Hello !
Thank you for creating this space, I wish I had discovered HA! earlier. I had a heartfelt call with Dr Christina 3 days after Jerome’s cryosurgery in early December as I was looking for guidance on supporting him after the surgery. Dr Christina connected me with the equally amazing Dr Basko. He shared his lifesaving tonic recipes on days Jerome wouldn’t eat and an inspiring story of his rescue cat Duke with a similar fate - FIV and nasal cancer who went on to live for 15 years. Dr Christina also encouraged me to post in the forum, I had wanted to observe more post-surgery before I do so here I am.
For context, I am an expat living in Shanghai, China. We do not have holistic veterinarians in this country so no one has heard of high dose IVC, ozone therapy nor homeopathy. Getting remedies is a long arduous process. The only access we have are the traditional TCM veterinarians who specialized between herbs (wild-crafted and hand-brewed) and acupuncture which I am very grateful for already. The local pet medical industry is growing but very young and conventional.
This is a long post, please pardon me in advance.
Pet's name : Jerome
Age : Unknown - all vets said he's a senior cat
Sex : Neutered Male
Breed : Domestic longhaired
Approximate weight : 7.7 lbs
BEAM : swings between quiet observing, sleeping, sitting upright and angry kicking, biting or swatting when he doesn't get his way or restrained, regaining his appetite slightly
Diet : homemade raw with rotating meat, organs, ground bones, seasonal and cruciferous vegetables and locally produced fresh food - duck, beef, lamb, chicken, ostrich
Vaccination history / exposure to toxins : Vaccination against herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and feline distemper. He also saw 6 vets when he was rescued prior so he must have gotten loads of drugs and shots before he came to us.
Other medication : Gabapentin, Covenia's Cefovecin Sodium injectable, mupirocin, convenia injectable, acetylcysteine, Amoxicillin-clavulanate injectables and oral, enroflaxacin injectable
Primary problem : Nasal cancer, Gut issue, inappetence and massive loss of weight (7 lbs) since a year ago.
- Symptoms included vomiting and on-off diarrhea for two weeks from late January to mid February which has stopped.
- Loss of appetite from mid December and regained after acupuncture, oral FMT and moxibustion two weeks ago.
When it began and if there was anything else happening around that time :
He started declining steadily after my admission into the hospital for a health issue last April. Our pup went for boarding the same day so Jerome was suddenly home alone for 12 days with friends and pet sitters coming over 3 times a day to feed and check on him. This was the time he started his gradual weight loss (he was between 13.8 to 14.3lbs in his first year after cancer diagnosis, even reached 15.4 lbs in February 2025. He dropped to 11.4 lbs in May last year and maintained around 10-10.5lbs second half of the year and is 7.7 lbs now
( and the corner of the right eye started protruding around the same time, it was on and off for the next couple of months before it became a mass blocking his right eye. His appetite started to become inconsistent last April too. I had thought it was stress-related due to our exit from our home abruptly that day but it got worse after cryosurgery in December.
Is the condition better or worse from exercise, heat, cold, time of day, certain foods, emotional upset, being touched, excitement, etc? : unpredictable
Has any diagnostic work been done? Yes, please see attached labs and abdominal ultrasound early this month. Apologies in advance if the blood panels are still in Chinese but the abbreviation should help. I have translated the rest as best as I could.
Current treatment - Homeopathy, TCM, acupuncture, moxibustion, supplementation, FMT capsules by Animalbiome, high dose IVC, oral and topical ozone glycerin for eye maintenance
Previous treatment - cryosurgery, MMS, DMSO TCM, homeopathy, supplementation
Other health concerns - nasal cancer, FIV, nasal congestion, breathing issues, fleas, possible pancreatitis and IBD or lymphoma
Sharing his background in chronological order for easy tracking of disease progression or you could skip to the questions !
2022
November - Jerome was found hiding in the bush from an attack by a pack of stray dogs (but unhurt) and then rescued, dragging both his hind legs around. Suspected an indoor-outdoor cat because a female middle-aged owner did appear and said she did not want him anymore. His BEAM was good from the old rescue videos taken at the hospital. Needed help to express his bladder but recovered.
2023
February - His hind legs recovered while at the foster family
June - It was meant to be a trial adoption but he won us over on the first night when he yowled loudly to be let out of the kitchen and he wandered around the rest of the apartment like he owned it. His BEAM was good. He was fearless and curious. He had bald patches on his body, a lump about 2 inches below his chin, a lipoma on his left body closer to the front right leg, occasional swollen left eye that went away quickly within an hour or two, he was snoring when he slept. Brown debris in his left ear. His teeth were a mess, there were missing ones that looked like they were not extracted properly, part of them were still connected to the roots.
The foster family said he ate a lot so they had to change from Royal Canin kibbles to a cheaper local dry food. I switched him to Ziwi Peak canned and Feline Natural freeze-dried when he rejected the locally-produced fresh food. He was out of sorts, lost his appetite and throwing up for a few days after the vaccination.
August - I went away for 10 days on a work trip, he was happy at home when our helper and friends checked in on him, sleeping with his tummy up. He came into my bedroom for the first time and slept next to me when I returned.
September - we moved to a new apartment and he marked his territory with his new pup sister, drove her out of the bedroom and slept with tummy in the air on Day 2.
October - An impromptu 5-week cross-country road trip with Jerome and his pup sister, sleeping at a different place every night and he never lost his appetite nor did it affect his bowel movement.
Nov 6 - Arrived back in the city with a bleeding mouth. His kidney values were slightly elevated so we pushed back the dental job by another week. Administered blood regeneration oral liquid - once daily 2ml each for two weeks prescription.
