Cat Identified with Extraordinarily Uncommon Mast Cell Tumors

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Prognosis: Mast cell tumors
Price: $35,981 | Wholesome Paws reimbursed: $27,285
Protection choices:  80 p.c reimbursement | $250 deductible

Rook, a 6-year-old home shorthair cat, is a particularly pleasant, loving, playful cat who acts loads like a canine, says his pet father or mother Cathy.

“He goes to the door when the doorbell rings, needs to be in the midst of all of the motion, will get alongside nicely with canine, likes to be picked up and held, and play fetch. He’s a giant, sturdy 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When Rook was solely a yr outdated, a raised bump appeared simply above his proper eye.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 prognosis, Cathy took Rook to a specialty hospital the place they discovered that mast cell tumors in kittens are extraordinarily uncommon. In truth, the veterinarian had by no means seen a kitten with one in 17 years of observe.

Cat Rook and her dad

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’ kind of state of affairs, and he could be positive going ahead. Inside six months, Rook had one other tumor. After which one other,” Cathy mentioned.

The vet prescribed Palladia, a drugs normally prescribed to canine for treating tumors, to attempt to management them.

Nevertheless, the tumors saved 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 lately. In whole, 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 remedy took a toll on poor Rook. The Palladia was inflicting elevated blood strain, most definitely because of chemotherapy-induced renal injury, so that they stopped the treatment. 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 have been resolved with remedy.

He additionally has a coronary heart murmur and two lipomas (benign fatty tumors) on the fitting facet of his backbone which have been there since beginning.

“Not too long ago, we’ve determined that one of the best type of remedy is to watch his blood strain and tumors, and to be conservative in his most cancers remedy. We wish him to have a top quality of life for nonetheless lengthy we’ve him,” Cathy mentioned of his ongoing well being points.

Rook and a vet tech

How’s Rook doing now?

Whereas Rook nonetheless has the 2 tumors, he’s in any other case behaving like an everyday cat. He’s joyful and feeling nicely though just a little slower than he was once. His blood strain is below management with medication he takes twice every 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 liked and cherished by our household, and we’ve completed all the things we are able to 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, intensive 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 plenty of instances, and in my view and expertise, it shouldn’t be. We’re extremely grateful that we’ve had glorious care from extremely certified oncologists and surgeons and that Rook is doing in addition to he’s. He was positively meant to be ours, and we are able to’t think about what our lives could be with out him,” she wrote.

The declare eventualities described listed below are supposed to indicate the kinds of conditions that will lead to claims. These eventualities shouldn’t be in comparison with every other declare. Whether or not or to what extent a specific loss is roofed will depend on the info and circumstances of the loss, the phrases and situations of the coverage as issued, and relevant regulation.

Insured individuals offering testimonials on this report haven’t obtained compensation for his or her statements.

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