Vibes needed please - all 3 cats poorly

I am sure some of them will have been covered on here before, but will start again. This will be long, I'm afraid - will do each cat on a separate post to make it easier. If anyone has any tips on any of their issues, I would appreciate it.

My eldest, Zia is around 19 - she could be closer to 20 than I think though, being a rescue. She has always been well until the back end of last year, I Took her in November to get her arthritis checked and I Thought she had lost a bit of weight, and got a shock when the vet announced she also had a heart murmur - apparently it is an unusual one as it is quite far forward. She had lost some weight, but the locum vet said it might be cos her heart was progressing. She also discovered she had an old hip injury and her hips aren't actually alligned, so she walks funny on her back end as well as arthritis in her front leg, and gingivitis. She is now on daily Metacam for her arthritis. I took her to a different vet a month later, as I didn't like the way the locum told me things. Although she had gained weight, the new vet wanted full bloods done, which showed what the vet described as renal insufficiency - her urea is 15.5 (was 12.6 in Apr), and her creatnine is 193 (that was fine in Apr) - top end of the scale is 177, so not overly high. She can't have Fortekor, as it is made worse by Metacam, we have tried a new tablet anti-inflammatory, which isn't supposed to be as harsh on the kidneys, but unfortunately she refused to take it after the third tablet, so back on MEtacam as she can't go longer than 24 hours without really struggling to walk - I can tell when I am late giving her the dose, as her limp is much more pronounced. She has also had a different ab for her gingivitis, but that doesn't seem to have done much good.

Took her back to the vets this week to be weighed, and she is back to what she was in December, she has lost what she had gained. She has been rather picky with her food, I thought she might just be fed up of renal food, so have given her normal adult food, and she has eaten a bit more than what she has been eating this week, but still not sure she is eating enough, although apart from the limp she does seem relatively happy. Will monitor her for a couple of weeks, but I can't help thinking a decision will have to be made sooner than I had hoped.

Molly is my second oldest at 17, and the most worrying of the three - she had lost a bit of weight when she had her 6 month check up last year, and she was due for her boosters and annual bloods last month. She had lost a bit more weight then too, but I had noticed her stools were really bad. I thought it was food related at first, as it seemed to be worse when she was fed rich, high meat content foods, and biscuits, so changed her diet, and it seemed fine for a bit, but just before her vet app, she was passing liquid faeces. Vet picked up on a heart murmur with her too, that has never been noticed before, and didn't like the way her abdomen felt. Bloods were done that came back unremarkable, just a bit of high globulin and cholesterol. Advised to go back in a month for another feel and maybe a scan.

Took her back this week, had to see a different vet though. He felt her heart murmur was worse than the other vet, she has lost a bit more weight again, and doesn't like the way her abdomen feels. His suggestions were do nothing, as she is happy, or a scan - obviously I wouldn't do nothing, it might be something easily treated. So, she is booked in for this Fri, even though she is going to hate it and be really stressed.

Out of my three cats, she is the one I have the closest bond to, and she is the one I cant' bear the thought of anything happening to, I am praying it isn't anything too serious.

Sam is my youngest, and only here cos I changed rescue and due to his health issues, was unhomeable. The vet estimated him at 11/12 when we picked him up, and that was just over a year ago, so he is 12/13 (12 on his vet records).

He has multiple health issues though, bless him. He came with a really bad mouth and possible hyper-t. Bloods showed he was borderline hyper-t, and when he had his dental, his liver values were very high, although they came down after his dental. Despite taking all his teeth out, he still gets mouth ulcers/red gums and has been on numerous ab's for it - the vet suspected calici, although he has never been tested. We have also had a years worth of weight battles with him. I had his bloods redone after 6 months, as there were very subtle differences, and he was then hyper-t, but only slightly (78, when the top end of the scale was 58). He has been on Felimazole ever since, although his 4 monthly bloods last month showed they hadn't really come down, so he is on a higher dose of Felimazole and due more bloods at the end of the month. The ultimate aim is to operate. His recent bloods also showed high liver values, but the vet is hoping they are hyper-t related. He had lost weight again on his weigh in. He also has a heart murmur.

