tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35816202011-07-28T23:28:53.204-04:00Biz the CatChronicle of my and my 14-year-old cat's struggle with Squamous Cell Carcinoma.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-38852012267374910822010-08-28T11:52:00.000-04:002010-08-28T11:52:19.959-04:00Welcome to Biz the cat's blog. It is my prayer that you can find information here that will help you in your difficult walk with your cat who has illness, especially squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
While it may be the most difficult thing you've faced, I encourage you to check out the links in the right-hand column and also to know that, even though it doesn't feel like it just now, one day you Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-83822614933077415512008-12-12T08:43:00.003-05:002010-12-16T18:16:23.633-05:00December 1, 2008
RINGOES, N.J. -- A medical marvel in more ways than one, Tashi the kitten was born with a congenital spinal chord condition that paralyzed his hind legs. But Tashi, unaware of his handicap, is still making every effort to walk.
Rescued from a feral cat colony in Ohio, nearly 6-month-old Tashi recently arrived at Tabby's Place, a cage-free cat sanctuary in Ringoes.
"Everyone Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-1120602255647647882005-07-05T18:19:00.000-04:002005-07-05T18:35:12.110-04:00As you read through my blog about Biz, my cat who had SCC (Squamous Cell Carcinoma), you'll also find out that Biz's companion, Zach, succumbed to some kind of blood cancer in Nov, 2004.But I want you to also know that life does go on and you can heal from the loss of your beloved!While I cherish the memories of Biz and Zach and still mourn their loss even today, I've been blessed with two new Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-1101125671031613052004-11-22T07:11:00.000-05:002004-11-22T21:18:17.296-05:00Zach (who was at one time Biz's companion) crossed over the "rainbow bridge" to kitty "heaven" yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 11/21/04). Zach had some kind of blood cancer, but we're not sure what it was, and was only diagnosed last Thursday (11/18/04).
We did not have to make the difficult decision to put him to sleep because he died on his own timing. For that, I'm very thankful. Once he Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-1100948553756542742004-11-20T05:50:00.000-05:002004-11-20T06:02:33.756-05:00I'm in sorrow again as my other cat, Zach, has been diagnosed with either lymphoma or multiple myeloma. It doesn't matter which, because he is fading very quickly.
Zach is a black domestic long-hair, about 11.5 years old. I noticed this summer that he was losing a little weight and I took him to the Vet in July where they did complete blood work (a normal check for all senior cats), and a Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-1095191298595733092004-09-14T15:47:00.000-04:002004-09-14T15:48:18.596-04:00Well, it has been two years since I lost my beloved Biz.
It has not been easy at times, as I remember her and especially her last days on Earth. But, I'm so thankful she is out of any pain or suffering. There's too much of that in the world today, both in the animal AND the human kingdoms.
I would like to encourage those of you still grieving the loss of your beloveds -- or who are currently Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-1063656054211466002003-09-15T16:00:00.000-04:002003-09-15T16:06:42.883-04:00Today is the one year anniversary of the loss of my beloved Biz.
I admit I've struggled over the past month - especially with horrible visions of her last minutes as the Vet came to my house to put her to sleep.
Biz was extremely afraid of strangers up to the very end and struggled to get away from the Vet as she tried to squirt some stuff in Biz's mouth to start to calm her down so that she Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-1061382969851089262003-08-20T08:36:00.000-04:002003-08-20T08:37:39.706-04:00Just an update: Lately, I've been haunting myself with thoughts like, "Just this time last year Biz was really starting to decline," and "Oh, the one year anniversary of Biz's death is approaching on Sept. 15. How will I handle it?"
I suppose all of this is normal, since I still think every year on June 21 and March 23 about my Dad's Birthday and day of death, respectively, so it's natural Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-2000423102003-03-25T09:12:00.000-05:002003-03-25T09:16:59.000-05:00I did go dig some daffodils out of the front yard and planted them by Biz's grave (see March 10 entry):
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-904567932003-03-10T10:48:00.000-05:002003-03-25T09:14:28.000-05:00Just an update: Zach (my 10 year old black DLH) and Zadie (my new ~1.5 year old DSH tortie) have started playing with each other. Zadie will make a flying leap worthy of a professional wrestler on to Zach's back and they'll start tussling. After prolonged seconds of staring and tail swishing/wagging, one will launch into the other and they'll holler and yelp and then start running through the Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-901300842003-01-01T09:52:00.000-05:002003-01-01T09:52:25.850-05:00Our new "kitty buddy," Zadie, and our older cat, Zach, are really getting along pretty well. They both have relatively laid-back personalities and after a few days of Zach growling and hissing at Zadie, they pretty much have settled down into small spats here and there. Zach doesn't even hiss or growl anymore.