Nov 13 - During the extraction procedure, the surgeon found serious tooth resorption. It took longer than planned for the surgery as he had to remove most of his affected teeth, he also removed the roots. Looking back, I suspected it might not be a clean job due to the time constraint, or the resorption that had been ongoing for a while caused chronic inflammation.
Covenia's Cefovecin Sodium for injection (a single shot good for 14 days) was used for pain relief and Sodium Chloride Glucose injectable was used before the procedure for supplementation. Prescribed oral gabapentin to be taken twice a day post-surgery, one tablet each time for 6 days when he was discharged. No issue with gabapentin then.
He went to boarding for 12 days when we went away for family vacation.
Nov 28 - follow up check-up - he was prescribed oral Omeprazole for 4 days, to be taken once a day, one pill each time for vomiting.
December - home alone for a couple of days with our helper when we went away for Christmas.
2024
January - home alone with our part-time helper who stayed over to pet-sit when I went to the US for a month. He ate well and played well. He would yowl to wake the helper up when he was hungry, even if it was in the middle of the night.
February 9 - The lump on his chest broke when I spotted him licking the spot in the morning. He came back from the hospital with his first bloody sneeze. Prescribed mupirocin, convenia injectable
Late March - he left a lot of blood on my bed at night, no idea which part of the body then as he licked himself clean by the time I found out. Reverse sneezing the next day. Brought him in for the CT report, came back with a mass in his right nasal cavity and destruction on the cribriform plate. A biopsy was done.
April 4 - Biopsy came back with malignant nasal adenocarcinoma. Radiation was recommended but I declined all conventional treatment as I wanted quality of life for him and I didn't think he would survive the regular anaesthesia with radiation. We went to a TCM vet instead. Jerome started herbs, MMS, DMSO and rotating supplements.
Mid April to early June - the bleeding stopped, he was eating well. Lethargic but bright eyes.
June - July - the sneezing and nasal bleeding came back gradually.
August - Numerous episodes of heavy bloody sneezing. The area under his right eye would swell on some days. I did not know he was in pain until he let out a cry one night. I gave him CBD oil for pain management. Appetite was good. He would want to lick his plate even with blood on it and around him, I had to remove it in time. It was heartbreaking to watch. I asked him if he was ready to go while he was in my arms one night. He looked up at me with rage and walked away, so I knew he would have none of it and wanted to fight this.
September - Stopped MMS, We took him to the mountain for a few days of respite, he was curious and walking around exploring the grounds. BEAM was good except for the bloody sneezing episodes.
October - started homeopathy 6 months after initial diagnosis with the great classical homeopath veterinarian Dr Geoff Johnson in the UK. He was pretty stable for the next 6 months on various remedies. There were frequent zoomies at night before and after he started homeopathy in the month October alone amidst ongoing bloody nasal discharge.
November - Fresh food diet was switched to homemade raw. Had a consultation with Dr Ian Billinghurst and modified the recipe along the way when Jerome started having constipation 2 months later.
December - we moved temporarily to the mountain for the next 3 months for nature therapy, that was also when the nasal congestion became audible. Besides a return of bloody sneezing episodes at the beginning, his BEAM was good. The day we moved, he ran away when I forgot to shut the car door. He was lost for an hour hiding under a cemented walkway nearby.
2025
March - he was visibly more relaxed in the new apartment back in the city than in the mountain, even running around on some nights. Good BEAM.
April - I was away at the hospital. His appetite started to decline.
End May - started reiki with him and he was very receptive, putting one paw on my palm voluntarilyconsidering he's still pretty feral to this day and does not tolerate physical touch. He would usually kick, bite and swat when he does not get his way.
June 1 - There was a healing crisis with copious amount of nasal discharge that comprised of blood and thick mucus while on Mercurius Sol. It went on for 10 hours. He looked completely rejuvenated with a new lease of life the following few days. We thought he was out of the woods but not for long. He started declining again from late June when he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. Phosphorous, celery juice and Assisi Loop helped heal him. He resumed his appetite very quickly. His vomiting frequency decreased.
Late July - the corner of his right eye threatened to protrude again.
Mid September - A mass in his right eye appeared over a weekend while I was away on a 6-day work trip. He was home with my parents staying over. The mass broke with zinc and thuja but grew back shortly, it shrank after a course of antibiotics but came back again in a few days. Kidney levels were slightly elevated. Pancreatitis became negative.
Early October - Had a phone consultation with Dr Charles Loops while our regular homeopath was away on a work trip. The combination remedies didn't work for him, he got worse than before he started with lots of bloody sneezing again, more lethargy and more hiding.
Early November - started drooling when he ate during meal time, lasted for about a week or so. He never liked the sun but he wanted to go out onto the balcony everyday for a while, even at night.
Mid Nov - Stopped combo remedies. The mass in the eye grew bloody.
Early December - when I found out the less invasive cryosurgery was available in Shanghai, I brought him in almost immediately for the procedure. It was during the CT that we found out the nasal tumor had invaded part of his left nasal cavity, right eye and also close to his cranial wall (but a second opinion from another oncologist said it’s not close to the cranial yet). We went ahead with the cryosurgery that could only debulk the tumor at the original site, hoping to at least help with his breathing and regain some quality of life. The cancerous parts on the eye and closer to the brain could be growing. The mass in his eye looked nasty with loads of discharge, his eyelids were glued together on our way to the hospital. The veterinarians told me after the surgery they could not save his right eye that was engulfed by the mass. Exactly a week after the procedure, Jerome proved them all wrong. The mass shrank in the eye and we saw his pupil again, good as new albeit with some swelling at the corner like early part of last year, loose lower eyelid that healed and a little recess on the eye but no more nasty gooey dripping mass blocking his vision. Half his face and nose were swollen post-surgery but the remedies Arnica 200C and Lachesis 30C saved him. His appetite was still okay considering how bad he must felt with the swelling and pain.
