OT: Cat people with medical knowledge

I would keep a cat or dog comfortable by any means and if not possible I would euthanize.  I would not do tests, chemo, or other forms of treatment for a pet unless it had a very high CURE rate and I really felt the pain and suffering that the treatment/tests caused would be FAR surpassed by the outcome.

But that is just me.  My animals are my family but this is how I feel.

I'm sorry you are going through this and I hope that whatever happens that you feel that you have made the right decision.  I think any decision you make is the right decision for you.

~Becky

Certainly a tough decision for you.

Our experience with feline lymphoma (and canine for that matter) is to let it take its course.  Especially when the animal(s) in question are seniors.  Chemo is only going to delay the inevitable and the quality of life will be diminished. Our beautiful Ori was diagnosed at age 11 with lymphoma and we decided that until she started to show signs of pain and discomfort, that we would do nothing up to that point.  Once she started downhill, everybody got their chance to say goodbye, got a last pat and we took her to the vet.  Our vet was so compassionate, we stayed and held her and told her how much we loved her until she closed her eyes for the last time.  That's been 6 yrs ago and I still choke up thinking about it.  

My heart goes out to you and your family on making such tough call.

How terrible for you!

My childhood kitty Trouble had to be euthanized last year.  He was 16, and in the advance stages of kidney failure.  One of his kidneys had already shut down, and we could not afford the pricier options to keep him alive any longer.

I was a wreck for days and days.  The only thing that brought me through it was the other 2 kittys that I have.  They knew something was wrong, and were a big source of comfort to me in those weeks.  Even now, I catch one of them doing something that Trouble used to do, and I know they miss him too.  

I have a cat that is approximately 14. She has a growth on her side (about the size of a mole) Her vet said not to worry about it. A few weeks ago, I found another growth on her spine, bigger than the other one. So now she has 2 growths. My fear is that it may be tumors. But she acts fine. Doesn't seem to be in pain. She's the same lovable best friend she always has been all these years.

So, why fix something that doesn't seem to be broken?

Just keep an eye on her. And I agree with an earlier post,....... don't kill her with chemo. It's bad enough for us humans, but at least we know why it is happening. Your cat won't. Take it easy.

 One of my cats lived for five years after being diagnosed with feline lymphoma.  It started on her neck after a rabies vaccine.  We had the tumors removed three times.  It kept coming back and I finally just let it take its course.  She lived two years after the last  surgery.  She was very happy and very spoiled.  The cancer finally went into her digestive system and we made the decision to have her euthanized. She was 18 and I had raised her from four weeks old. We did no chemo.

Well all I can say is a death sentence diagnosed by a vet isnt necessarily true according to the Cat lol ....


My sweet lil 6 lb Kitty Mini me was diagnosed with chronic renal failure /kidney insufficiency 6 years ago and he's THRIVING thanks to daily attention to his drinking filtered cool refrigerated water ( with lots of praise when he drinks ) .. the occasional antibiotic course when his tiny urinary system gets blocked up ...special vet- prescribed high quality food ( and a fresh meat diet )

and daily attention and petting and love .

I think the latter is the MOST important for both human and cat .

I SO appreciate the thoughts and ideas you all have shared .. I'm sitting her more than a little verklempt at your stories.

It sure seems that the vets are guessing, more often than not, and I should not treat his guesses at a death sentence.  I will continue to to monitor how she is doing, treat the easy thing (the hyperthyroid) with medication, and see how she's doing next month.

I don't want to put her through chemo.  Perhaps surgery to remove her thyroid at most - but not if her liver enzymes are too high, or her calcium numbers indicate she is a poor surgical risk.

Perhaps less is more in this case.  But good food and loving attention can also be good medicine.

THANK YOU AGAIN!!

Diana, You are a good kitty Mom. I have kept up with your story and I'm sorry you have to make these decisions. I am happy to hear there has been some improvement.

It's really hard to deny a kitty a yummy treat when they can look at you with those big kitty eyes the way they do. I swear, my Sheldon actually rolls on his back, puts his paws in the air and smiles at me when he wants "kitty crack".

We just think  food is rough on us....damn kitty treats!  My cat loves those crunchy little squares of joy! He relates any bag opening to treats. I have to be a good Mom and just say no! He is a bit on the heavy side as well.

Please keep us posted on their progress. Hugs!          Connie
 

Often getting the hyperthyroidism under better control makes them MUCH more comfortable. If she's eating and doing okay, wait and see is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. You can decide later if you want to do something differently.

I'm so sorry! We love our pets so much it hurts to see them hurting.

We have an older beagle and he has gotten fatter as I've gotten thinner. Maybe you could Onyx hooked up with a DS  : )

So, this November our beagle (Barney) went in for a check up and he tested very high in liver enzymes. The vet was really surprised that he was eating well and looked so good -- so he had us bring him back a couple of weeks later to test again. Tested a lot higher than the first time, still eating and looking good though. Tested a 3rd time, same thing.

The vet said it was either cancer or some other vague issue -- could be several things -- some treatable, some not so treatable. He wanted to do a biopsy and more tests to figure out what the problem was. We had decided ahead of time if it was cancer we were not going to do anything for him, except comfort measures. We did not do the biopsy or further testing. It is now June and Barney is still looking good, no vomiting and eating well. ( I guess in dogs not wanting to eat is very serious)We don't know how long he will be with us but we are so very happy he still is.