Zadie is rather playful, and Zach, being 9 years old, seems to curiously watch ZadieJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-900507892002-12-13T19:13:00.000-05:002002-12-13T19:13:05.790-05:00We were blessed today to come home with a "kitty buddy" for Zach. Her name is "Zadie," which is a diminutive form of Sarah, who of course was Abraham's wife. Sarah means "princess," and Zadie definitely fits the bill!
To see a picture of our lovely Zadie, and her coat of many colors, please click here. She is about 1.5 years old and weighs ~ 8.5 pounds. We got her at the Knox County Animal Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3900311292002-12-09T12:25:00.000-05:002002-12-10T19:13:21.000-05:00Just a quick update...our "left behind" cat, Zach, seems to really be craving companionship. It's been almost three months since we lost Biz, and we're thinking seriously about finding a new cat. I don't think I could get another grey tabby, so we're looking for a young female tortishell/calico. Our local shelter and Petfinder.org have pictures of cats (and dogs) ready for adoption, but it'sJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-855285542002-10-05T12:00:00.000-04:002002-10-05T12:00:57.000-04:00I made my grave marker! We had some stainless steel sheet in our garage and I used it and a Dremel tool to etch info about Biz on it.
I'm pleased with the results, although I'm no artist! Click on the images to see them larger:
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-855135922002-10-01T20:28:00.000-04:002002-10-01T20:28:40.000-04:00It's now been two weeks plus since I had to have Biz put to sleep. I still miss her; I miss the way she leaned her head into my hand as I stroked her; I miss her practice of "flopping" on the ground for a good petting by essentially doing a partial sumersault; I miss her purr that had to be coaxed; I miss her bright green eyes; I miss her tiger-stripes and her floppy belly.
While I have brief Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3854940912002-09-26T08:28:00.000-04:002002-10-22T22:00:28.000-04:00I still stand amazed at the quickness of my healing. I kept thinking I would sink back into a hole over losing Biz, but I just continue to remain thrilled that she was a part of my life and actually glad that she did not suffer long. I even have a pang of guilt from time to time that I am not still overtly grieving, because part of me says if Biz really meant anything to me I should still be inJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854856282002-09-24T09:05:00.000-04:002002-09-24T13:46:54.000-04:00I have turned the corner. I am surprised it happened this quickly.
Sunday afternoon, I suddenly realized that when I think of Biz, the good memories come forth much more quickly than last week, and the deep sorrow and pain I experienced has been replaced by simple sadness. My heart still hurts some, but it does not get stabbed like it did last week. I'm thankful for that.
As an only child ofJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854782262002-09-22T08:16:00.000-04:002002-09-22T08:17:58.000-04:00It was one week ago this morning that I noticed Biz really struggling to breathe and made the decision to put her to sleep. This whole week has been a mixture of pain, sorrow, grief, anger, wistfulness and denial. Just when I think I'm starting to heal, something reminds me of Biz and I get teary-eyed again. But, I'm pretty sure all what I'm feeling is completely normal.
I found some help atJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854722182002-09-20T09:50:00.000-04:002002-09-24T13:51:11.000-04:00I went and visited Biz's grave yesterday afternoon for the first time since I buried her. As I approached the spot in our backyard about 100 yards behind the house at the edge of the treeline, I noticed a tree to the left of Biz's grave was being gently blown by the wind. I'm not sure what kind of tree it is, but it has fairly long fronds on it, and the breeze was moving the fronds in a patternJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3854695952002-09-19T17:24:00.000-04:002002-09-20T13:45:38.000-04:00I've been very touched by some folks who share my pain; they've lost cats within the last week themselves to SCC.
They've each emailed me with their stories, so eerily parallel to Biz's that it brings comfort in a way to me (someone else knows exactly how I feel), but also multiplies my pain since I know exactly how they feel.
I've hemmed and hawed a bit over the last few days about being so Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854652982002-09-18T17:21:00.000-04:002002-09-18T17:21:38.360-04:00Another day has passed since Biz left this Earth. What's bothering me now is this denial phase I'm in. I just cannot bring myself to believe at times that she is gone. I keep expecting to see her coming around the corner in her usual, casual way, rear claws clicking on the hardwood floor.
While I know in my head that she is gone, my heart keeps expecting to see her again.
