebook post that mentioned the poor little kitten at the shelter and the decision to adopt him!  Here's to many more years with you Oliver Hughes!

 

 

 

One Month

One month since

 

- I held you and snuggled

- I shared my pillow with you at night

 - You were waiting on the bathroom counter when I finished my shower

- I watched you struggle to move around due to weakness and the "big arm"

 - I had to give you fluids

- You gave me head butts and talked to me 

- I worried about whether you were eating enough and saw you refusing all food

- I rubbed your soft paws 

- I worried whether you were in pain 

- I petted your belly..you loved having your belly rubbed!

- I heard you purr

- I saw your face light up when I came home

- You did your "cute" pose

- I told you I was sorry that I couldn't fix you this time

- You woke me in the night by touching my face with your paw

- You purred in my ear as we snuggled and I "fussed" at you...it was a fun game for you

- You drank from my cereal bowl at breakfast

- I told you that you were my boy and to never forget

 

 

Tanner Tuesday

Tanner spent yesterday at the vet school.  It is the start of round three of his chemo protocol, and that means it was ultrasound day.  Even though Tanner's belly had just a small amount of peach fuzz, he was still shaved again.  I'm thinking someone needed to practice :)  The preliminary results show that he had

 

-Improved renal appearance (still abnormal)

-no new lesions concerning for lymphoma

 

Remission Status remains: STRONG PARTIAL REMISSION

 

He was given his vincristine injection along with some zofran.  We came home with the chemo pills for next week, but will need a quick blood test before we give them.

 

While hanging out at the vet school, he ate his can of food that I sent with him.  I always try to send a special flavor for him, and I'm glad to know that he isn't too stressed to not eat!

 

We are now to the point of reducing the prednisolone again.  Tanner will take a pill every other day.  We have gone from twice a day, to once a day, to now, every other day...progress!

 

He is on week 9 of a 27 week protocol, and doing well.  Thanks for all the continuing purrs...they are working!

Wordless Wednesday

Tanner Tuesday

Tanner is having a rest week this week.  He had a quick blood draw yesterday just to make sure everything still looks good, and it does.  He has now completed two rounds of his protocol.  We will redo the ultrasound next week, and hopefully start round three...all dependant on the results of the ultrasound, of course.

Tanner got a few new toys for doing so well...a new catnip heart, and a couple of his favorite crinkle balls...a big one and a small one. 

Cousin Georgie is wondering where his toys are, and maybe he will just help Tanner!  This area is a favorite spot for everyone.  Mom re-finished this chest for us, and it is a perfect fit under the window in the living room.  There is a bird feeder right outside, so lots of activity for the boys to watch.

 

Tanner's bed is from Coccolino Creations on Etsy.  Coccolino also has a blog, and you can read about him here...My Mini Pet Pig.

Mancat Monday - It's Official!

Happy Birthday Oliver Hughes!!  Ollie joins the other boys and is an official Mancat today!

Ollie and Cousin Georgie have been celebrating all week, getting a special toy each day.  You only turn one once, so it is a time to be spoiled!

Join us as we celebrate today...don't be shy, there's plenty for everyone.

We will start out with cake for the birthday boy...let's all sing to him now...

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday, dear Oliver

Happy Birthday to you!

Now let's dig in....there's the ever popular chick-hen... 

A lovely glazed ham... 

Mom's favorite, a grilled steak... 

Chips and dip... 

A fruit tray in case you are watching your waistline... 

Nip-tinis and mock tails for all...aren't they pretty!

As you leave, don't forget to your swag bag...

And take a few furry mice as well...you can never have too many of these around the house!

Thank you all for coming to celebrate the first birthday of Oliver Hughes!  Here's to many more with this crazy and wonderful mancat!

Meow Like a Pirate

Today, September 19th, in the year of our Lord two thousand and fourteen, we be commanded to Meow Like a Pirate! We sail the high seas in search of gold doubloons and pieces of eight.

Avast, seein' how we be land lubber and lily-livered mateys, we hired a couple of buccaneers to take to the high seas in our place...

Shiver me Timbers, they be returning with fantastic spoils and plenty of grog...

Ham, or Big Slab of salt pig be on the menu...

Lobster or Roach of the sea

niptinis and grog for the swashbucklers....