Mid December 2025 - Early February 2026 - his appetite waxed and waned more, his vomiting episodes increased. We thought it was from 2.5 weeks of oral antibiotics post-surgery so we stopped it around Christmas. The congestion became louder in mid December.
2026
Early January - Started a 3-day high dose Vitamin C infusion at home with a local mobile vet following a protocol by Dr Jyl Rubin in early January, followed by once-weekly home infusion, his appetite would resume after IVC but did not sustain. We also started nebulising acetylcysteine recommended by Dr B and ozone glycerin but the latter gave him bloody discharge so we stopped and he’s only taking it orally now. We also reached out to classical homeopath Dr Michele Yasson recommended by Eleni Gkikakis. Jerome has been on Arsenicum 200C. Our next phone appointment is March 2.
Late Jan - WBC markers were still high, we did a drug allergy test. Streptococcus Canis and Proteus Mirabiliis were found. Amoxicillin-clavulanate injectables did not help, enroflaxacin helped slightly. But I rather not give him any of that if there are other natural options to bring down the inflammation.
Late Jan to Mid Feb - He started having soft and runny stools but normal on some days.
Feb 5 - I finally took Jerome for an abdominal ultrasound. They found thickened intestinal wall and inflammation around the small intestines, bile duct dilation around the gallbladder and pancreas. He must be enduring abdominal pain and it also explained the inappetence. But none of the vets could conclude a diagnosis. It was one of the TCM vets who shared this after looking at the reports - “There is significant inflammation, poor coagulation function, low platelet count, elevated sterol levels, bile duct obstruction outside the liver, pancreatitis, and suspicion of immune-mediated enteritis. The treatment approach remains focused on anti-inflammatory, liver protection, and bile duct stimulation. Pay closer attention to dietary habits for pancreatitis. The current treatment formula includes Huang Qin, Zhi Zi, Chen Pi, Jiao Jie, and Di Yu. These ingredients have properties that clear heat and dry dampness, cool the blood, stop bleeding, and regulate qi. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are used to treat internal heat and dampness, intestinal inflammation. They can also improve conditions such as inflammation of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and intestines.” So I believed he has IBD, pancreatitis and/or leaky gut ?
Feb 7 - Bad reaction to gabapentin with hind leg paralysis in the morning that lasted for 20 minutes. Admitted into ER the same night for rapid breathing that did not stop after 2 hours, it could be acute lung infection or stress or toxicity from Mirtazapine? 3 vets from 2 hospitals said he had been breathing through his mouth due to the blockage caused by the tumor in his nasal cavities so that could have caused the gas in his stomach which affected his appetite.
Feb 8 - breathing stabilized after staying overnight in an oxygen chamber and he got discharged the same night.
Feb 12 - I took him for acupuncture as a last ditch effort as I was holding off the feeding tube that all the conventional vets advised. I knew it was not something Jerome would have wanted. He always likes to make his own decisions and he likes to have the last say. Eating was and still is his biggest love.
Feb 17 - the first day of the lunar new horse year here, he started eating again !
Feb 18 - started daily home moxibustion on his abdomen and his back to energise the weak spleen
Feb 22 - Sat upright and squinted eyes, in pain - gave 25mg of gabapentin. 3 hours later, he threw up in the veterinarian room (could be stress-related) when we went over to insert a catheter for IVC, followed by almost immediate urinary incontinence and hind legs weakness (gabapentin reaction?) Recovered with a few minutes of oxygen therapy. Did high dose IVC that night.
Feb 23 - Did an EPI test, report will only be out in 3-4 weeks. Are there any other diagnostics I should do for him ?
Eating is the only thing he loves, even with a bloody eye and nose. He would be hungry and sit around with food in front of him but did not leave yet he could not eat. Hand-feeding and spoon-feeding did not work. He is very food-motivated and persistent. He would sit around for up to an hour for someone to feed him - this happened once when he was supposed to fast before an ultrasound or when I was out. Or immediately after he throws up. Or follows the plate of food on my hand around even when he was very weak. Or even when he was congested and could not smell the food.
He has been eating on his own for more than a week now, it’s not 100% yet so at times when he stopped but did not walk away, I would scoop him up and bottle-feed him (I found a silicone baby bottle that he approves of after testing with a bunch of different tools and foods). He stopped fighting with assisted/“force-feeding" and happily licks the tip of the bottle or kicks when I pause for too long between feeds - his way of telling me to keep going and at times he would kick so hard to be released from my hold and walks back to the kitchen to let me know he can resume eating on his own.
His weight was still going down on last check, TCM vet said his spleen is not absorbing the nutrients even with the best foods.
Questions that I hope @Dr. Christina, @Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Jean Hofve can help to shed some light so we can navigate this with more clarity, love and support for Jerome
1. Your second opinion of his recent lab work and abdominal ultrasound report will be much appreciated. None of the doctors here could give a clear diagnosis. What could have caused bile stasis and thickened intestinal wall and all his gut issue? Could it have started last year when his weight suddenly went down? I hope it’s not lymphoma, even typing the word scares me.
2. If he is breathing through his mouth half the time and he already has gas in his lungs and abdomen, will the bottle-feeding, oxygen therapy, nebulising acetylcysteine increase the air/gas inside him and worsen the condition ? I heard gurgling sound from his stomach and flatulence when he was in the litter box past couple of months. He was also passing gas last week and I found little stools on my bed, his bed, in the carrier bag when I took him out, during acupuncture and in the nebulising box in the past month. Are these signs of pain ? The gurgling sounds appeared again tonight 3 hours after he ate, then he was throwing up at the same time he was passing stool in the box.
