Way OT: Pets with cancer

[UConnChapette]

I know this is trivial to some people. And there are many cat haters out there. But my cats are loved as a member of the family.

My 10 year old (approximate) cat had surgery last week to remove some cysts. The cytology found cancerous tumors in the the cysts and in one lymph node. The vet says she thinks they got it all, but to check her regularly to see if the cysts return.

The problem is, she did not handle the surgery well. She stopped breathing and they had to breathe for her while rapidly finishing the surgery. The vet has advised us to never put her under general anesthetic again.

If she gets more tumors - what do they do? Is there kitty chemo? I am not saying I would definitely do it even if it was an option. It will depend on many things - her age, how much pain she would be in, the cost our financial situation. I am just curious if anyone has ever faced this?

 

[NoSpamHere]

Hi,

I am living with 3 cats and the Cat Whisperer (my GF of 13 years...). I asked her what the options are for this, as we faced something similar with one of ours. We discovered a couple of years ago, during a checkup due to urinary tract issues, some cysts. She was also not a candidate for surgery.

It turns out that there is "kitty chemo", and other options if you find out that the cancer comes back. Unfortunately, I have no clue about costs, success rates, etc... I'm sure the vet will know. I would suggest that you get multiple opinions, as not all cancers will respond to chemo, and others may have some different ideas to manage the condition.

This is one of those "Your Mileage May Vary" situations. Our baby lasted over two years from the time we found the inoperable cysts. I wish you all the best. Hopefully, you will have many years left with yours.

BTW, anyone who thinks cats are trivial better sleep with one eye open

I know this is trivial to some people. And there are many cat haters out there. But my cats are loved as a member of the family.

My 10 year old (approximate) cat had surgery last week to remove some cysts. The cytology found cancerous tumors in the the cysts and in one lymph node. The vet says she thinks they got it all, but to check her regularly to see if the cysts return.

The problem is, she did not handle the surgery well. She stopped breathing and they had to breathe for her while rapidly finishing the surgery. The vet has advised us to never put her under general anesthetic again.

If she gets more tumors - what do they do? Is there kitty chemo? I am not saying I would definitely do it even if it was an option. It will depend on many things - her age, how much pain she would be in, the cost our financial situation. I am just curious if anyone has ever faced this?

 

[willtalk]

I am a long time cat hater. The numerous former strays that inhabit my house and whom I am now reluctantly forced to serve would attest to that fact.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Two of our four deceased dogs died of cancer.

The first, a cocker spaniel, had lymphoma. Although they could have done doggie chemo, it would have only provided a temporary (6 months, IIRC) reprieve. Suffering would have been involved. We elected to go with steroids, and he lived about 2 months.

The second, a beloved Shih Tzu, had a "nerve sheath tumor" in a shoulder. Had it been discovered earlier (unfortunately, pets cannot talk), radical surgery would have been a good course, however, the tumor had penetrated the spine and was terminal. Again, radiation therapy (for this type of tumor, not chemo) might have briefly extended his life, but even the veterinary specialist recommended against it. Like the cocker, he lived several months on steroids and pain killers.

So yes, lots of choices for pets. However, what we were reminded by our vets, it comes down to a quality of life issue.

I hope you do not have to face those choices with your cat.

 

[Icebear]

Everyone do as their heart and conscience dictates but my rule of thumb has always been to ask, "How would this animal survive in nature without my intervention?" We then let that inform our decision. Not make it, inform it. Our animals are our family as we have no children. All our pets see vets regularly. We have always had at least one dog, cat, and various birds. The decision of when to have a pet "put down" is always one of the most difficult. Humans can tell us when they are ready to give up the battle and can using "living wills" and medical directives to give us their guidance for a pet all I can do is to allow their natural life give me some guidance. Blessings as you seek to make difficult decisions.

 

[UConnFan23]

My family has lost 3 cherished dogs (read intimate members of the family) to cancer. The first we tried to rescue with heroic medical procedures and to this day we feel like we put that dog (a golden) through mental and physical agony that it should never have experienced. We wish we had just given it the food it loved best and nurtured it with our love until we sensed the pain was more than it should be allowed to experience (always a very tough call, because dogs are very stoic about pain - cats as well?). We learned that, ultimately, there is very little that can be done for animal cancer and that dogs, at least, do not particularly respond well to treatment. We went to one of the best vet school hospitals in the country, so it was not a matter of competence, and we paid significantly, but that was not what drove our future decisions. Ultimately, we said very painful goodbyes and let the animal be put to sleep in our arms with the hope that someday we would meet again.

 

[EricLA]

My experience was similar to UCONNFan23's. My last lab was diagnosed with cancer when he was only 6. At that time, i had more money and spent thousands of $$ on all sorts of (in hindsight) stupid things to try to save him. I went to a vet that specialized in cancer treatment for pets, and Chemo was just one of the things they tried.

1 year later, he was dead. Nothing worked. Fortunately our last weekend together was spent at the beach romping in the waves. 2 days later, he collapsed and died that night. The best thing I could have done was to enjoy every last moment with him, and then to let him go. Fortunately i did not have to make the decision to put him down, but I would have if it seemed he was suffering.

That's the hardest decision any pet owner has to make - to do what's best for the pet to stop their suffering even if it kills us inside. Anyway, my point is, I believe it's a waste of money to try to save a pet from cancer. I spent over $6,000 on my dog and I'm doubtful I extended his life even by 1 day.

Fortunately, my current dog (see my avatar) is now 8.5 and cancer free. But my heart goes out to Chapette as you go through it with your cat..