Milk and bubble teas for the buccaneers-in-training...

Fresh spoils of the seas too...

Be nay ne'er shy and commence ye-selves to partying...All ye scurvy dogs!

Tanner Tuesday

Tanner continues to do well with his treatments.  Yesterday was Doxorubicin, which is the third chemo drug in his protocol.

 

Over the weekend, we had some beautiful weather here in North Carolina.  We took advantage of it and let the big cats have a little outdoor time.  The babies still can't be trusted to not be wild (not sure they ever will), so they stayed inside.  We did open the windows and bring in fresh catnip, so don't feel too bad for them!

Tanner enjoying a stroll in the yard...heading towards the garden with the catnip!

 Score!  Tanner found the catnip...he had to fight with the tomatoes for a prime spot though.  The garden has gotten a touch out of control! 

Tanner and Pirate having a meeting under the tree.  They are not allowed to go past this tree when we are out...So far, no one knows how to climb the tree either...do your cats know how to climb a tree?

Tanner spots the babies in the window...hey guys!  The babies would go from window to window watching the bigs!

 

Today is Cousin Georgie's 1st birthday!  Happy Birthday Georgie!!

 

 



Wordy Wednesday

Well, I forgot to do a Tanner Tuesday post, so we'll do it today...

 

Tanner is doing well.  Last week, we repeated the ultrasound and so the boy was shaved again :)  Here are the specific results of his ultrasound.  I'm going to need to to google some of these terms!

 

Abdominal Ultrasound (Sept 2nd):

-Markedly improved, but persistent subcapsular tissue of the left kidney

-Resolved right renal nodule, but persistent perinephric steatitis

-Mild splenic lymphadenopathy

-Improved jejunal and colic lymphadenophathy

REMISSION STATUS: Strong partial remission

This week, the chemo was in pill form, and thankfully, they let me give it at home.  He still had to run over to his regular vet for a quick CBC, but was back home before he knew it!  We waited to hear from the vet school to make sure his counts were high enough for the pills.  They were, so I gave them at home.  He gets a total of 75 mg of cyclophosamide (a 25mg pill and a 50mg pill)  The 50mg is a bit large, so I think next time I'll ask for three 25mg's.  Tanner is a champ at taking pills, but these were larger than his regular heart pills, so it was more of a challenge.  Auntie and I wanted to make sure he didn't get too upset taking them, so I would give the pill, and then she would offer him a small spoonful of ice cream to wash it down!  Then he would get the next pill and another small spoonful of ice cream.  When we finished, he just sat there waiting for another pill!  I think that plan worked just fine!!  Mary Poppins was right...A spoonful of sugar DOES make the medicine go down!

 

Tanner continues to eat well and play hard.  He doesn't know he has cancer, and he doesn't seem to realize he is getting meds for it either.  Thankful for no side major effects!

 

He has been sneezing some since last week getting the vincristine.  We are doing lysine in his food.  Everything is clear and isn't effecting his appetite or behavior.  We'll see next week when he goes in what they do about it...last month, we took a week off from chemo and treated with antibiotics.  Now that this seems to be a pattern, I don't know if they will treat with antibiotics but still give the chemo, or once again, make us wait a week.

 

Well, that's our update this week...looking good for Tanner!

 



Mancats Adjusting

This weekend was spent trying to establish a new 'normal' in the house, one without Smokey.  I am thankful for scrapbooking and friends that provided a nice opportunity to be productive, instead of dwelling on the loss.  I do not have regrets about the decision I had to make for Smokey, but I still miss my snuggle bug.  It is especially hard at night when he would lay on my shoulder, like a baby while we watched tv, and then he would share my pillow throughout the night.  I keep telling Tanner and Oliver to "step it up" but they haven't taken to snuggling yet!

 

Oliver does not seem to notice that Smokey is gone.  They were not close, so I am not surprised.  When Ollie would try to snuggle in the bed at night, and would get too close to Smokey on the pillow, Smokey would bite him in the butt!  I can't blame Ollie for not being too eager to share the pillow with me!

 

Tanner is doing well, both physically from his cancer treatments, and emotionally.  He doesn't seem upset about Smokey.  They were not overly close either, as Tanner was much more attached to Devon and now Oliver and Cousin Georgie.