3. How can I help support him with the nasal congestion ? Is there any methods or safe anti-inflammatory we can use to reduce or remove the nasal discharge ? Several chunks of super sticky thick mucus was expelled during and after his last high dose IVC session, followed immediately by a lot of fresh red blood then it stopped after a minute, his body must be purging? But does that mean the mucus from the inflammation served as a stopper for his bleeding ? The blood also stopped as quickly as it came. I remember Dr Don Hamilton wrote only when the vital force is strong enough before it can produce symptoms... I hope this applies for Jerome.
4. Dr Basko recommended nebulizing with acetylcysteine which really helped. The first time we did, Jerome coughed up a chunk of mucus the next day. How often should we be nebulising him with it ? Should we run a course or only do it when he is very congested? I used 4.5-5cc of saline to dilute 1.5cc of acetylcysteine each time and that would last about 18 minutes of nebulization. Would this be the correct dosage and duration for Jerome ? The acetylcysteine is from Fluimucil by Zambon.
5. What would be a good painkiller for bad days if the two occasions when I gave him gabapentin (50mg) caused hind leg paralysis and 25mg caused urinary incontinence + hind leg weakness 2 weeks later ?
6. His weight loss sped up after the cryosurgery. We only have literally half of Jerome left now, we can live with cancer but my only wish for him is to regain his appetite consistently without throwing up (usually 2.5-3 hours after food then he wants to eat again). Is it still possible to regain some of the weight he lost ? We tried all sorts of food - Royal Canin Mother and Baby mousse, Gerber baby food, Fancy Feast, Ziwi Peak canned, heart-cringing junk cat strips just so he eats but he is not a picky cat. He would eat anything when he could and nothing when he could not. Now that he is able to eat on his own, he is back on homemade raw and local nutritionally-balanced fresh food. When he is unable to eat on his own, I would blend Feline Natural pouch and bottle-feed him. I am careful with his diet as even the thought of the natural sugar in blueberries and raspberries or chicken and beef that might cause inflammation make me think it will speed up the cancer progress so it’s a constant mental battle.
7. When on raw, what is the percentage of fats he needs without aggravating his gut conditions and pancreas ?
8. Do I need to supplement him with Vitamin C on the days after IVC ? How often and does it need to be on empty stomach mixed with water or with food ? I have LivOn Lab Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C on hand.
9 Is it okay to infuse Vitamin B12 with high dose Vitamin C at the same time ? Would it be once or twice weekly ? What would be the dosage for his weight 7.78lbs ?
10. Should I increase the high dose IVC frequency to twice a week ?
11. We found flea eggs on him at the vet in December and I spotted an adult flea on him around the same time. I have read Dr Christina's Fleas Be Gone. How do I safely get rid of the fleas now that he already has them on him given all his health conditions ? And my pup too! I got Guardian One® 205mg Lufenuron & Nitenpyram monthly for Dogs 25.1 to 46 Lbs for her but not for Jerome, should I get the cat version for him? I have steam-cleaned the apartment and their beddings several times and I just got Jackson Galaxy’s Para-Outta-Site but not sure if that would suffice? He would not let anyone comb him. Diatomaceous earth would cause a lot of dust particles which may exacerbate the nasal cancer and current lung condition ?
12. Are there any animal communicators you would recommend to help a cat like Jerome to share his past and communicate his discomfort and wishes at any point ? He still has a lot of tension in his body, he would sometimes flinch on reflex when I am holding him and move my hand position as if trying to deflect an attack. I have tried EFT, reiki even the Bengston Method but maybe I wasn’t doing them right.
13. Supplements he’s on now and on rotation, is there anything I should remove or add on ?
Happy Healing Fenben - 4 days on 3 days off (regular)
MCT oil and P.E.A by Canineceuticals (regular)
Real Mushrooms - 5 Defenders / Functinonal Feline on rotation (regular)
Omega 3 oil - Nordic Naturals and Adored Beast’s Potent Sea (regular)
Phytosynergy and Vital Defense - Adored Beast (ABA) on rotation
Liver Tonic - ABA (regular)
Kidney Tonic and clorostrum - The Pet Health and Nutrition Center / next on rotation Standard Process’s Renal Support
CBD - from Dr Jyl Rubin (since Jan) / Previously from Nuleaf but it’s banned here so we cannot rely on CBD for pain management
Melatonin - Pure Encapsulation (since Jan)
Resp-Aid since Jan / previously on ES-Clear - NHV
B12 - daily Jackson Galaxy (since mid Feb) and once weekly injectable after IVC
Gut Restore - Animalbiome (since mid Feb)
saccharomyces boulardii - Four Leaf Rover (since mid Feb)
Lung Health - Amber Naturalz (recent add-on)
Probiotics - ABA Felix Flora, Gut Soothe on rotation regularly prior to Gut Restore (animalbiome specialist suggested to use yeast-based probiotics instead of bacteria ones for the period while he’s on Gut Restore)
Feline Whole Body Support / Feline Immune System Support / VF Thymex - Standard Process (all on rotation previously)
Essiac Tea - previously but stopped after cryosurgery
It has been nearly two years since Jerome's first diagnosis of nasal cancer. This resilient fighter and little rascal on some days is a daily reminder of a living miracle, incredibly proud and strong. He still has bright eyes and a lot of strength to fight me and tell me what he wants on most days despite all the physical discomfort he has to take on. I just want him to feel more comfortable. I have no idea till this day the cause of his cancer. I always suspect the prolonged periodontal issues, or the trauma he had previously went through, environmental toxin from the covid lockdown if he were left outside or over-vaccination. And the lump that broke was like breaking the wall that was holding off the cancer. Being an FIV cat is like going to war with sticks and stones. There have been so many challenging and poignant moments but I am still hopeful he will be on the mend soon despite what everyone tells us.
This boy wants to live so badly, so we are making every day, every meal, every breath count and that is all it matters now.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention. I apologize again for such a long first post and the many questions !
