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Nietzsche's Case Study
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Other Diseases/Conditions:
(still waiting on test results for fungal infection verus neoplasia)
Story: Nietzsche was rescued from a litter of stray cats. The man who took him in gave him to me when he was 8 months old because he had been severely beaten up by other cats. He is a cuddler and I don't think the other cats cared for that. At that time I had one other cat, Roxy. I took him in and later found out he had a mild case of cerebral hypoplasia. At that time he had tested negative for feline leukemia (as had Roxy). Both of my cats are strictly indoor. The two have become quite close, spending most of their time snuggled up with each other.
Last week we took Nietzsche in because he had been fighting an on again off again cold since July. We often have him hang out in the bathroom with the shower because the steam seems to make him feel better (he is also a cat that loves water and demands to be in the bathroom anyway). At first, the vet said it could be herpes and this was his first outbreak but that didn't seem right at all. He was prescribed clavamox (antibiotic) and it cleared up.  It came back in November and again we treated it with clavamox but it came right back after a week he was done with his prescription. The vet tested him for feline leukemia and it turned up positive on January 11. I got a referral to an oncologist near by. We tested Roxy on January 12 and she came up negative for feline leukemia and immediately started her vaccination. On January 13, after a few tests, Nietzsche was diagnosed with renal lymphoma and we are still waiting for tests results for the mass on the bridge of his nose. It could be related to the lymphoma but also a possible fungal infection. We started him on chemo (the UW-Madison CHOP protocol) last week, and we will keep him on the clavamox.
Outcome: Nietzsche remains in good spirits, he cuddles and purrs and even plays with his laser pointer. We have to keep him separated from Roxy, which is simply heartbreaking. It might seem a little odd but I thought maybe a "therapy fish" might cheer him up. It's kind of like kitty television in the way it gives him something entertaining to watch while he is separated from our other cat. It seems to have a some positive effect. The clavamox as helped with reducing his eye and nose discharge to minimal amounts. He has experienced weight loss, possibly because he can not smell. He still seeks out food in places he used to eat but doesn't pick up food. I have tried gently rubbing soft and/or liquefied food on his gums and he licks it up. To treat this we have increased the number of 'steam baths' he has and give him saline drops. We have just started giving him appetite stimulants so we'll see what happens with that.
- By Amanda Nietzsche's Mom - |
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Photos
Chemo Protocol Used
Holistic Remedies Used
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