Samba The Brave: Our Kitty's Injection Site Sarcoma Story

We are so thankful to have Samba home in one piece, albeit a smaller piece than before! She has been just the best patient ever and I am so proud of her. I love her more than ever, although it is heartbreaking to see her reduced to 3 pitiful legs and unsure how to use them. Her appetite is very good, and she is even able to get from her comfy bed to the litter box. At first she definitely flopped to the point of her chest hitting the ground with each step, but after just one day of practice, she is already improved to a hobble. She isn’t able to bury her litter box mess and seems a little puzzled about this, but hasn’t had any accidents. Mostly she sleeps and rests, and purrs for attention and scratches on her head. We have been spoiling her with delicious lickable meals and broths. We found the most perfect chewy cat treats which we squish like play-doh around her pills to help her take them. Currently her medicines are: Onsior daily (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory); Gabapentin every 8-12 hours (nerve pain); Buprenorphine every 8-12 hours (narcotic pain). I have moved a mattress into her room to sleep with her in there, and that rascal even woke me up in the middle of the night trying to rip open her bag of treats! My children check on her regularly and snuggle her, too. They had a day off from school today and watched a movie in there with her. We are trying to keep her company as much as possible.
I am thankful for so many things: that her pain is well-controlled, she still seems to love me (I was worried), she is eating, she is mobilizing, her surgery was a success and there are no complications so far, and we have more time with her and a hopeful cure.
I really couldn’t have done this without you all! Enjoy pictures of the brave new Samba!

My husband and I worked hard this evening to set up Samba’s recovery room for when she comes home tomorrow. We blocked off the guest bed with the mattresses standing upright, and made her a little cave to rest in. We lined part of the room with a tarp under a runner rug to serve as a mess-proof pathway to her modified litter box. I elevated her bowls, finished off her onesies, and set out a basin of lickable foods I hope she likes. I still need to go grab some frozen peas to use as her ice pack, and maybe some broth. Did any of your kitties drink broth? Also, I need to bring in a mattress for myself to sleep on. I know I will want to be very near to her.
It is almost as if I’m nesting for a newborn baby, and some of you have endorsed this as a similar type of adjustment period!

Sister cat, Sassy the Aggressor, approves.

Samba has made it through her surgery!  The surgeon said he was able to get 2-3 centimeters of tissue, mostly muscle, around the original excision, and that everything went well.  The nurse said Samba is still VERY sleepy, and while she has her eyes open, does not want to lift her head up.  Seems expected to me, but their protocol is to continuously and aggressively pat or tap the recovering patient to the point of annoyance to help them shake off the anesthesia!  So, they really want her to start becoming a little more alert.  I will check in with them again before the primary team leaves at 5 p.m., then Samba will be cared for by the in-house emergency team.

Questions: what items should I make sure to have when she comes home?  I am thinking it will be Thursday.   I have:

• Soft bed and blankets
• Recovery room picked out, just need to section off the bed so she can’t get under it
• Broth based cat food so she can get fluid and energy
• Low wall litter box

I have heard about people modifying onesies for their babies after surgery in lieu of the e-collar.  I don’t have any yet but can get some.  What am I missing?!

I love you all for how much you have come by my side!

Here is Samba in her younger days!

Well, I knew I would forget something. I had read that some of you gave your pet gabapentin before their surgery to help reduce future pain. Does anybody know the dosing regimen for this? Or the number of milligrams per kilogram? I am wondering if I should take her to an emergency vet tonight so that she can get a dose in before her surgery.  The other option is for me to prescribe it, because I am a physician. Thank you!

Edited 11:27 p.m.: I ended up going to the emergency vet and they were able to administer 50mg of compounded gabapentin and also send me home with a 5 day supply.  Of course, I will consult with our surgeon before giving her any further doses.  I am so glad I went there for help, because if I would have tried to prescribe as a human med, it would not have been available in in the proper dose!

Once we got home, Samba had a snack of crunchy food (wet food is her usual diet, but she loves the crunchy food best!), l0unged  by the piano for a quick photo shoot, and then went to rest in the garage where it is nice and warm.  Tomorrow is good-bye leg day!

Whew!  I spent ALL day (8:30 to 3) at the specialty clinic an hour from my home seeing the surgeon and oncologist, waiting for tests to be done, and waiting for the final discussion.  The surgeon and oncologist were able to jointly examine Samba while she was sedated for her ultrasound, which was very helpful.  Their exam was thorough enough to give them confidence about how to proceed.  They both agree upon amputation.  Before this exam under sedation, the surgeon thought that scar revision may be an option, but I am trusting and thankful that the plan was more clear after she got to really feel around in all dimensions around Samba’s cancer site.  She thinks it is far enough away from the chest wall that amputation has a good chance of cure.  Thankfully due to all your support, I was prepared to hear that and we were able to get surgery scheduled tomorrow!

While Samba has no idea that she has a life-changing event tomorrow, I feel I should do something ceremonious to say good-bye to her leg and send her off!  Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences on a pre-surgical ritual of some kind?  Not in a weird way, but rather to signify the event in time and make it as positive as possible?

Photo is of tiny baby Samba riding my horse.