�Cisco Kitty� - a castrated male long hair cat approximately 9 years old (DOB 6/94)

- Has been vaccinated yearly for DRC, Rabies, and Leukemia up to 1/20/98.

- Had episode of increased water consumption and urination on 4/00. Full work-up including blood work and radiographs were within normal limits.

- Was on antibiotics (Clavamox drops) for 7 days after laceration sutured on 8/02 at emergency clinic.

�Cisco� was brought in on 9/29/03 with history of becoming arthritic. Physical exam revealed a huge mass in abdomen. Hydration, heart, lungs, temperature, membrane color, and palpation of joints for arthritis were within normal limits. The tentative diagnosis was a tumor of the spleen or of the liver with a very poor prognosis for survival. After discussion with the owner concerning full blood chemistry and radiographs to further assess the cat�s condition, the owner decided to just have an exploratory surgery performed to see if �Cisco� could be saved or needed to be euthanized.

Exploratory surgery was performed that evening. The mass palpated was the right medial lobe of the liver that appeared to be highly cystic. The mass appeared to have hundreds of cystic nodules that contained fluid. The possibility of cancer was considered. The other lobes of the liver seemed to appear normal and contained no visible cysts. The lobe of the liver was removed. This mass (lobe of the liver) measured 6� inches long, 5 inches wide, 2� inches thick, and weighed 1.2 pounds. Pictures were taken with a 6 inch ruler next to mass. The owner came back to the clinic after the surgery was done because of the critical condition �Cisco� was in and the seriousness of this type of surgery. The owner asked if she could put a bottle of essential oils under �Cisco�s� nose for sniffing to help him deal with the stress. I said I did not recommend it at all. Moreover, the owner smelled so strongly of these essential oils that I developed a bad headache and felt sick. Over the next 3 days, �Cisco� slowly recovered and went home. Instructions were to keep him very quiet, let him eat and drink as desired, and for the owner to stop all use of essential oils and thoroughly air the house out.

10/9/03: �Cisco� was brought in feeling much better, but his body was rejecting the sutures used to close the abdominal wall incision. The skin incision was not healing closed. The abdominal wall sutures were removed (the abdominal incision had already healed), and the skin incision was re-sutured.

10/20/03: �Cisco� was brought in feeling very good, but the skin was sloughing around 50% of the suture line. The area was re-sutured.

11/3/03: �Cisco� came in for skin sutures to be removed. His skin had healed and he is back to being very active again.

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