My cat has skin cancer. Are B12 shots helpful or harmful for my cat?

Hello. At this point in time, there is no credible information concerning carcinogenicity and Vitamin B12. Long term studies in animals have just never been done. In any situation where you have co-morbidities, in this case IBD & skin cancer, you & your veterinarian have to decide if the risk of one possible problem outweighs the benefit it gives for the other problem. Since there is no credible information associating B12 with cancer growth, & it is controlling Bugger's intestinal symptoms, you must decide about continuing the supplement. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Cat is so sick! You can certainly give vitamin B12 injections at home if your vet agrees that this may be helpful for your kitty - this is a very common part of treatment for a variety of different problems, and is quite easy to do. Your vet will need to order it for you, since it isn't normally available over the counter. I'm not sure if you had any other questions about your cat's illness, but if so, feel free to post again and we will do our best to answer.

No it is not safe to give your cat Vitamin B human grade b/c this would overdose him. In fact Vitamin B12 is not absorbed readily by mouth and must be given by injection to pets. This also isn't much of an appetite stimulant, but mostly helps with intestinal malabsorption. I would suggest that you ask your vet for anti-nausea medication (Cerenia) which is actually labeled to use for cats with kidney problems that have decreased appetite. It also help with nausea, which in turn can increase his appetite. Also you can look into Azodyl supplements to help lower his kidney values, which in turn can help with the nausea as well and manage his kidney disease better. https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=azodyl&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=241645664779&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14854120277917394511&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028263&hvtargid=kwd-3477607953&ref=pd_sl_7qkvgeqbgm_e Best of luck with your pet Tikvichko and I hope he manages his kidney disease well here moving forward! Take care.

Usually we do end up giving some sort of supplementation to cats with severe IBD. However if their intestines are not absorbing things normally often we have to get the supplementation as injections. This is something your veterinarian could do or even teach you how to do. I recommend contacting them to set this up.

Unless your veterinarian prescribed curaderm, please do not use it in your cat. The cancerous areas will need to be removed surgically and then your cat may need chemotherapy. Please do not use ointment with salicylic acid on your cat, as cats cannot metabolise it. It will accumulate and eventually make your cat very ill. please take your cat to a veterinarian for a consult.

VetriScience NuCat Multivitamin Everyday Health Bite Sized Chews available on chewy.com and amazon.com are highly palatable multivitamins that would be good to supplement Greg’s diet with. Prescription Royal Canin recovery canned diet is generally palatable (yummy) to even sick or hospitalized cats and is another option as well that your vet can either sell from his/her practice or prescribe. Good luck!

I don’t typically worry about Vitamin B deficiency in cats with CKD. It is common in cats with GI disease or diarrhea. B vitamins are safe in appropriate amounts, but I would recommend that you consult with your vet about any supplements. The kidneys are responsible for excreting excess b vitamins, and if they are severely impaired, there could be negative side effects.