beloved frisky, curious cat has turned quiet, doesn't eat, losing weight. Cancer?

supernova87

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Dear all, I'm new to this forum, and asking a question on behalf of my parents, whose terrific, fun cat of many years has made them very concerned in the recent month or two. This cat, a very smart, female grey/black striped typical domestic cat, suddenly lost appetite, no longer shows a desire to eat anything, even her favorite tuna/turkey, sits quietly now instead of being formerly social and vocal, and has lost about 8 pounds of weight. She no longer grooms herself, seems to be staring in the distance instead of looking at you anymore, and it is sad to see. They have another cat, who is behaving normally otherwise, so they don't suspect food or other common factors.

They took it to the vet, who gave various antibiotics thinking infection, then suggested trying antacids for gas, and the next step they say is an x-ray or ultrasound.

My parents are thinking in the back of their minds that this is cancer, unfortunately.

Is it possible it's something else? Do you all have any advice or further steps we can take to know what's going on? Or make the situation the best that we can? do you have experience with similar cases?

many thanks!
 

essayons89

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Has the vet done any bloodwork on the cat? That would have been one of the first things that my vet would have done. The outward symptoms that are describing could be attributed to any number of diseases/disorders.
 
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supernova87

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yes, they did, and said that there was some liver enzyme elevation (bilirubin?), but nothing overall indicative of a problem.

what are some of the other possiblities that come to mind that you mentioned?
 

sharky

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liver issues which billirubin is indictive of that... can cause loss of appitite ... Do you know how to assist feed??? Did the vet is something for appitite stimulation?? How old is the cat ??? What does the cat weigh now ?? was it overwt prior ??
 
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supernova87

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We were never very sure of her age, but if she was fairly young when we got her, the cat is now at least 10 yrs.

My parents try to feed her daily with a kind of a brown colored power-bar type gel/paste that comes out of a tube. They put it on the inside of her lips, teeth, etc., but I've watched and the cat won't even lick it off really. Afterwards, they'll dab some water in her mouth and she'll kind of relucantly make mouth/tongue motions, but not like attempting to eat or drink.

sorry, my above estimate of weight loss might have been a bit high. She used to weigh about as much as a gallon of milk, and not really an overweight cat. Now she seems like half of that, and is really light by comparison, almost fragile.
 
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supernova87

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here's a picture of her, before this all started happening:
here
 

cloud_shade

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Did they test her thyroid function? That could cause dramatic weightloss and can be treated with medication, among other things.
 

sangria14

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could be liver lipidosis - which can be fatal. If their vet is not going to be aggressive in treating her, then I would switch vets.
 
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supernova87

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thanks all, for these replies.

Do you know how I can look up another reliable local vet, to find a second opinion?
 
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supernova87

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and also, do any of you have an estimate on the cost of placing a stomach feeding tube?
 

jenny82

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Originally Posted by supernova87

thanks all, for these replies.

Do you know how I can look up another reliable local vet, to find a second opinion?
Do any of your friends in the area use a vet who they could recommend? If not, I would just look one up in the phone book (or online).

Originally Posted by supernova87

and also, do any of you have an estimate on the cost of placing a stomach feeding tube?
I have no idea. Once when my cat had stopped eating for a few days she was just given an appetite stimulant (pills).
 

stephanietx

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It could be anything from a kidney problem to an infection or anything in between. I'd be taking that cat to a different vet pronto! Ask friends and other family members, coworkers, or call the local humane society and ask who they recommend.

Stephanie
 
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supernova87

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Dear all, thanks for your replies and information a few weeks back.

Sadly, our cat died a few days ago. She had responded a bit to our feeding her with water solutions of her favorite foods using a dropper, but still didn't eat enough to keep her energy, and didn't show much interest in it.

She had a last walk around the yard, and seemed to have died quietly sleeping in her favorite place under a bedroom table.

thanks, and best wishes, all.
 

houmedgal

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I'm so sorry to hear this. I know it must be so hard, but just remember that now she's somewhere in kitty heaven, in no pain, and doing all the things that she loved to do before she got sick. RIP, little one!
 

deljo

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I'm so sorry for your loss. She isn't suffering anymore and is at peace. RIP
 
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