05/20/2026
Rescue work allows me to see some pretty challenging cases, where I have to think outside of the box and formulate a game plan with all possible outcomes in view.
I have to say that when Les arrived to me on Monday with sadly the most impressive mass on his back I have ever seen in a cat, I wasn't terribly hopeful that I would be able to do much for the poor old timer except offer palliative care. The tumor measured 110mm (4.33 inches) by 130mm (5.12 inches) in width, was rock hard/lumpy bumpy in places, fluid-filled in others (I drained 100mL - a bit less than 1/2 of a cup) and appeared to be tightly adherent to the underlying tissue. In fact, I was almost certain that this aggressive tumor had infiltrated the underlying spinal vertebrae, so I took some time to ponder how to best approach this, to see if I possibly could offer him a happier future, one with more mobility and comfort and less, well, MASSIVE FREAKING MASS.
Tuesday morning I took this sweet senior (who purrs when you LOOK at him) with the non-visual right eye and chronic ear infection to surgery. It took me just shy of 90 minutes - and 7 packs of absorbable suture - but I am pleased to report that I was able to painstakingly excise this gargantuan growth from the connective tissue and ligaments overlying his spine. Slowly but surely I gently took the remaining skin and pieced him back together again; I was always good at puzzles as a kid, so I guess that skill paid off!
Because his skin had been stretched to the max for so long, once I freed what wasn't directly attached to the nasty neoplasm, it sprang back into place, creating a MUCH larger surgical wound defect to close. Interestingly enough, I had to excise some flabby, excess tissue at the ends of my 'Y' to allow for a flat, smooth surface without any dead space beneath (that could allow fluid to collect). But in the end, it came together better than I could have ever anticipated.
Recovery was intentionally slow and cozy; he was wrapped in a snug blanket burrito to apply gentle pressure, as bandaging the area wasn't logistically feasible. He wasn't the happiest of campers until Wednesday morning, but thankfully he is making a full recovery - even though he is FIV+ and a bit anemic.
Oh, and I almost forgot: the tumor (biopsy is pending, but it WILL come back as something horrible like a fibrosarcoma) weighed in at a FULL POUND! I have never removed anything that heavy or large from a cat (or a dog) before, and I hope to not have to ever again.
This guy has proven that 'less' is definitely 'more', and I have to thank his rescuer for for caring for him to the best of his abilities for the past 4 months, until I could take him into our program Crash's Landing. He was the one who named him 'Les', and I took creative liberty in expanding upon the moniker, dubbing him Les Miserable; he most certainly is now!
I can only share some of the PG-rated pics, but I think you can fully appreciate what Les has had to endure from them.
