Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking back over the past 15 years in our current house. We've had a total of 8 cats during this time, though not at the same time. We've lost 3 (unrelated) Abys due to kidney failure [suspected to be a breed-related problem: amyoidosis]. We just lost our 3 y/o Tonk unexpectedly during routine surgery [lungs collapsed & heart stopped]. We recently found out that our 7 y/o mixed-breed has possible mouth cancer [waiting on test results]. We have another young Tonk who is OK. Two other cats died of old age, though one of them didn't get "sick" until shortly after we moved in.

I may be over reacting, but I'm worried about getting any more kitties. Could something in our house be contributing to these illnesses & deaths? Or is it just coincidence?

Hi There,

I don't think your house is the problem since at least some of these health issues can be explained otherwise. Amyloidosis, as you know, is often breed related, although I have seen the disease in mixed breed cats as well. Most breeders seem to have bred the problem out of their lines over the years.

Regarding anesthesia, it seems that some purebreds are more likely to have severe reactions. You should always be sure that one of the gas anesthetics will be used, such as iso or sevo, as they are the very safest. It might also be a good idea to have bloodwork done before a surgical procedure, just to be sure the cat's organs are functioning well before anesthesia is given. A full exam should also be done before anesthesia........any good vet will do this and pick up on anything obvious, such as a heart murmur. Occasionally, though, a cat will have a fatal reaction with no warning.

I am so sorry for all of your losses and sincerely hope that your cat with the oral mass has been diagnosed with something treatable.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Thanks for the encouraging reply! I checked with our vet and found out that they DON'T use a preanesthetic: they only use "gas." [she told me what it was, but I don't remember] Had a chance to chat with Bishop's breeder and found out that another one of her cats died [recently?] due to anesthesia complications that sound similar to ours.

The final results on the tests on our mix [with the mouth ulcer] came back and IT'S NOT A CANCER! As originally thought, it is "eosynophyllic granuloma." It is treatable. It may go away forever, but most likely he'll have flair-ups that will have to be treated with steroids. We just want him to be comfortable and not in pain!

Hi Again

Wonderful news about your mixed breed kitty! I was also waiting on biopsy results on one of my babies and she is also cancer-free

Good to hear that your vet does use gas anesthesia......not only is is safest to use, but recovery is much quicker.

Thanks so much for the update!

Regards,
PHKitkat