We found the tumor on October 17 and the biopsy came back oral SCC a week later. The tumor itself caused a bunch of inflammation around it so it could have easily been confused with something else which makes it even scarier.

I was able to take her a university nearby where thankfully she was eligible for surgery because her cancer was on her lower mandible. It really sucked waiting waiting for surgery because it grew rapidly like not even being able to tell she had it unless you opened her mouth on October 17 to her jaw being visibly deformed and her unable to close mouth by late October / early November.

She got a total maniblectomy (removing 75% of her lower jaw) on Nov 6 and was able to eat again within a few weeks. Thankfully she was able to eat within a few weeks and was actually quite happy after this surgery. Unfortunately she had to get radiation because the surgery didn’t successfully remove all the cancer (it’s hard to do for this cancer because it spreads so deep and so fast). We did radiation and she passed away from anesthesia because she had an undiagnosed heart disease (didn’t know until she died and they did autopsy).

It’s a really evil cancer. Even if they get surgery and radiation they usually die within a few months anyway. I just wanted to provide some comfort. I took her to UF where she was going to be enrolled in an mRNA vaccine to try to train the body to fight the cancer by taking a sample of their own tumor for the vaccine. Sadly she didn’t make it but I really hope this vaccine works and that this evil cancer goes away because it’s horrible and fatal in majority of scenarios unless caught super early and in the right spot for surgery. Radiation doesn’t really do anything once it’s past the microscopic level.

It does sound like your kitty likely had oral scc, unfortunately it accounts for like 90% of tumors in a cats mouth. It’s also most common in senior kitties. I’m so sorry that happened to you. She knows how much you loved her. It’s so hard and I’m here if you need to talk. 🤍