 

[RadyLady]

I know this is trivial to some people. And there are many cat haters out there. But my cats are loved as a member of the family.

My 10 year old (approximate) cat had surgery last week to remove some cysts. The cytology found cancerous tumors in the the cysts and in one lymph node. The vet says she thinks they got it all, but to check her regularly to see if the cysts return.

The problem is, she did not handle the surgery well. She stopped breathing and they had to breathe for her while rapidly finishing the surgery. The vet has advised us to never put her under general anesthetic again.

If she gets more tumors - what do they do? Is there kitty chemo? I am not saying I would definitely do it even if it was an option. It will depend on many things - her age, how much pain she would be in, the cost our financial situation. I am just curious if anyone has ever faced this?

The lives of these furry folks, and the benefits they offer to home and heart are not now, nor are they ever trivial. I have nothing to add to your situation that is beneficial as I have little knowledge. I have had to put an elderly and beloved cat and dog down, in my arms and it was two of the worst moments of my life. I enjoyed their lives thoroughly, and gave them everything I could to make them happy.

Listen to the people on this thread who have been through the experience that you now are faced. I believe that their thoughts are on the correct path.

Good luck, and

 

[RadyLady]

I am a long time cat hater. The numerous former strays that inhabit my house and whom I am now reluctantly forced to serve would attest to that fact.

You are a total softie....those cats are so lucky to find a cat "hater" such as you.

 

[turtlespeed]

This is so strange since I am presently in this same situation. We have a 12 year Viszla and she was diagnosed with bladder cancer about a month ago and it is breaking our hearts, she is like a daughter to us. The Vet told us that there is nothing that can be done and gave us a lot of medicine, not too expensive, to try to prolong her life and make it as comfortable as possible. One medicine is supposed to stop the cancer from spreading as fast as it would normally. While she threw up a few times at first, she now seems to be able to better handle the medicine. The Vet said that this medicine has prolonged animals life up to one year in some cases. Most of the time she seems so normal, you wouldn't think there is anything wrong with her, animals are silent suffers.

While our Vet assured us that there is nothing more that can be done, I have been feeling very guilty that we didn't seek out specialty physicians to see if there is anything else we could do. The previous posts here have been helpful in supporting this that not much helps in this situation. I do feel good that you can put down animals when the time is right so that they don't suffer. We put down a Lab in our arms and it was extremely difficult to do but we will do the same for this Vizsla. They should be allowed to do this for humans also. We are giving her the best of foods and cherishing every last moment with her.

UConnChapette, best of luck in your situation.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I know this is trivial to some people. And there are many cat haters out there. But my cats are loved as a member of the family.

My 10 year old (approximate) cat had surgery last week to remove some cysts. The cytology found cancerous tumors in the the cysts and in one lymph node. The vet says she thinks they got it all, but to check her regularly to see if the cysts return.

The problem is, she did not handle the surgery well. She stopped breathing and they had to breathe for her while rapidly finishing the surgery. The vet has advised us to never put her under general anesthetic again.

If she gets more tumors - what do they do? Is there kitty chemo? I am not saying I would definitely do it even if it was an option. It will depend on many things - her age, how much pain she would be in, the cost our financial situation. I am just curious if anyone has ever faced this?

As you can see from the Avatar we are cat lovers. In our area there is a specialist that does oncology for cats. They do have chemo for cats. I would have her evaluated and then make a decision based both upon cost and how much the cat would suffer. Your vet should be able to refer you to an Oncologist

 

[UConnChapette]

Thanks to all for your heartfelt and candid advice. Even when I asked the question, I think I knew what we will do should the cancer recur. Love her, feed her expensive cat food, keep her comfortable and when it becomes clear that the pain reaches a point where meds aren't helping, do the humane thing. Cat's are a little easier to tell when they are in pain, as was very evident the first few days home after her surgery last week. She wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink, slept all the time, and wanted to be as warm as possible, even laying on top of the bag of lactated ringers the vet sent home as a hot water bottle - heated in the microwave for four minutes, and wrapped in a towel. I couldn't believe it when she laid down right on it. Cats also have a tendancy go into hiding when they are in pain. But the poor baby was just so weak she just found the warmest lap or chest to lay on and stayed put. She is much more like her old self, although the "cone of shame" ecollar annoys her. Kind of funny/sad to see her try to groom herself, bringing her paw up to where she would normally lick it, with her tongue coming out only for both to find only plastic. Yes, cats can look confused. I have seen it with my own eyes.

Annabelle has the sweetest personality of any cat we have ever had. A former stray, she lost a litter of kittens due to malnutrition. We took her to the vet and had her spayed, but had no intention of bringing her in the house full time. We bought her a dog house so she could get out of the elements, and a warm little bed to put in it. We fed her. Then, there was a major Nor'easter with two feet of snow predicted. I couldn't bear seeing her in the snow. I opened the back door and in she walked and here she has stayed.

Here is my sweet Annabelle:

And I agree - it IS about quality of life. Our first cat was suffering kidney failure, though it didn't register at first because the vet never said those words. The vet suggested keeping her at the office over the weekend. The cat was very weak and dehydrated and the fluids would help give her more strengty. She said they would teach us how to do it at home. When I asked how much more time that would buy her, she said they had one at home that was going on two weeks. I just couldn't do that to her or us simply to extend her life for a mere two weeks and when she was clearly suffering.

I am hopeful that the cancer will not return and she can live another 10 years. But if not, I pray I have the courage and good sense to know when the time is right to end her suffering.