 

Cousin Sophie is the one taking it the hardest of all the cats.  She has wandered around the house looking in all of Smokey's spots looking for him.  We gave her time on Thursday evening and Friday morning to smell him, and see that he was not feeling well.  It will take her some time.

 

Cousin Pirate is excited to have the best bed in the house!  He has taken over Smokey's spot in one of the beds at the fireplace.

 

Here are a couple of photos of Smokey from Thursday and Friday of this past week.

 

Getting in some final snuggle time on Friday morning...my sweet boy just did not feel good. 

Thursday night laying on the couch on his favorite wool blanket.  His arm is wrapped from the catheter.  He had needed it all week to get fluids, and the vet just left it in to make things easier on Friday.

 

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the blog and sent purrs to Smokey.  Also, thanks to those that have left comments on Facebook for me.  I appreciate your compassion and understanding.  Sometimes it takes another cat lover to truly appreciate what you are feeling and experiencing.



Thankful Thursday

Updated: Just heard from the vet...Smokey is not responding to treatment at all.  His numbers have not improved.  He is telling us it is time to go.  Smokey will be crossing the bridge in the morning, at home, in his favorite bed, surrounded by love and family.

 

 

Today, I am thankful for the blogging community and friends!  Thank you all for the support you are showing me and Smokey, (and Tanner) at this time.  Thank you Ann for the wonderful graphic and for spreading the word about Smokey.

 

Smokey is at the vet for day three of fluid therapy...he seems a bit perkier today, is walking/standing better, and is cooperating at the vet's office!  He still does not want to eat much, if at all, on his own.  The vet used a syringe yesterday and fed him 1/4 can of AD food.  I hope if we can support him and get some more food into his system, he will feel better and want to eat on his own.  Eating is something we have struggled with for months though, although not to this extreme!

 

Today, he will have his blood work rechecked, and I hope we will see the numbers going in the right direction.  If not, other decisions may need to be made.  The vet has listed his prognosis as "guarded" at the moment, so we are taking things slow and are thankful for any small improvements we see.

 

I'm not exactly sure all the meds he is getting at the vets office, but this is what I do know:

- Cerenia (nausea)

- Clavamox (antibiotic)

- Something to help bring the phosphorous levels down

- IV fluids

 

A couple of things I am truly thankful for are:

1) Timing - so thankful I did not treat the Hyper-Thyroid at the radiation center earlier this year when we determined he had a problem.  I have had many wonderful months with my Goose!

2) I am thankful we held off on doing the blood work until August, and did not do it at the visit in July...the pet sitter would have been dealing with this problem because I would have been out of the country!

3) Very thankful that Tanner is doing well, and at least for the time being, I am focusing my main attention on one sick boy instead of two.

 

Things happen for a reason, and at the right time!

 

I appreciate all the comments on the last post, and the suggestions many of you made about alternative care options.  I plan to research those suggestions and may be contacting some of you for more information!

 

Thank you all for the continued purrs and prayers!

What a Week Wednesday

This has been a crazy roller coaster of a week, and it is only Wednesday!  Let me back up a bit for some background info...long post...

 

Smokey went to the vet on August 20th, for his bloodwork and FVRCP.  His bloodwork came back showing that his thyroid was high again, even on meds, and I was to increase the dose to twice a day.  The kidney values came back consistent with where they have been, high normal, but not extreme or overly concerning, given his age.

 

Smokey starts hanging out under a chair or under my bed more and more.  He comes out to eat some, but not a ton.  He still comes to my bed at night and shares the pillow with me.  He asks for a few snacks throughout the night, but not as many as he had been asking for.  I figure, his thyroid is acting up, so it will take a few days for the medicine to regulate the levels. 

 

This pattern continues.  On Labor day weekend, I have to be out of town, but Auntie is there watching over everyone.  I come back home Sunday night, and Smokey is weak and stumbling around when he tries to walk.  I also notice he is dehydrated.  Auntie says he has not been eating well at all.  So we jump into action...100ml sub q fluids, appetite stimulant, and nausea pill given.  He eats a bit but is very wobbly, and it is difficult for him to walk.

