Hi Steff / Firefox-
The biopsy went quite well (I think!)
From what the vet explained it is a really quick procedure, they pretty much knock them out, shave part of their face, take a sliver of skin and wake them up. I dropped him off at 9, and when I called at 1 he was already awake.
I ended up picking him up at 5, but we didn't make it home until almost 7. (ridiculous traffic). Inside he immediately went straight for his litter box and to be honest, if I hadn't of known he went to the vets, I wouldn't have known anything had happened.
he was /is eating/drinking/cuddling as normal. Fonzie is also one of the most chilled cats ever, and nothing seems to bother him so... that probably is helping in his recovery at home!
We go back next Wednesday, and get the results of the biopsy then. I'm not quite sure if they will really tell us anything, because his scabs had pretty much gone by the time they got in. It probably would have been more useful when his lip and what not is all swollen, but it is always the case that when the time is good the bloody thing has gone away!
The vet didnt really say too much as to whether or not the mouth and paws were linked. He was more talkative about how rare the paw issue was and how hard that can be to treat, but again, treatment of that would be steroids.
I think what has been really difficult with Fonzie is that it isn't one consistent symptom. If it was consistent then it would be probably easier to diagnose. We have gone in with lameness (falling from a second storey window! or possibly a bug bite!), bottom chin swelling, bottom lip swelling, ear mites, tumours under the tongue, tumours on the tongue, rotten teeth, red gums, itchy paw pads, face scratched and whiskers coming out, swollen top lip, swollen face, swollen ears, bony protrusions on the jaw bone, lumps in cheeks, etc.... (The antihistimines were tried to see if they would help with the itchy symptoms and to see if it WAS environmental if they made a difference. They didn't make a difference that i could tell so I haven't given him any for a couple of years now). For us though, it is always the mouth that is the primary concern, and not the paw pads.
I don't know if one condition would be able to explain everything, which does make diagnosis so much harder. Usually if it is just one thing it tends to go away on its own and then we are good for a while, but when I get more than one together, and they aren't going away, that's when we take him in.
i haven't been very good at keeping track of how often we go on, but I do know they say the shot lasts for a month, and we never go back within a month. My goal this year is to try and monitor it a bit more - taking note of his diet each day and what symptoms appear when.
i understand the use of steroids, as I myself am on them long term, and I know it isn't ideal for him to need the repeated visits, but, he is always so much perkier after the visits, his scabs go away and he is much more interactive with both myself, chloe, and the dog.
Unfortunately as we don't know his background, we can only go by what our experiences have been, which is when fonzie is feeling under the weather and is ripping his face to shreds, we go to the vet, get a quick shot, and then we have our normal boy back for a few months.
my reasons for the biopsy are that if they DO tell us what is wrong with him, I will be able to research and hopefully find out more information about his condition and how to treat him. If they DONT end up telling us anything, at least it will hopefully narrow down things that it isnt. Most of the more common illnesses (Eosinophilic granuloma, or gingivitis stomatisis) are treated through the use of steroids, which we are already on, but it would be peace of mind for me at least.
at the moment, he is feeling quite perky -- he is sitting on top of a catnip fish, was shaking his butt at chloe, and is now waiting for me to get off the computer so he can have his night time cuddles!
