Need some good thoughts for Boo

Our 14-year-old has had lots of health issues, but has been feisty and tough
through it all. Last thing was last July, a mammary tumor we caught early
that was benign, though the vet says 85% are malignant. It was diagnosed on
the afternoon and out the next morning. (They grow fast, and change fast, so
if you notice a lump, get your animal in there and get it out. From
diagnosis to aftercare it cost $350 at our vet. Did we need it for something
else? You bet. But her prognosis was good, and she could live another five
years or even more, so we found it.)

Now, she has a growth in her mouth. It seems to be on the gum on one side.
It was not there last July, as they checked her thoroughly when she was
under anesthesia. She has been to the vet probably three times since last
July, her weight has been good, her appetite is ALWAYS good. She does have a
thyroid condition and a heart condition and must be pilled twice a day.
Because of her heart condition, when we first took her about her mouth, they
did not want to put her under. They gave us a 2-week round of antibiotics
and sent us home, hoping it would clear up a mouth infection and that would
be the end of it, but it has not been.

We first noticed a change back in January, when she became even more
combative about pilling. She stopped eating any dry food at all and wanted
only canned. Then in February, right after she had a vet appointment for
labs to check her thyroid level (a hot $40, not much at all quarterly to see
that her dosage is right) we noticed a smell worse than normal cat breath
and she began pawing the left side of her face AND her paw was brown, as in
dried blood. This is when we took her in. The vet (not our favorite) said
she could see a growth, that is is not in the usual place to be a cancer,
but if it is cancer, this type is almost always fatal in cats. (This, and
her heart condition, is why we did not get her right in and under and
biopsied. And, we hoped it would just be a tooth abscess.)

Throughout, she has eaten like a champ, plays, appears in weird places to
find the best patch of sun, begs for food, mouths off if we touch her and
she is not in the mood. In other words, she is herself. But we noticed her
having trouble chewing, she paused and kind of shook her head and pawed he
mouth, that same side. Just a few days ago she finally began eating less,
and lost weight. Then just yesterday she did not want her canned food at
all, or soft goodies. I got her chicken and turkey baby food, no onions of
course, and she likes that, and will eat tuna water with some tuna in it. I
give her small bits, and as soon as it is finished, put down more, to try to
keep up her strength.

Monday morning 8:45 she has an appointment with her usual vet, to go under
anesthesia and let her have a look and biopsy. We are still hopeful that it
is just a bad tooth. If it is, she will get a full dental while the vet is
in there! Thanks for listening and for keeping us in your thoughts.