Thank you for creating this space, I wish I had discovered HA! earlier. I had a heartfelt call with Dr Christina 3 days after Jerome’s cryosurgery in early December as I was looking for guidance on supporting him after the surgery. Dr Christina connected me with the equally amazing Dr Basko. He shared his lifesaving tonic recipes on days Jerome wouldn’t eat and an inspiring story of his rescue cat Duke with a similar fate - FIV and nasal cancer who went on to live for 15 years. Dr Christina also encouraged me to post in the forum, I had wanted to observe more post-surgery before I do so here I am.
For context, I am an expat living in Shanghai, China. We do not have holistic veterinarians in this country so no one has heard of high dose IVC, ozone therapy nor homeopathy. Getting remedies is a long arduous process. The only access we have are the traditional TCM veterinarians who specialized between herbs (wild-crafted and hand-brewed) and acupuncture which I am very grateful for already. The local pet medical industry is growing but very young and conventional.
This is a long post, please pardon me in advance.
Pet's name : Jerome
Age : Unknown - all vets said he's a senior cat
Sex : Neutered Male
Breed : Domestic longhaired
Approximate weight : 7.7 lbs
BEAM : swings between quiet observing, sleeping, sitting upright and angry kicking, biting or swatting when he doesn't get his way or restrained, regaining his appetite slightly
Diet : homemade raw with rotating meat, organs, ground bones, seasonal and cruciferous vegetables and locally produced fresh food - duck, beef, lamb, chicken, ostrich
Vaccination history / exposure to toxins : Vaccination against herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and feline distemper. He also saw 6 vets when he was rescued prior so he must have gotten loads of drugs and shots before he came to us.
Other medication : Gabapentin, Covenia's Cefovecin Sodium injectable, mupirocin, convenia injectable, acetylcysteine, Amoxicillin-clavulanate injectables and oral, enroflaxacin injectable
Primary problem : Nasal cancer, Gut issue, inappetence and massive loss of weight (7 lbs) since a year ago.
- Symptoms included vomiting and on-off diarrhea for two weeks from late January to mid February which has stopped.
- Loss of appetite from mid December and regained after acupuncture, oral FMT and moxibustion two weeks ago.
When it began and if there was anything else happening around that time :
He started declining steadily after my admission into the hospital for a health issue last April. Our pup went for boarding the same day so Jerome was suddenly home alone for 12 days with friends and pet sitters coming over 3 times a day to feed and check on him. This was the time he started his gradual weight loss (he was between 13.8 to 14.3lbs in his first year after cancer diagnosis, even reached 15.4 lbs in February 2025. He dropped to 11.4 lbs in May last year and maintained around 10-10.5lbs second half of the year and is 7.7 lbs now
( and the corner of the right eye started protruding around the same time, it was on and off for the next couple of months before it became a mass blocking his right eye. His appetite started to become inconsistent last April too. I had thought it was stress-related due to our exit from our home abruptly that day but it got worse after cryosurgery in December.Is the condition better or worse from exercise, heat, cold, time of day, certain foods, emotional upset, being touched, excitement, etc? : unpredictable
Has any diagnostic work been done? Yes, please see attached labs and abdominal ultrasound early this month. Apologies in advance if the blood panels are still in Chinese but the abbreviation should help. I have translated the rest as best as I could.
Current treatment - Homeopathy, TCM, acupuncture, moxibustion, supplementation, FMT capsules by Animalbiome, high dose IVC, oral and topical ozone glycerin for eye maintenance
Previous treatment - cryosurgery, MMS, DMSO TCM, homeopathy, supplementation
Other health concerns - nasal cancer, FIV, nasal congestion, breathing issues, fleas, possible pancreatitis and IBD or lymphoma
Sharing his background in chronological order for easy tracking of disease progression or you could skip to the questions !
2022
November - Jerome was found hiding in the bush from an attack by a pack of stray dogs (but unhurt) and then rescued, dragging both his hind legs around. Suspected an indoor-outdoor cat because a female middle-aged owner did appear and said she did not want him anymore. His BEAM was good from the old rescue videos taken at the hospital. Needed help to express his bladder but recovered.
2023
February - His hind legs recovered while at the foster family
June - It was meant to be a trial adoption but he won us over on the first night when he yowled loudly to be let out of the kitchen and he wandered around the rest of the apartment like he owned it. His BEAM was good. He was fearless and curious. He had bald patches on his body, a lump about 2 inches below his chin, a lipoma on his left body closer to the front right leg, occasional swollen left eye that went away quickly within an hour or two, he was snoring when he slept. Brown debris in his left ear. His teeth were a mess, there were missing ones that looked like they were not extracted properly, part of them were still connected to the roots.
The foster family said he ate a lot so they had to change from Royal Canin kibbles to a cheaper local dry food. I switched him to Ziwi Peak canned and Feline Natural freeze-dried when he rejected the locally-produced fresh food. He was out of sorts, lost his appetite and throwing up for a few days after the vaccination.
August - I went away for 10 days on a work trip, he was happy at home when our helper and friends checked in on him, sleeping with his tummy up. He came into my bedroom for the first time and slept next to me when I returned.
September - we moved to a new apartment and he marked his territory with his new pup sister, drove her out of the bedroom and slept with tummy in the air on Day 2.
October - An impromptu 5-week cross-country road trip with Jerome and his pup sister, sleeping at a different place every night and he never lost his appetite nor did it affect his bowel movement.
Nov 6 - Arrived back in the city with a bleeding mouth. His kidney values were slightly elevated so we pushed back the dental job by another week. Administered blood regeneration oral liquid - once daily 2ml each for two weeks prescription.
