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Old November 14th 17, 04:48 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
dgk
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Default Nipsy going for an operation

On Mon, 13 Nov 2017 17:58:43 +0000 (GMT), Judith Latham
wrote:

In article ,
dgk wrote:
His left ear canal is blocked by something, maybe cancer, maybe a big
polyp. I know that he has something in his lungs based on a month old
X-Ray, but he's had issues with his left ear for years and the vet
thinks it could be a polyp. Whatever it is, it's blocking us from
treating an infection underneath it and if nothing is done the
infection will continue to hurt him and eventually travel into the
inner ear and cause massive problems. He's already scratched at it so
hard that all the hair behind that ear is gone. I have to do
something.


My vet will do surgery on Monday to cut away the growth. Nipsy is 16.
I turned down doing an EKG. It would cost $100 or so and will tell us
whether Nipsy is likely to survive anesthesia. But I don't see that I
have any other option than to do surgery so why throw away $100?


Well, I could take him to the specialty surgeon. My vet says that the
specialty surgeon will do a more complete job, getting out all of the
growth, but if it's cancer that doesn't really matter since he very
will might have it in the lungs already and there's no way to be sure
that you get all the cancer cells. And, of course, the specialty vet
will charge over $2000 with no better chance of Nipsy surviving the
surgery.


So, send some purrs Nipsy's way please. I'll let you know how it goes.


How is Nipsy? How did the op. go?

Judith


Good and bad. He survived and the vet removed about an inch of stuff
that was clogging the ear. The bad news is that the growth extends
into the ear canal and it would take the specialist to get it all out,
and the vet doesn't recommend doing that for a 16 yo cat. Still, it
means that we probably can cure the infection that's been causing the
immediate problem

So Nipsy is wearing the soft collar and is not happy about that, but I
am to give him a liquid pain killer three times a day and rinse his
ear once per day. Getting him out from under the bed is tough at the
moment but that should get better as he recovers.

I don't know what the growth was but the vet is not sure that it's
cancer, so I'm just going to see how it progresses. He's had problems
with that ear for years so I'm leaning against the cancer and guessing
that it's something more benign.

I'm having a fence installed around my yard so the cats won't be able
to get out, and it looks like Nipsy will at least get a chance to roam
a small part of the outdoors, and I'm glad about that.

Thanks for the purrs everyone, they clearly helped.