And then there are Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3854591122002-09-17T08:57:00.000-04:002002-09-18T17:09:46.000-04:00I just learned about an interesting twist in my Biz saga.
Here in the Knoxville, TN area, we had a train derailment on Sunday that caused the evacuation of thousands of people due to a sulfuric acid leak and subsequent cloud/irritating vapors. Some of those thousands of people had to leave their pets behind.
On Monday, some of those folks were allowed to go get their pets, and they brought Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854569972002-09-16T17:30:00.000-04:002002-09-16T17:30:08.970-04:00I really, really thought that yesterday would be my last posting about Biz.
And then I realized that her story continues, because she was such a part of me, and I'm continuing on. And that others who are going through this experience don't suddenly stop thinking about their beloved pets just because they're gone, because I sure haven't!
So, I thought I should continue this chronicle to share Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854524912002-09-15T11:06:00.000-04:002002-09-15T12:19:54.000-04:00Tribute to Biz:
Biz, my beloved. You are not in pain anymore, you are not suffering. You gave me love and only asked for food and petting in return.
You were with me through some very difficult times and it was very difficult to let you go.
But the Visiting Vet said I did the right thing. Her pupils were dialated, indicating that she was in pain. The cancer had spread to her lungs and Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854522832002-09-15T08:48:00.000-04:002002-09-15T09:12:03.000-04:00Biz is really struggling to breathe this morning. I did get to feed her some of the Hill's A/D with a piroxicam treat smushed up in it, but I feel like she's tired of struggling and it may be close to the time for her to die.
I called the Visiting Vet a few minutes ago (~0830 Eastern) to see if there was anything I could do for Biz, and she quizzed me on her respiration frequency. It's Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854513352002-09-14T22:43:00.000-04:002002-09-14T22:43:33.100-04:00We just got back from our daytrip and Biz seems to be doing OK. I warmed up a tablespoon+ of Hill's A/D and added some water (not in that order) she ate it all, basically. However, after she was done, when she was swallowing and "licking her chops," it seemed like her nose was stuffed up, like she was having to mouth-breathe. I wonder if the tumor has most of her nasal passage blocked off, andJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854496372002-09-14T07:43:00.000-04:002002-09-14T07:43:32.750-04:00Well, we're going on our trip today (back this evening, so it's really just like an extended work day). This morning, Biz seems to be doing relatively OK; I warmed up some of the Hill's A/D and added water to make it a paste, and took it to Biz, sitting on a couch.
When I walked up to the couch, Biz looked at me expectantly, and almost with anticipation. Made me feel good, like she wanted to Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854488672002-09-13T21:29:00.000-04:002002-09-13T21:29:26.570-04:00Biz did not originally eat the food, but later, she went to the litter box, and I tried again as she came into the kitchen. I put about a tablespoon of Hill's A/D mixed with some water and heated it up briefly in the microwave. I set the plate in front of Biz and she smelled it and seemed to want it, but was still hesitant, so I put some on my finger and put it up to her and she licked it off!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854477252002-09-13T14:33:00.000-04:002002-09-13T14:36:26.000-04:00I talked with the Visiting Vet this morning. She said that if she goes for many days without eating, her liver will be affected and she'll become jaundiced. And, of course, that's not good. She knew of an animal that had gone two weeks without eating and had recovered, but this was an animal not affected by cancer (I believe). I know Biz is not going to recover (barring some miracle), but if Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854460242002-09-13T06:30:00.000-04:002002-09-13T06:32:24.000-04:00Biz would not eat anything last night nor this morning. As a matter of fact, she barely responded to me at all this morning. It was one last petting session this morning before I left for work in which she did start a quiet purr.
Thus, she hasn't had any medicine or food that I know of (except for the smattering of chicken Wed. evening) since Monday evening. I don't think she's drinking waterJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854416472002-09-12T07:14:00.000-04:002002-09-12T07:14:27.000-04:00Biz did eat just a smattering of chicken last night and one little pinch off of a piroxicam salmon-favored treat. This morning, however, I couldn't interest her in anything at all.
She doesn't groom herself much any more, so I make it a point to brush/comb her every day. I get a real bonus when she purrs while I'm brushing her.
My husband wisely reminded me last night that I should not try toJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854379292002-09-11T09:32:00.000-04:002002-09-11T09:35:07.000-04:00With the remembrance and solemness of today, 9/11, I find myself getting a reality check on my emotions about Biz. Biz is just a cat. Yes, a very special cat to me, but still, just a cat.