Nov 13 - During the extraction procedure, the surgeon found serious tooth resorption. It took longer than planned for the surgery as he had to remove most of his affected teeth, he also removed the roots. Looking back, I suspected it might not be a clean job due to the time constraint, or the resorption that had been ongoing for a while caused chronic inflammation.
Covenia's Cefovecin Sodium for injection (a single shot good for 14 days) was used for pain relief and Sodium Chloride Glucose injectable was used before the procedure for supplementation. Prescribed oral gabapentin to be taken twice a day post-surgery, one tablet each time for 6 days when he was discharged. No issue with gabapentin then.
He went to boarding for 12 days when we went away for family vacation.
Nov 28 - follow up check-up - he was prescribed oral Omeprazole for 4 days, to be taken once a day, one pill each time for vomiting.
December - home alone for a couple of days with our helper when we went away for Christmas.
2024
January - home alone with our part-time helper who stayed over to pet-sit when I went to the US for a month. He ate well and played well. He would yowl to wake the helper up when he was hungry, even if it was in the middle of the night.
February 9 - The lump on his chest broke when I spotted him licking the spot in the morning. He came back from the hospital with his first bloody sneeze. Prescribed mupirocin, convenia injectable
Late March - he left a lot of blood on my bed at night, no idea which part of the body then as he licked himself clean by the time I found out. Reverse sneezing the next day. Brought him in for the CT report, came back with a mass in his right nasal cavity and destruction on the cribriform plate. A biopsy was done.
April 4 - Biopsy came back with malignant nasal adenocarcinoma. Radiation was recommended but I declined all conventional treatment as I wanted quality of life for him and I didn't think he would survive the regular anaesthesia with radiation. We went to a TCM vet instead. Jerome started herbs, MMS, DMSO and rotating supplements.
Mid April to early June - the bleeding stopped, he was eating well. Lethargic but bright eyes.
June - July - the sneezing and nasal bleeding came back gradually.
August - Numerous episodes of heavy bloody sneezing. The area under his right eye would swell on some days. I did not know he was in pain until he let out a cry one night. I gave him CBD oil for pain management. Appetite was good. He would want to lick his plate even with blood on it and around him, I had to remove it in time. It was heartbreaking to watch. I asked him if he was ready to go while he was in my arms one night. He looked up at me with rage and walked away, so I knew he would have none of it and wanted to fight this.
September - Stopped MMS, We took him to the mountain for a few days of respite, he was curious and walking around exploring the grounds. BEAM was good except for the bloody sneezing episodes.
October - started homeopathy 6 months after initial diagnosis with the great classical homeopath veterinarian Dr Geoff Johnson in the UK. He was pretty stable for the next 6 months on various remedies. There were frequent zoomies at night before and after he started homeopathy in the month October alone amidst ongoing bloody nasal discharge.
November - Fresh food diet was switched to homemade raw. Had a consultation with Dr Ian Billinghurst and modified the recipe along the way when Jerome started having constipation 2 months later.
December - we moved temporarily to the mountain for the next 3 months for nature therapy, that was also when the nasal congestion became audible. Besides a return of bloody sneezing episodes at the beginning, his BEAM was good. The day we moved, he ran away when I forgot to shut the car door. He was lost for an hour hiding under a cemented walkway nearby.
2025
March - he was visibly more relaxed in the new apartment back in the city than in the mountain, even running around on some nights. Good BEAM.
April - I was away at the hospital. His appetite started to decline.
End May - started reiki with him and he was very receptive, putting one paw on my palm voluntarilyconsidering he's still pretty feral to this day and does not tolerate physical touch. He would usually kick, bite and swat when he does not get his way.
June 1 - There was a healing crisis with copious amount of nasal discharge that comprised of blood and thick mucus while on Mercurius Sol. It went on for 10 hours. He looked completely rejuvenated with a new lease of life the following few days. We thought he was out of the woods but not for long. He started declining again from late June when he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. Phosphorous, celery juice and Assisi Loop helped heal him. He resumed his appetite very quickly. His vomiting frequency decreased.
Late July - the corner of his right eye threatened to protrude again.
Mid September - A mass in his right eye appeared over a weekend while I was away on a 6-day work trip. He was home with my parents staying over. The mass broke with zinc and thuja but grew back shortly, it shrank after a course of antibiotics but came back again in a few days. Kidney levels were slightly elevated. Pancreatitis became negative.
Early October - Had a phone consultation with Dr Charles Loops while our regular homeopath was away on a work trip. The combination remedies didn't work for him, he got worse than before he started with lots of bloody sneezing again, more lethargy and more hiding.
Early November - started drooling when he ate during meal time, lasted for about a week or so. He never liked the sun but he wanted to go out onto the balcony everyday for a while, even at night.
Mid Nov - Stopped combo remedies. The mass in the eye grew bloody.
Early December - when I found out the less invasive cryosurgery was available in Shanghai, I brought him in almost immediately for the procedure. It was during the CT that we found out the nasal tumor had invaded part of his left nasal cavity, right eye and also close to his cranial wall (but a second opinion from another oncologist said it’s not close to the cranial yet). We went ahead with the cryosurgery that could only debulk the tumor at the original site, hoping to at least help with his breathing and regain some quality of life. The cancerous parts on the eye and closer to the brain could be growing. The mass in his eye looked nasty with loads of discharge, his eyelids were glued together on our way to the hospital. The veterinarians told me after the surgery they could not save his right eye that was engulfed by the mass. Exactly a week after the procedure, Jerome proved them all wrong. The mass shrank in the eye and we saw his pupil again, good as new albeit with some swelling at the corner like early part of last year, loose lower eyelid that healed and a little recess on the eye but no more nasty gooey dripping mass blocking his vision. Half his face and nose were swollen post-surgery but the remedies Arnica 200C and Lachesis 30C saved him. His appetite was still okay considering how bad he must felt with the swelling and pain.
