approximate birthdate:  3/07/1990     age when diagnosed: 10 yrs old     date of diagnosis: 5/00     rear leg tripod

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1. When did you notice the lump, what was the size and where was it located, was it low on the leg or higher - closer to your cat's body     Noticed it when I grabbed her to love her up! FIRST I thought it was her hip bone but kept having a nagging feeling about it, and checked again the next day. Then I saw an article about lumps or cancers in cat fancy and it described VAS and somehow I knew! It was right next to her hip bone and the size of a bee bee. As a matter of fact the first Vet thought that is what it was.

2. When was kitty last vaccinated     9 months previously with her Rabies shot. She actually had two of them as I did not know she had already had one and the second one was found to be the one that caused her VAS!

3. How long did you wait to have the lump removed     We got a second opinion from our regular Vet right after the memorial day holiday and they knew immediately what it was. Then she was given a core biopsy and IT definately disgnosed it. Then we got an appointment at UC Davis in Sacramento and they kept her there, did radiation for 6 weeks (brought her home every weekend and took her back every Monday) Then she was sent home for a week or so and then I brought her back for her leg to be amputated, in early August.

4. Was this your cat's first surgery for VAS     Regular Vet performed a core biopsy but Davis Surgeons performed the amputation and that is all the surgeries she has had.

5. Did you consult with a specialist or oncologist?     YES we went to UCDavis and saw a Dr Geiger.

6. Who removed the lump (regular vet or surgeon)     Surgeon

7. How long did your cat stay at the vet's after surgery:    She stayed about a week!

8. Did you do anything special to prepare for your kitty's homecoming     Yes I bought two extra large wire dog cages and put them together to make one big cage. I put her bed at the very end and her water and food on one side near her and litterbox on the other side near her. I also covered the part she slept and ate in so as to keep her calm, and put the cage right next to my bed.

9. Did your cat have any post-operative problems?  Not as far as the surgery but each time she tried to walk she would get excited and end up going in a circle.

10. What was your cat's adjustment period like:   She took a few weeks to learn to walk properly but then she was able to jump up onto her kitty tree and down from it and onto and off of the bed too.

11. How is your kitty now? She has developed CRF and is weak but still manages to get up to her 5' tall kitty post. AND on and off her matress, that is almost as high as the bed. She CAN still get on the bed if she wants to.

12. Please add any other information that you think would be helpful to future tripod owners or anything else that you'd like to tell people about your kitty.

I have seen tripod dogs as well, and I KNOW they have no problems getting around. ONLY thing that can stop them is if they are too heavy in weight. If they are normal weight they can go anywhere and do anything. Corkie's remaing back leg is weak due either to the depomedrol shots she got for her IBD and Asthma or due to the IBD but most cats are NOT like that. She STILL manages to go anywhere she wants!