My main worry for Sam is his mouth - he doesn't like me looking at it, and there are very few signs when it is bad. My other concern is that it is his hyper-t that is making him continue to eat despite a very sore mouth, and by operating on his thyroid, it might make his mouth worse and then affect his quality of life.

Thanks - unfortunately Zia wont get better, renal insufficiency is terminal, the vets wording was 'it's all about making her decline comfortable'.

Thanks everyone.

Sam has just finished a one week course of Antirobe, his gums dont look too much better though, so might not do one week on, one week off. He is eating well though.

Zia is still being picky with renal food, I am getting some renal dry into her, but only by mixing it with adult dry, but at her age, quality is the utmost thing.

Molly is having her tests today, we are setting off in about 30 mins, and I am staying in the car park till she is ready. She is feeling a bit boney at the moment, and her poos have gone loose again, although we did have one good day with them this week.

Not good news for Molly unfortunately, the scan showed a 3-4inch piece of thickened intestine, and she has also lost some more weight, so the likely diagnosis is lymphoma. She is going to have a short steroid jab today and sent home with tablets - have never had to tablet her, and she does hiss at me when I approach her, so not sure how that will go down!! She is back Tues/Wed and if I can't get tabs down her, then she will have steroid jabs. Fingers crossed these help reduce the inflammation and give her a decent amount of quality time.

So, both my girls are terminal, and it remains to be seen what will happen with Sam.

Thanks, Molly has eaten well since coming home from the vet, even if she has been spoiled by having the plate held to the hole to her den!! Zia hasn't eaten much today though, I thought I would try to reduce the Metacam yesterday, clearly not a good idea!!

I just can't believe how this year is going - I knew it was going to be a bad year, I knew when Zi went to the vets in Nov and had more issues than I knew about that it was the beginning of the end with her, but I have also lost my nan this year, and my neighbour is also terminally ill with cancer. So I think everything is just hitting me at once.

thanks everyone. Molly has had a relatively good day today, although refused her tablets. Zia is brighter, but she is really running from me when I try to medicate her now, and wonder how much longer I can put both of us through it - at least she only hates me for a few minutes every day.

Thanks - I am more worried over Molly, we are so close and her death is going to hit me so hard, I really didn't want to have to deal with this yet.

Thanks, I certainly dont want to give up on them, just need to make sure that they dont suffer

Molly had a check up on Wed, she has put weight on, but felt a bit more bloated, so he wasn't sure if it was the bloating putting the weight on. She is eating very well though (although that is probably the steroids) and is getting two plates of chicken on top of her cat food. She was enjoying playing yesterday too, and seems very happy and content in herself, although we had a bad day on Thurs, which I suspect was the after effect of going to the vet. He said to take her back in 3 weeks unless there was any symptoms, but she hates going, and there isn't really anything he is going to do, so will put that off as long as possible.
Still having this dilemma with Zi, I feel awful at her reaction to being medicated, but know it is the only thing giving her quality of life. Her mouth is quite smelly, and I can't get Antirobe into her, so will see about getting her in for a Convenia jab, even though i am not convinced it did any good last time. I wont be able to see the nice vet this week though, so not sure whether to risk the vet i dont like - who might not agree to give the jab - or hold on another week and see the nice vet.
Sam is also due his repeat bloods, but I need to speak to the receptionist first, as I need a way of the permanent vet at the other branch getting the results, rather than the locum at my branch, as she is only there for another 5 weeks.
I just hope that our permanent vet is nice, it is awful being in a situation with such poorly cats and not having a decent vet who you can trust.

More bad news unfortunately - Sam went for his repeat bloods today, and he got some blood near his mouth, so we checked it hadn't come from there, and the vet nurse noticed a tumour near his tongue - apparently the majority of tumours in that location are cancerous, and even if it is benign, it isn't an easy place to deal with. We are going to see the vet on Wed to see what his views are, and hopefully he can have steroids, but it looks like it is just a case of keeping him comfortable till it gets worse. His bloods will be back on Mon, but we didn't bother weighing him. So technically, all 3 are terminally ill, I just can't believe this.