 

Monday rolls around and I give another 100ml's of fluid, another appetite pill, and decide to give some pain meds in case that is the cause of the stumbling.  The weakness continues and seems to grow worse over the course of the day.  He looks stoned!  He still makes it to the bathroom to pee, and still tries to eat when food is placed in front of him, so am just not sure what to do.  Take him to the emergency vet or not?

 

I knew his regular vet would be in the office on Tuesday, so he went there as soon as I got Tanner dropped at the vet school for his appointment.  She ran a bunch of blood work, and tests on the urine I had captured, and basically it came back that he was in complete renal failure!  It has been less than two weeks since our last blood work.  In addition, he is anemic and his bilirubin levels were high.  The ultrasound techs were there so they did an ultrasound to see if there was a blockage of some kind in the liver...there is not.  His bile duct is inflammed some though.

 

She kept Smokey yesterday at the vet and ran fluids all day through an IV.  He was also given some pain meds and antibiotics.  He is back there today to receive more fluids and meds.  He is still a bit on the wobbly side, but is trying to eat a bit better.  He still makes it to the litter box to do his business.  He still purrs when petted.  He still has fight in his eyes.  So I continue to give him a chance.

 

At the house, I have set him up in the kitten room, so I can close the door and confine him a bit.  This way, his litterbox, food, water and bed are all very close together.  The kittens can't bother him either, so he can have some peace and quiet and focus on healing.  I hope to see some improvements on his blood values today.  My goals to determine quality will be 1) the weakness improving or going away completely so he can walk around better, 2) Personality to return to a point where I see the old Goose again, 3) Eating well on his own without having to be forced or overly encouraged, and 4) Much less hiding under the chair, but being out and about like a regular family member again.

 

Purrs would be appreciated for my special boy.



Tanner Tuesday

Tanner is actually at the vet school today for his recheck and chemo.  They are doing blood work, repeating his abdominal ultrasound, and hopefully starting his next round of chemo, which will be the Vincristine (IV med).

 

Here is a short video of Tanner loving on his favorite bed and blanket.  He is doing quite well, and still does not realize he is sick or taking medicine!

 

 

Preliminary results from the vet show that the mass on his kidney is completely gone!  One kidney still has a thickened wall, so he is not in complete remission, but has had a good response to the chemo!  We are very pleased with these results!

 

They did start his next round of chemo today...the vincristine should be administered soon, and he will be ready to come home!



Tanner Tuesday

Tanner continues to do well with his treatments!  This week is rest week, so only a blood draw was needed yesterday.  His levels are all good still.  Next week, a repeat ultrasound will be done to see how his cancer is responding to the treatment, and he will more than likely start round two of the chemo protocol.

Last night Tanner was playing hard with his crinkle balls...here are a few short clips.

Playing with the ball until it disappears under the stove...

Auntie saves the day and retrieves the stuff from under the stove.  (Ignore the pieces of dry kibble that emerge!)

Tanner picks his favorite and continues playing!

If the videos don't work above...here are the links to them on YouTube

Tanner and Crinkle Ball - 1

Tanner and Crinkle Ball - 2

Tanner and Crinkle Ball - 3



Mancat Monday

This monday will feature the ever budding relationship between Oliver and Tanner.  These two are just smitten with one another, and love to lay close together, wash each other and sometimes play.  Here are some examples of cuteness...

Brothers helping me work on some scrapbook pages... 

Brothers washing...sometimes this turns into a whapping show, but not always :) 

Oliver would like to point out that he is almost officially a mancat...this photo was taken on Friday, and he is 11 months old!!

 

Here's a washing video...



Tanner Tuesday

Yesterday was Tanner's day to spend at the vet school, and he did great!  His day started with a blood draw, and the values all looked good.  Chemo this week was administered through IV and is called Doxorubicin.  This is one of the stronger drugs he is getting, so we are on the lookout for side effects.  They can kick in 2-5 days out from treatment.  We are purring that he tolerates this newest drug as well as all the rest!

 

The cardiology team stopped by and checked his blood pressure.  I mentioned to the technician, when Tanner checked in, that he is looking pale again, especially in the mornings.  Wondering if another tweak to the heart meds will be needed...

