Zahra Wolf

October 2011

Zahra is a gorgeous, 13 year old Domestic Short Hair Black and White female spayed feline.  Zahra means flower in Arabic. She is named after the skunk in Bambi. Pepi LePew, the skunk in Bugs Bunny cartoons keeping falling in love with a black and white cat.  And I fell in love with her. Hence, a black and white cat named after a skunk.  She is sweet natured to all she meets at the clinic though she hides from strangers at home.  Her early years were spent as an outdoor barn cat. She moved in with me (via a rescue group) when she was about a year of age. She was spayed shortly after.

After eleven relatively healthy years I found a lump on Zahra near a nipple during a belly rub. I was distraught. Knowing the likely issue of breast cancer and fearing the outcome I ignored it for a few months (If I don’t acknowledge it, it doesn’t exist). This is not a good idea but I had trouble accepting the problem.

At her regular semi-annual exam, I pointed out the lump to her vet.  Breast lumps can be benign or cancerous. Cancer is more likely when cats are spayed after going into heat or after having kittens. (Heat cycles usually start around 5-6 months of age and continue every few weeks from spring to fall) The doctors’ recommendation was a full chain mastectomy as soon as possible for best possible resolution. Cats have eight nipples, four on each side. Even though only one mass was found initially, removing all the breast tissue on the affected side is the most effective treatment for removing all the cancer. Surgery was scheduled for 10 days later (Late September 2010).

Zahra was a round little cat. We lovingly described her as a soccer ball with legs even after dieting two pounds off.  The full chain mastectomy, (All the mammary glands on her right side were removed – 10 inch scar), gave her a sleek tummy tuck – on one side. Right profile, sleek bikini ready underline, left profile, saggy, droopy and still furry. And though mentioned, the doctor declined to go back later and do the other side for a symmetrical tummy.  Zahra stayed three days in the hospital after the operation to manage her surgical site and pain control then came home.

Biopsy tissue from the surgery was submitted for histopathology.  With histopathology, the veterinary pathologist at the reference lab would identify the type of mass and whether we had been successful at removing all the abnormal tissue. (The edges of the removed tissue should ideally be normal healthy tissue, fully covering all the abnormal tissue for a few millimeters all around)  The diagnosis was mammary gland adenocarcinoma, (cancer) clean margins, (meaning all the cancer appeared to be removed) with a guarded prognosis.  A second mass had been found at surgery and submitted as well.  The other mass was an adenoma (benign) with a good prognosis.

The final result, even with ignoring Zahra’s problem, and delaying therapy, was that we had a hopeful outcome.  The possibility of even a few cancer cells left behind would mean an eventual reoccurrence at some future time.  The most likely place for a new lump would be in her lymph nodes on her right side or in her left mammary chain.  Periodic chest x-rays are recommended to monitor for pulmonary metastasis.  (Cancer likes to spread to the lungs)

I elected not to pursue chemotherapy due in part to cost, stress on Zahra, and the clean margins on histopathology.  I have started and continue to this day to keep her on an herbal medicine that “Has a multi-faceted benefit for cancer and tumors”.  There are no side effects if she does not have cancer and can only help at this point if she does.  Yes, this supplement was recommended by my vet.

Zahra was back to her routine soon after her stitches were removed.  She has gained back all the weight she lost with the original surgery (not a goal).   At her recheck 12 months post surgery (Oct 2011), we could not find any lumps in her lymph nodes, in her remaining mammary glands, or along her surgical scar.  Life continues for her much as before. Food is her god and I am her servant.  Our regular belly rubs are more through than before and she enjoys them as much as ever.  I would truly miss having her standing in the doorway (as she is now) yowling at me, its dinnertime again.

Please spay you cat.  The chance of mammary cancer is reduced 91% if cats are spayed (ovariohysterectomy) by 6 months of age. If spayed before the age of 2, the risk only decreases 11%.  90% of mammary masses in cats are malignant.  The smaller the mass is at removal, the better the long term outlook. This entire scenario might have been avoided if Zahra had just been spayed as a young cat. Save a life, spay today.

June Wolf, LVT