From Bump to Bald spot

This photo shows kitty's head bump 1 week after it emerged.

The day before, I had taken her to the cat oncologist to get a second opinion on what it was. (Her normal vet thought it was inflammed tissue, but the antibiotics didn't seem to subside the bump.) The oncologist thought that it was her sinus fluids, built up from her nasal passage being clogged. There was really nothing the oncologist could do because she didn't want to risk infecting the lump by taking a sample.

Fast forward to the day of the photo. Nature took its own course when Cutie Cat popped the lump all on her own and drained the fluids through her forehead. I'll spare you the details.

Over the next days, the lump would build back up again, get drained, and the process would repeat. It's been surprisingly efficient, and short of a bald spot that formed around the drainage hole, kitty is doing well... social, alert, and eating regularly.

Current weight: 5.4 lbs
Medications: none

Antibiotics and Painkillers

The vet doesn't think the forehead lump is from fluids. She thinks might be infection of the tissue and prescribed some oral anitibiotics and painkillers. Both are stinky and makes kitty lose her appetite.

The lump grew pretty large by the end of yesterday and shrank a bit overnight, so she's kind of back the same lump size as yesterday, the first morning.

Current medications: .5ml Clavamox drops (Amoxicillin Trihydrate/Clavulanate Potassium) twice per day for the next 10 days. .25ml Oral Buprenorphine once per day, then dropping down to once every 2-3 days for a total of 8 syringefuls.

Weight: 5.8 lbs

Bump on the Head

Cutie cat woke up this morning with a big soft bump on her forehead and a little bit of blood at her left nostril, which is the same side as her tumor. The bump is soft and squishy so we suspect it's sinus fluids which can't drain out because of the growing tumor. I placed a call to the vet and am waiting to hear back on what to do. Bump aside, she's still purring, social, and eating well.

Eating like a little piggy

Last night I gave the last of the antibiotics to cutie cat by oral syringe and I'm sure she's happy not to have to go through that 3x a day anymore. She's been pretty much back to her old self prior to being sick. Her appetite picked up again and she's eating like a little piggy, snorting away and finishing whatever portions of milk with catfood I give her. I'm hoping at this rate, she'll be able to pack on some weight before any more complications from her tumor.

Current weight: 6.0 lbs
Medications: none
Currently eating: TJ's Turkey and Giblets watered down with lactose-free 2% milk

Feeling social again.

Things have been rough the past week with cutie cat in pain and getting weaker. Last night was a turning point for the better. When we got home after dinner, she was sitting up on the sofa (vs. hiding under the covers) and almost ready to scold us for being out. She seemed to have more energy, stayed awake, and purred quite a bit as she took turns between going from one lap to another over the course of the night. This morning her appetite was good and ate and drank without too much coaxing. She's also been sleeping in a more social position - one that stubbornly says "I want to be on you" instead of "I want to be curled up alone". We've gone through one full bottle of antibiotics now and have started a second.

Update

The antibiotics seem to be reducing some of the infection. She continues to have trouble eating and sometimes has trouble breathing also because of the growing tumor. Just a week ago, she would happily slurp away at her Trader Joe's Turkey and Giblets catfood and now just turns her head away at it because even that is too lumpy and gets stuck in her mouth. I've switched her to Gerber babyfood and lactose-free milk. Apparently babyfood must be a popular thing to feed pets because the cashier asked me if I was buying for a kitty or a doggy. At first I took a bit of offense that this stranger automatically assumed I wasn't a mother, but then I realized that real moms probably don't buy only the babyfood flavors that are all meat.

She also has blackish, liquidy poop, which is a sign of ulcers.

Infection and Antibiotics

We believe kitty's got an infection. She refused to eat, hid under the covers all day, and wasn't purring even when hugged. I managed to sneak a peek inside her mouth while she was grooming herself and saw that the entire left part of her mouth was red from where her teeth used to be, and swollen (not sure how much from the tumor and how much from an infection). She's definitely been having trouble eating and makes little snorty noises when trying to swallow her food. I got some liquid antibiotics yesterday from the vet which seems to be making her feel better.

Weight: 6.0 lbs
Medication: ClinDrops Clindamycin Hydrochloride Oral Liquid Antibiotic, 1 ml every 8 hours