How many children are awaking this morning without a Mommy or a Daddy due to the terrorist acts in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania? The magnitude of their loss is comparatively enormous to mine.
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854331902002-09-10T06:49:00.000-04:002002-09-10T06:50:51.000-04:00Well, Biz didn't eat at all last night nor this morning. I followed her around last night for a long time, and she finally did eat one or two bites of chicken, but then jumped away from the plate spitting out the chicken and it was mixed with blood. I comforted her and pet her and told her she was OK.
About an hour later, she was settled down for a nap and I fed her two small pieces of her Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3854291112002-09-09T08:53:00.000-04:002002-09-09T08:53:05.400-04:00I had a bigger struggle than usual trying to feed Biz this morning. She ate one bite of her canned chicken (after much encouragement to start eating) and didn't touch any of her medicine treats (piroxicam and amoxycillin).
So, for the next 20 minutes, in between taking a shower to get ready for work, I followed her around the house, putting the dish in front of her with the chicken that was Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854161582002-09-05T06:21:00.000-04:002002-09-05T06:44:56.000-04:00When I came home from work on Tuesday, I found about three tablesoons of blood on the carpet. My heart lept as I went in search for Biz. She was acting and looking normal.
I called the Visiting Vet and she said that the tumor mass is probably causing bleeding in her mouth, which she is subsequently swallowing. She asked me to look at Biz's ears and gums to check for pinkness. There's no wayJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-854024632002-09-01T08:26:00.000-04:002002-09-01T08:29:09.000-04:00I noticed Thursday when I came home from work and was on the floor encouraging Biz to eat her food that there was a small amount of blood coming out of her mouth on the side of the tumor.
I had already talked to the Visiting Vet that day about starting Biz on antibiotics again since the discharge from her weeping eye (the one on the side of the cancer) had some cloudiness to it. She said that Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3853930432002-08-29T06:40:00.000-04:002002-08-29T07:40:33.000-04:00I still don't see any benefit to the Benedryl gel that I'm applying to the inside of Bizs' ear flap. Her sneezing has not decreased.
Also, for the past three days, I've really had to stay with her to encourage her to eat her canned chicken with the piroxicam salmon-flavored treat mixed in. It seems that it's become pretty painful or too hard for Biz to eat. She does still seem to be hungry, Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853816212002-08-26T06:23:00.000-04:002002-08-26T06:23:23.203-04:00Well, I've tried the Benedryl for almost three days now and don't really see a reduction in Biz's sneezing.
She still is allowing me to rub the gel on the inside of her ear flap, but last night, she started squinting her eyes like they were stinging a bit when I approached her with the gel on my thumb. I was thinking that she was not even going to allow me to apply the gel, but she did.
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853747712002-08-23T11:44:00.000-04:002002-08-23T11:53:26.000-04:00I did get the Benedryl gel and the piroxicam (Feldene) from The Medicine Shoppe on Tuesday the 20th, but did not get to call for application instructions of the Benedryl gel until Thursday (8/22). The gel cost $15 for 10 syringes (that's 100 doses, or 50 days worth for $15; very reasonable). The piroxicam salmon-flavored treats are $15 for a two week dosage (two treats/day).
The gel comes in Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853584662002-08-19T07:32:00.000-04:002002-08-19T07:32:07.600-04:00I talked again with Don Walker, the pharmacist at the Medicine Shoppe in Maryville, and he has not had time to make up the Benedryl gel yet. I also needed a refill on the piroxicam, and now I'm concerned that the refill won't arrive before I run out on Wednesday, because he wasn't sure he could get to it on Saturday.
Part of me is hurt, because Biz's sneezing has not subsided (as expected), andJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853424932002-08-13T19:40:00.000-04:002002-08-13T19:42:14.000-04:00I talked to Don Walker, the pharmacist at The Medicine Shoppe in Maryville, TN about mixing up something for Biz that she would eat with Benedryl in it. He said it is very bitter and there's not much that would mask the taste. He suggested a medicine that I rub on the inside of Biz's ears. Since the ears have lots of blood vessels, there are certain kinds of medicines that will absorb readily Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3853400742002-08-13T07:48:00.000-04:002002-08-13T07:48:56.920-04:00I've even tried Benedryl "dye-free" gel caps, but since the dosage of just one gelcap is 25mg, and Biz is only supposed to get 12.5mg, I had to cut it open and let (half of) the liquid drain out. I mixed the liquid with canned chicken, but still Biz would not touch it.
