Katharine-Phenobarbital and Liver Values; Baby-Skin Cancer Bowenoid in situ Carcinoma

Cats update -*I updated spelling of blood values and the correct cancer name.

Katharine is low on vitamin D again and we need to add it to her food once a day. Yes-cats can be low just like humans and have the same run down feeling and weakness as humans. She was retested for pheno level-well within range of therapeutic levels; and tested for B12: cobalamin/folate blood test to test for absorption of nutrients and it can indicate any gastric issues. She was normal.

**We tested those because her albumin (1.3-normal high is 1.2 but should be lower) and her ALP (81-normal is 59) were high and globulin (2.9-low normal is 3.0 but should be higher) was low-indicating liver issues which can occur with phenobarbital. We will retest and do gastric scan in December or January and monitor for signs of liver issues-vomiting, bowel movement, eating, jaundice, etc.

We hope it’s not liver failure but just an enzyme increase. Her history has shown that last year, normal pheno dose led to high ALP and albumin; when we decreased the dose, those fell to normal levels but the PHENO level fell too low; we returned to the normal pheno dose and have now seen a rise/fall in the three liver related blood values. We will tweek the pheno to a lower dose but not each day, hoping the three liver values improve while maintaining a good pheno therapeutic level.

But Baby-Baby has had a lesion on her front paw for a year. We treated it with antibiotics, a cream; the scabs came off then regrew. Microscope showed only bacteria. Vet school in May said it wasn’t cancer but they only did a microscope view. We did a biopsy last week and the result is BOWENOID in situ carcinoma. Cancer. She likely has them elsewhere under her fur but not raised and one became ugly and scabby. It requires CO2 laser to remove. Not sure what else. They likely will return and more will develop. If we don’t remove as we find, they can metastasize and spread cancer to her body organs. This is due to a related issue called papilloma virus, the brown/black spots on her ears and face we tried treating years ago with a cream.

Because it’s due to a compromised immune system, she’s been receiving an immune booster for a few years which helped the body remove the marks. But they returned last year-just when she began showing signs of CKD, and her CKD maybe due to aldosteronism-for which she was tested in May and will be retested in November. That is possibly cancer.

It seems that she is likely in for an arduous endeavor, with multiple issues that might need multiple solutions but that might all be related.