Prognosis: Mast cell tumors
Value: $35,981 | Wholesome Paws reimbursed: $27,285
Protection choices: 80 p.c reimbursement | $250 deductible
Rook, a 6-year-old home shorthair cat, is an especially pleasant, loving, playful cat who acts loads like a canine, says his pet dad or mum Cathy.
“He goes to the door when the doorbell rings, needs to be in the midst of all of the motion, will get alongside effectively with canine, likes to be picked up and held, and play fetch. He’s an enormous, robust cat (17 lbs.) and the sunshine of our lives,” she mentioned.
Cathy and her husband rescued Rook from a shelter in California. Once they walked previous his cage, Rook, who was solely a four-pound kitten, caught out his paw. At that second, they knew he was theirs.
Indicators of a tumor
When Rook was solely a 12 months outdated, a raised bump appeared simply above his proper eye. On the similar time, he was experiencing ear infections, sneezing, and itching in his proper ear. Cathy took him to the veterinary clinic a number of instances, however every time the vet mentioned it was nothing to fret about. When the bump wouldn’t go away, the vet carried out a biopsy. The biopsy revealed that the bump was a mast cell tumor.
With the analysis, Cathy took Rook to a specialty hospital the place they discovered that mast cell tumors in kittens are extraordinarily uncommon. In reality, the veterinarian had by no means seen a kitten with one in 17 years of follow.
Rook underwent surgical procedure to have the tumor eliminated as soon as testing revealed it had not unfold to his inside organs.
“Because it was so uncommon, our oncologist hoped that this was only a ‘one off’ sort of state of affairs, and he can be high quality going ahead. Inside six months, Rook had one other tumor. After which one other,” Cathy mentioned.
The vet prescribed Palladia, a medication normally prescribed to canine for treating tumors, to attempt to management them.
Nevertheless, the tumors stored showing — a number of below his proper arm, one on his chest, two on his again close to his backbone, one on his head by his ear, and two others that appeared extra not too long ago. In complete, Rook has had 4 surgical procedures and eight tumors eliminated. They’re treating the 2 most up-to-date tumors conservatively with steroid injections.
Extra well being issues emerge
All of the most cancers therapy took a toll on poor Rook. The Palladia was inflicting elevated blood strain, most probably attributable to chemotherapy-induced renal harm, so that they stopped the remedy. As well as, he sometimes has elevated liver enzymes, and for some time he suffered important urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bladder issues. These points had been resolved with therapy.
He additionally has a coronary heart murmur and two lipomas (benign fatty tumors) on the appropriate aspect of his backbone which were there since beginning.
“Not too long ago, we now have determined that the perfect type of therapy is to observe his blood strain and tumors, and to be conservative in his most cancers therapy. We would like him to have a top quality of life for nonetheless lengthy we now have him,” Cathy mentioned of his ongoing well being points.
How’s Rook doing now?
Whereas Rook nonetheless has the 2 tumors, he’s in any other case behaving like a daily cat. He’s joyful and feeling effectively though somewhat slower than he was. His blood strain is below management with drugs he takes twice day by day.
“ him, you’d by no means know there’s something fallacious with him or that he has endured a lot. He’s so very beloved and cherished by our household, and we now have accomplished every part we will to maintain him joyful and cozy,” she mentioned.
How pet insurance coverage helped
Cathy signed Rook up for a Wholesome Paws pet insurance coverage plan instantly after adopting him. She couldn’t have afforded the practically $36,000 in vet payments for a number of surgical procedures, in depth testing and medicine with out it. She’s been happy with the protection and customer support.
“Wholesome Paws has handled us with kindness, checking in to see how Rook is doing alongside the way in which, and being there once we wanted them. Pet insurance coverage is an afterthought a number of instances, and for my part and expertise, it shouldn’t be. We’re extremely grateful that we now have had wonderful care from extremely certified oncologists and surgeons and that Rook is doing in addition to he’s. He was undoubtedly meant to be ours, and we will’t think about what our lives can be with out him,” she wrote.
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