I got some of the Benedryl liquid on my fingers, and the taste was TERRIBLE! It also seemed to make my tongue numb. No Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853293222002-08-09T08:44:00.000-04:002002-08-09T08:49:30.000-04:00I've tried several different things to get Biz to take the Benedryl, but she won't. I tried children's (grape) flavored (she practically ran away from that), and then I tried putting powder from Benedryl capsules in canned tuna and canned chicken, but she still turns her nose up from it, even if she has just eaten a small portion of the very same canned tuna or canned chicken immediately Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853187232002-08-06T07:28:00.000-04:002002-08-06T07:28:34.513-04:00Biz has been sneezing and trying to sneeze more and more over the last week. The Visiting Vet says the tumor mass is probably irritating her nasal passages. We are going to try some pediatric Benedryl (12.5 mg/dose, 2 doses/day for now) to see if that will help Biz's sneezing fits. Hopefully the pediatric version will be more palatable (less bitter) for Biz, and thus easier to give to her thanJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-853041642002-08-01T07:36:00.000-04:002002-08-01T07:36:26.146-04:00Biz continues to slowly get more and more lethargic. I wonder if she's in pain, or just doesn't feel well in general, or if her senses are going away (smell, taste) so that she doesn't want to experience life any more.
I'm continuing to give her the piroxicam, knowing that it's probably not doing her any harm, and hoping it is helping any pain she may be experiencing and slowing the growth of Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-852740132002-07-23T06:27:00.000-04:002002-07-23T06:28:41.000-04:00Biz is still doing OK, but her tumor is definitely not shrinking as possibly expected by using the piroxicam. It definitely continues to grow, and I don't know whether it's growing at a slower rate since starting the piroxicam or not.
I'm at a point of wondering if it's worth giving her the piroxicam at all. It only costs $1/day for her 1.6mg salmon-flavored medicine treats, but at this point,Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3852494522002-07-15T07:00:00.000-04:002002-07-15T07:00:51.000-04:00Just wanted to give an update since it's been a while...
Biz still continues to do well. The tumor on the left side of her face has not really shrunk, as expected with the piroxicam, but it hasn't really grown, either.
She seems to be eating dry food OK and the only trouble she has is with the canned chicken I give her to mix up with her medicine. Her medicine (piroxicam 1.6mg/day - she Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-852059952002-06-28T06:39:00.000-04:002002-06-28T06:39:11.186-04:00Biz continues to do well. The piroxicam does not seem to bother her stomach (her stool is normal color and consistency), but I know I need to keep monitoring it because one of the side affects of piroxicam is gastrointestinal bleeding.
She does not seem to want to eat her dry food (Science Diet Hairball Light), so I'm wondering if her mouth is bothering her due to the cancer spreading and Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-851939542002-06-24T07:21:00.000-04:002002-08-02T17:56:11.000-04:00I started Biz on the piroxicam (note I spelled it incorrectly as "poroxicam" in my earlier blog entries) on Saturday afternoon. The prescription says "0.8mg ATB." (I think...I'm at work and the prescription is at home, so I'm going on memory). I don't know what ATB is, so I need to find out.
I was told by my Vet to keep an eye out for intestinal bleeding (either a dark, tarry stool or bright Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3851878262002-06-21T06:44:00.000-04:002002-06-21T06:47:29.000-04:0006/18/02
Biz, my beloved.
As you probably already know, "My Beloved" is a term used in one of the greatest love sonnets ever written: the Song of Solomon.
The Song of Solomon is about the erotic and deep love between man and woman, but my love for Biz is deep, too, and she truly is "my beloved."
She is the kind of cat that is standoffish, not wanting to be touched, scared of strangers. She Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-3851791732002-06-18T07:10:00.000-04:002002-06-18T07:10:28.216-04:00Today, I feel guilt for "abandoning" Biz, as I'm leaving on a business trip this afternoon and won't be back until Thursday night. I plan on leaving work to go home to pack and spend a little more time with Biz. I feel like every moment is precious, but I don't want to smother her with my attention, because I don't want to stress her out. She's got to be picking up on my sadness/worry signals.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3581620.post-851780062002-06-17T19:17:00.000-04:002002-06-17T20:11:53.000-04:00This is a blog to document my journey with my 14-year-old DSH tabby cat, Biz, who has cancer. It is my hope that sharing this on the 'Net will help others dealing with this, and will also, somehow, help me cope with the inevitable loss of my beloved Biz.
The results of a biopsy taken last Tuesday (6/11) came back today. She was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). I do not know the Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981691732218144956noreply@blogger.com0