Mid December 2025 - Early February 2026 - his appetite waxed and waned more, his vomiting episodes increased. We thought it was from 2.5 weeks of oral antibiotics post-surgery so we stopped it around Christmas. The congestion became louder in mid December.
2026
Early January - Started a 3-day high dose Vitamin C infusion at home with a local mobile vet following a protocol by Dr Jyl Rubin in early January, followed by once-weekly home infusion, his appetite would resume after IVC but did not sustain. We also started nebulising acetylcysteine recommended by Dr B and ozone glycerin but the latter gave him bloody discharge so we stopped and he’s only taking it orally now. We also reached out to classical homeopath Dr Michele Yasson recommended by Eleni Gkikakis. Jerome has been on Arsenicum 200C. Our next phone appointment is March 2.
Late Jan - WBC markers were still high, we did a drug allergy test. Streptococcus Canis and Proteus Mirabiliis were found. Amoxicillin-clavulanate injectables did not help, enroflaxacin helped slightly. But I rather not give him any of that if there are other natural options to bring down the inflammation.
Late Jan to Mid Feb - He started having soft and runny stools but normal on some days.
Feb 5 - I finally took Jerome for an abdominal ultrasound. They found thickened intestinal wall and inflammation around the small intestines, bile duct dilation around the gallbladder and pancreas. He must be enduring abdominal pain and it also explained the inappetence. But none of the vets could conclude a diagnosis. It was one of the TCM vets who shared this after looking at the reports - “There is significant inflammation, poor coagulation function, low platelet count, elevated sterol levels, bile duct obstruction outside the liver, pancreatitis, and suspicion of immune-mediated enteritis. The treatment approach remains focused on anti-inflammatory, liver protection, and bile duct stimulation. Pay closer attention to dietary habits for pancreatitis. The current treatment formula includes Huang Qin, Zhi Zi, Chen Pi, Jiao Jie, and Di Yu. These ingredients have properties that clear heat and dry dampness, cool the blood, stop bleeding, and regulate qi. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are used to treat internal heat and dampness, intestinal inflammation. They can also improve conditions such as inflammation of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and intestines.” So I believed he has IBD, pancreatitis and/or leaky gut ?
Feb 7 - Bad reaction to gabapentin with hind leg paralysis in the morning that lasted for 20 minutes. Admitted into ER the same night for rapid breathing that did not stop after 2 hours, it could be acute lung infection or stress or toxicity from Mirtazapine? 3 vets from 2 hospitals said he had been breathing through his mouth due to the blockage caused by the tumor in his nasal cavities so that could have caused the gas in his stomach which affected his appetite.
Feb 8 - breathing stabilized after staying overnight in an oxygen chamber and he got discharged the same night.
Feb 12 - I took him for acupuncture as a last ditch effort as I was holding off the feeding tube that all the conventional vets advised. I knew it was not something Jerome would have wanted. He always likes to make his own decisions and he likes to have the last say. Eating was and still is his biggest love.
Feb 17 - the first day of the lunar new horse year here, he started eating again !
Feb 18 - started daily home moxibustion on his abdomen and his back to energise the weak spleen
Feb 22 - Sat upright and squinted eyes, in pain - gave 25mg of gabapentin. 3 hours later, he threw up in the veterinarian room (could be stress-related) when we went over to insert a catheter for IVC, followed by almost immediate urinary incontinence and hind legs weakness (gabapentin reaction?) Recovered with a few minutes of oxygen therapy. Did high dose IVC that night.
Feb 23 - Did an EPI test, report will only be out in 3-4 weeks. Are there any other diagnostics I should do for him ?
Eating is the only thing he loves, even with a bloody eye and nose. He would be hungry and sit around with food in front of him but did not leave yet he could not eat. Hand-feeding and spoon-feeding did not work. He is very food-motivated and persistent. He would sit around for up to an hour for someone to feed him - this happened once when he was supposed to fast before an ultrasound or when I was out. Or immediately after he throws up. Or follows the plate of food on my hand around even when he was very weak. Or even when he was congested and could not smell the food.
He has been eating on his own for more than a week now, it’s not 100% yet so at times when he stopped but did not walk away, I would scoop him up and bottle-feed him (I found a silicone baby bottle that he approves of after testing with a bunch of different tools and foods). He stopped fighting with assisted/“force-feeding" and happily licks the tip of the bottle or kicks when I pause for too long between feeds - his way of telling me to keep going and at times he would kick so hard to be released from my hold and walks back to the kitchen to let me know he can resume eating on his own.
His weight was still going down on last check, TCM vet said his spleen is not absorbing the nutrients even with the best foods.
Questions that I hope @Dr. Christina, @Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Jean Hofve can help to shed some light so we can navigate this with more clarity, love and support for Jerome
1. Your second opinion of his recent lab work and abdominal ultrasound report will be much appreciated. None of the doctors here could give a clear diagnosis. What could have caused bile stasis and thickened intestinal wall and all his gut issue? Could it have started last year when his weight suddenly went down? I hope it’s not lymphoma, even typing the word scares me.
2. If he is breathing through his mouth half the time and he already has gas in his lungs and abdomen, will the bottle-feeding, oxygen therapy, nebulising acetylcysteine increase the air/gas inside him and worsen the condition ? I heard gurgling sound from his stomach and flatulence when he was in the litter box past couple of months. He was also passing gas last week and I found little stools on my bed, his bed, in the carrier bag when I took him out, during acupuncture and in the nebulising box in the past month. Are these signs of pain ? The gurgling sounds appeared again tonight 3 hours after he ate, then he was throwing up at the same time he was passing stool in the box.
