Vanessa_3 said
I just have a general vet. I don't think she's board certified. We did a cytology and my cat has an injection site sarcoma. She is five years old and it's on her right hind leg. My vet says the best option is to amputate her leg. (Possibly radiation). Is that normal treatment?

O think radiation would be out of my price range. The amputation I got a quote 1400-1900. It's already hard were in the process of buying a house so I'm not suppose to open up any credit cards or loans. My partner wants to see a veterinary oncologist for a 2nd opinion but I'm worried about time and money. I'm not sure how long it would take to get an appointment. Also how much would it be?

By the time we're seen and we have a treatment plan I'm worried this cancer will spread. It took so long to schedule the appointment with my regular vet I can only imagine with an oncologist. Would they also recommend we amputate the entire leg or is there other options?

The mass was the size of a pea mid April and now it's already an inch big. I called the vet for an appointment when I noticed it was the size of a pea and as of May 22nd the day we saw her it grew to be an inch big.

  

Hi Vanessa,

I saw you posted this elsewhere in our Forums, hope you don't mind I moved it here. But this is a good way for others to follow along in your pre-amputation decisions and questions etc. I'll try to help here:

I just have a general vet. I don't think she's board certified.

That is totally OK, all vets are trained in amputation surgery. The key is to find out how often they do them, and what their clinic protocols are like. This post may help make sense of all that:

Top 10 Questions to Ask Vet Before Amputation Surgery for Dogs and Cats (Part 1)

My vet says the best option is to amputate her leg. (Possibly radiation). Is that normal treatment?

Unfortunately yes as far as this type of cancer is concerned. I can't recall anyone here able to avoid an amputation when their cat was diagnosed with ISS.

The amputation I got a quote 1400-1900.

That's actually a pretty low price compared to some we've seen in the $6k ballpark. Just remember, it's going to be less costly when a general practice vet does it than a specialist, boarded surgeon. But there can be a huge difference in the level of care so you really want to ask those questions in the post I linked to above, to find out what those differences are, if you decide to have a boarded surgeon or surgical oncologist do it.

My partner wants to see a veterinary oncologist for a 2nd opinion but I'm worried about time and money. I'm not sure how long it would take to get an appointment. Also how much would it be?

That is smart! At least get the info before deciding on a treatment plan. Chemo may or may not be recommended or helpful, and they can help you understand why or why not. An oncologist consult can be anywhere from $200 to $300 plus diagnostics, generally speaking. You can always ask before booking the appointment. Wait times really depend on where you live. Did your vet refer you to one?

Would they also recommend we amputate the entire leg or is there other options?

Every case is a little different but for ISS generally the entire leg is taken.  You want to get as wide of a margin around that tumor as possible to ensure it doesn't branch out in the surrounding tissues.

By the time we're seen and we have a treatment plan I'm worried this cancer will spread.

I know it's scary how fast these things can grow! But you are on the right track to reach a decision soon so don't panic. There's some research involved and consults, and then once you have a plan everything will fall into place.

You ask great questions! I hope this helps you feel a little better. 

Yes, we do have appetite tips!

From Edward: 

Jolie stopped eating almost anything for about 4 weeks back in October. So I put some of his dry food into a small bowl and added boiling water and let it soak and soften. Then I took a fork and mashed it into the consistency of baby food. Then I fed it by syringe.

From Holly:

I never put meds in food for two reasons 1. You do not want her going off her food because she tasted medicine. Food is life; never mess with her regular food. This may be why she is picky now. The second reason is to ensure our cats get the meds they need.

You can always have the vet show you how to pill her. I only have used gabapentin capsules. I opened the capsule and, add a little churu tube mix & slurped it up in a syringe to syringe our cats) 

I do have an idea to try - A guarantee NO. THE Ony guarantee is pilling or syringing liquid medicine or using a transdermal. Get a couple of cans of Hills AD recovery food from the vet. It is super stinky, high-calorie food that most cats can't resist. (im not a fan of vet food. 🙂 Anyway, this is different & I have used AD to help a cat eat to survive.

Supervise and stand by her the entire time. See if she likes or loves the AD. Add a little AD (a teaspoon) in a bowl and see if she devours it. If so, GREAT! Prepare another tsp tad more food, open the gabapentin capsule, and mix in with the AD. Give her that if she Gobbled it up, have another little spoon prepared to give her medicine free. ( this is all happening as quickly as you can.)

This is all SEPARATE FROM HER NORMAL MEAL; every 8 - 12 hours, whatever your instructions are, Discovery gets a super tasty treat. The Ad is never given any other time; it is unique for med time only. We want a guaranteed im going to gobble this little bit of food up. We want something unlike her usual fare. You watch and ensure she has eaten it all. 

 

Also see: 

Trouble Administering Oral Medication

Also see:

https://nutriti...../appetite/