In my deleted blog I would occasionally write about work related things, but I was very careful not to divulge too many specifics. But today something happened that I just have to share.
Warning: not for the faint of heart
I saw a cat that had NO FACE.
I have seen many terrible cases of skin cancer on cat's faces, but today I saw the worst case imaginable. Skin cancer is usually seen in cats who venture outdoors with un-pigmented skin on the ears and nose. If it is on the ears, the remedy is usually easy and involves completely removing the ear pinna. Removing the cancer from the nose is a bit tougher and usually requires a specialist's touch. Most people will do the surgery on the ears, but few will spend the money to do it on the nose. Owners often opt to euthanize their pet when the cancer covers the entire tip of the nose. Some owners will wait until the cancer has invaded the sinus cavities and the cat has difficulty breathing. Very few owners will wait so long that the cancer has spread around the face itself and has eaten away the entire nose.
I'm not sure what today's cat's owners were thinking. I have never seen a cat with cancer that bad. The cancer had not only eaten the ears and nose, but it had continued to spread and had taken the soft palate and cheeks as well. The cat was constantly "sneezing" but I think it was actually saliva coming through the soft palate of the mouth rather than nasal mucous. I felt so bad.
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