3. How can I help support him with the nasal congestion ? Is there any methods or safe anti-inflammatory we can use to reduce or remove the nasal discharge ? Several chunks of super sticky thick mucus was expelled during and after his last high dose IVC session, followed immediately by a lot of fresh red blood then it stopped after a minute, his body must be purging? But does that mean the mucus from the inflammation served as a stopper for his bleeding ? The blood also stopped as quickly as it came. I remember Dr Don Hamilton wrote only when the vital force is strong enough before it can produce symptoms... I hope this applies for Jerome.
4. Dr Basko recommended nebulizing with acetylcysteine which really helped. The first time we did, Jerome coughed up a chunk of mucus the next day. How often should we be nebulising him with it ? Should we run a course or only do it when he is very congested? I used 4.5-5cc of saline to dilute 1.5cc of acetylcysteine each time and that would last about 18 minutes of nebulization. Would this be the correct dosage and duration for Jerome ? The acetylcysteine is from Fluimucil by Zambon.
5. What would be a good painkiller for bad days if the two occasions when I gave him gabapentin (50mg) caused hind leg paralysis and 25mg caused urinary incontinence + hind leg weakness 2 weeks later ?
6. His weight loss sped up after the cryosurgery. We only have literally half of Jerome left now, we can live with cancer but my only wish for him is to regain his appetite consistently without throwing up (usually 2.5-3 hours after food then he wants to eat again). Is it still possible to regain some of the weight he lost ? We tried all sorts of food - Royal Canin Mother and Baby mousse, Gerber baby food, Fancy Feast, Ziwi Peak canned, heart-cringing junk cat strips just so he eats but he is not a picky cat. He would eat anything when he could and nothing when he could not. Now that he is able to eat on his own, he is back on homemade raw and local nutritionally-balanced fresh food. When he is unable to eat on his own, I would blend Feline Natural pouch and bottle-feed him. I am careful with his diet as even the thought of the natural sugar in blueberries and raspberries or chicken and beef that might cause inflammation make me think it will speed up the cancer progress so it’s a constant mental battle.
7. When on raw, what is the percentage of fats he needs without aggravating his gut conditions and pancreas ?
8. Do I need to supplement him with Vitamin C on the days after IVC ? How often and does it need to be on empty stomach mixed with water or with food ? I have LivOn Lab Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C on hand.
9 Is it okay to infuse Vitamin B12 with high dose Vitamin C at the same time ? Would it be once or twice weekly ? What would be the dosage for his weight 7.78lbs ?
10. Should I increase the high dose IVC frequency to twice a week ?
11. We found flea eggs on him at the vet in December and I spotted an adult flea on him around the same time. I have read Dr Christina's Fleas Be Gone. How do I safely get rid of the fleas now that he already has them on him given all his health conditions ? And my pup too! I got Guardian One® 205mg Lufenuron & Nitenpyram monthly for Dogs 25.1 to 46 Lbs for her but not for Jerome, should I get the cat version for him? I have steam-cleaned the apartment and their beddings several times and I just got Jackson Galaxy’s Para-Outta-Site but not sure if that would suffice? He would not let anyone comb him. Diatomaceous earth would cause a lot of dust particles which may exacerbate the nasal cancer and current lung condition ?
12. Are there any animal communicators you would recommend to help a cat like Jerome to share his past and communicate his discomfort and wishes at any point ? He still has a lot of tension in his body, he would sometimes flinch on reflex when I am holding him and move my hand position as if trying to deflect an attack. I have tried EFT, reiki even the Bengston Method but maybe I wasn’t doing them right.
13. Supplements he’s on now and on rotation, is there anything I should remove or add on ?
Happy Healing Fenben - 4 days on 3 days off (regular)
MCT oil and P.E.A by Canineceuticals (regular)
Real Mushrooms - 5 Defenders / Functinonal Feline on rotation (regular)
Omega 3 oil - Nordic Naturals and Adored Beast’s Potent Sea (regular)
Phytosynergy and Vital Defense - Adored Beast (ABA) on rotation
Liver Tonic - ABA (regular)
Kidney Tonic and clorostrum - The Pet Health and Nutrition Center / next on rotation Standard Process’s Renal Support
CBD - from Dr Jyl Rubin (since Jan) / Previously from Nuleaf but it’s banned here so we cannot rely on CBD for pain management
Melatonin - Pure Encapsulation (since Jan)
Resp-Aid since Jan / previously on ES-Clear - NHV
B12 - daily Jackson Galaxy (since mid Feb) and once weekly injectable after IVC
Gut Restore - Animalbiome (since mid Feb)
saccharomyces boulardii - Four Leaf Rover (since mid Feb)
Lung Health - Amber Naturalz (recent add-on)
Probiotics - ABA Felix Flora, Gut Soothe on rotation regularly prior to Gut Restore (animalbiome specialist suggested to use yeast-based probiotics instead of bacteria ones for the period while he’s on Gut Restore)
Feline Whole Body Support / Feline Immune System Support / VF Thymex - Standard Process (all on rotation previously)
Essiac Tea - previously but stopped after cryosurgery
It has been nearly two years since Jerome's first diagnosis of nasal cancer. This resilient fighter and little rascal on some days is a daily reminder of a living miracle, incredibly proud and strong. He still has bright eyes and a lot of strength to fight me and tell me what he wants on most days despite all the physical discomfort he has to take on. I just want him to feel more comfortable. I have no idea till this day the cause of his cancer. I always suspect the prolonged periodontal issues, or the trauma he had previously went through, environmental toxin from the covid lockdown if he were left outside or over-vaccination. And the lump that broke was like breaking the wall that was holding off the cancer. Being an FIV cat is like going to war with sticks and stones. There have been so many challenging and poignant moments but I am still hopeful he will be on the mend soon despite what everyone tells us.
This boy wants to live so badly, so we are making every day, every meal, every breath count and that is all it matters now.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention. I apologize again for such a long first post and the many questions !