 

When I went to pick Tanner up, I asked if I could go to the back and see where he is hanging out for the day.  I was allowed and Tanner has a nice space!  There is the standard bank of metal cages along the wall, but his is quite large and is on the upper level, so dogs can't sniff him.  He had water, the food I brought (but he wouldn't eat), a can of food he suckered them into giving him, a litter pan, and a box turned on it's side if he wanted to feel more secure.  I thought they had done everything they could to make his stay pleasant and comfortable for him!  Sorry I didn't get a picture.

 

He is one of just a few cats that the oncolocy department is treating.  The doctor said that most cats are too advanced when the cancer is found, and so owners don't want to pursure treatment.  So, we are lucky with Tanner that his cancer was found before problems became visible.  I hope the students and doctors are learning lots from Tanner!

 

Many of you mentioned in the comments about how lucky we were to have a vet school so close by, and you are right.  We are extremely blessed.  The Vet School at North Carolina State University is only 20-30 minutes from my house, depending on traffic.  The school is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the country as well.  I love the care and attention my boys get while there!

Mancat Monday

The Black Tornado strikes again!

Thankfully no one was hurt!  We know Ollie was involved because he was afraid to go down the hall for several hours...

 

Unfortunately, it is not our table, but a friend storing it while she is in the process of moving!

Poor innocent looking baby Ollie...did I do that?

Tanner Tuesday

Yesterday would have been chemo day for Tanner.  He went to the vet school in the morning, but when I filled out his paperwork, I had to mention that he was sneezing some and had developed a runny eye.  They felt it was best not to stress him more with chemo, so he came home with some antibiotics and we will go back next week to try again.  They still did his blood work, and that is looking good.

 

In paleness news...he is looking pinker lately!  We had stopped his heart meds while I was out of town, and are weaning back on now, so I believe they are the culprits of the paleness.  We are trying a half dose of his atenolol to see if it controls the heart rate enough without taking it too low.  We have also switched from Enalapril to Benazepril.  These drugs do the same thing for Tanner, but the Benazepril is processed through the liver instead of the kidneys, so in the long run may be better for him.  With him being at the vet school each week for the cancer, the cardiologist can pop in more often as check on him too.  They are doing a great job of working together!

 

He continues to eat well, play, and love on his baby, Ollie.  Life is good for Tanner at the moment, and we hope to keep it this way!

Mancat Monday

Today will demonstrate once again why our blog is called "Four Crazy Cats", with an emphasis on the CRAZY!

Here is Smokey, in the bed...notice what is laying in front of him...a dryer sheet.  I had been folding clothes and left one behind.  Smokey found it.  He has always loved a dryer sheet, and what does he do with them, you might be asking... 

He sniffs them!  He rubs his face on them and cuddles with them!  He is CRAZY!  But hey, whatever makes you happy, right?

Tanner Tuesday

Well, I have made it back to the US, and trying to get everything sorted our from my wonderful trip to Kenya.  I'm hoping the boys will let me steal the blog a couple of days to tell you all about it! 

 

Today,  I know you are wondering about Tanner.  Here goes...I called the vet school on Tuesday, July 22nd to set up his appointment for when I returned, but they insisted I not wait.  I had taken Wednesday off work, so I took him over that morning for a consult.  Tanner has Renal Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, to be exact, and is considered an oncology emergency.  The Lymphoblastic part makes his cancer rare and aggressive.  The prognosis is guarded even with treatment, but since Tanner came to the clinic not having any real symptoms of being sick, they hope this will increase his survival chances.

 

He started chemo the day before we left, and had a second dose yesterday.  He has also now started on Prednisolone twice a day.  His chemo protocol is called CHOP.  He receives 4 different medications, one chemo each week for three weeks, while taking the pred all the time.  Then repeat.

 

Week One - Vincristine (IV)

Week Two - Cyclophosphamide (pills)

Week Three - Doxorubicin (IV)

Week Four - Rest week

 

On chemo day, I drop him at the vet school where they do a CBC to make sure his blood values are ok to receive chemo.  The team consult to make sure he is still doing well, then the chemo is administered.  I pick him up in the afternoon.

 

So far, he is doing well with the meds.  We have nausea and diarrhea meds at the house to use as needed, but so far, so good.

 

Tanner is going to need lots of purrs to pull through this, but as long as he is feeling well, and tolerating the meds, we will continue to fight for him.  We will do a repeat ultrasound after either the first of second rounds of treatment to see how he is responding, and make more decisions at that time.