PLEASE READ - At my wits' end - Chemotherapy- Kitty is not eating

I know I am very new to this forum but really hoping people can give me some guidance and suggestions.

Emily Ann is currently getting 1 ml of chlorambucil Mondays and Fridays with prednisone every 48 hours to treat small cell lympoma of the small intestines.

Kitty has a a feeding tube getting slurry of Hills A/D 2 times a day and I have been cutting back her tube feedingamount (was at 50Ml down tappered down to 30) in hopes of getting her to eat on her own as the Vet said she should be eating much more on her own and isn't. If she does not start eating on her own soon she will have issues with her liver kidneys ect. I have tried liver, salmon, tuna and several canned foods but she is still not eating. She will eat 10-20 kibbles of venison based hard food on a good night.

Please any suggestion on anything I can try to entice her to eat more? Has anyone used Pepcid for nausea on their cat? I am at my witts end

No experience at all with chemo.

What does the vet feel at this point? And does the vet have alot of experience with this medicine/can you talk to someone who does?

I am sorry that your cat is so unwell. I also have no experience with chemo. Have you tried "Fortiflora"? It is a powder that you sprinkle onto your cats food. Its sold as a probiotic but is well known to make food much more appealing to your cat. I read that it is made from the same flavouring that is used to coat kibble. Of course you should consult with your vet before trying it, but i hope it helps

Chemo is tough on kitties. Have you looked in her mouth to see if she has developed any blisters? Also look under her tongue that is where they generally start. Is kitty vomiting? You can give kitty a small bit of crystalized ginger (make it really tiny grate it because it has a strong taste) and that will help with nausea. I did chemo on a kitty years ago and afterwards swore never to put a cat through this again. But, I found that Chaucer loved vanilla ice cream and that is how I jump-started his appetite after the feeding tube came out. Poor boy lost all his whiskers as a result of the chemo, developed blisters on his tongue and a burnt throat and it only gained me a few more weeks of his presence.

Good luck with your kitty- pull out all the stops- give him human treats sardines, tuna, even caviar if you can afford it. www.wholelifepet.com has wonderful treats that tempt even the sickest of kitties.

Oh Hissy I feel terrible now...... Emily goes to the vet on Thursday for bloodwork so I will ask the vet tech to check for blisters in her mouth. The only reason I deceided on chemo is that the Internal Medicine Dr. advised that cats tolerated the chlorambucil well.......... and that it was a very treatable form of cancer giving them anywhere from 6mo to 6 years depending on how the cat responds to treatment.

Can I ask what kind of cancer your kitty had. Did you use chlorambucil?

I am just sick thinking I am causing my kitty pain.............. she is acting like herself aside from the not wantng to eat.

I'm sorry that you are going through this

I work in a Cancer Centre and what I'm going to say is not meant to hurt you.

But maybe it's time you stop and think about the quality of your kitties life at this stage vs. the quantity of life.

I see so many people struggle for so many months and years with chemo. They are sick, weak, tired, depressed, in pain, and just plain sick. And while some are successful in beating the cancer, for a time (because it usually relapses), many others die from it, and when they die they die "sick" from the chemo treatment. They spent their last weeks/months having virtually no quality of life in an attempt to gain quantity. Sometimes I just want to tell them outright "Enough! Stop the chemo so you can get physically stronger and enjoy whatever time that you have left, instead of going to your grave completely depleted and beaten down by chemo." I don't, but it's hard seeing people that you know there is no hope for, still fighting to hang on for a few extra weeks, and having zero quality of life.

As much as we love our pets, they just don't understand what is happening to them, or why we do the things we do for them.

I just think you need to sit down and do some deep thinking and soul searching for the reason you have your kitty on chemotherapy. Most times it's because we don't want to lose them, no matter what the cost.

I think sometimes it's more about quality of life than quantity.

Lots of vibes coming for your kitty!

I agree with everything you posted Natalie_ca...I just had The love of my life Die from Intestinal Lymphoma right after Xmas. I also was offered the chance to let the vet try Chemo on him..
I knew it might buy him a few weeks or maybe a few months of extra life. But at what cost to him. I would have to of tube, force fed him. He would of hated that..He would have no idea why his beloved person was treating him this way. I feel sometimes vets offer to much for profit to them then for gain for our pets..
I researched and talked with others that had gone through this and they all said if they knew what it would involve and the low quality of life their kittys would have for those extra few weeks..They never ever would of tried the chemo..
I chose to let him go when I knew it was time. I have no regrets because I did not prolong his suffering just because I wanted him here with me.
I miss him every day but I know I dfid right by him

So sorry to hear! My cat is not sick and I don't know if this is what you were asking for but his favorites are cooked ground turkey and he loves my vitamin fish oil pills dripped on his dry food. Wish I could help more.

Emily, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I was simply relaying a personal experience I have had with cancer. The second kitty to come into my life with cancer, I went the extra mile with her and removed her ear flaps (she was a white kitty) and she had squamous cell carcinoma. In a matter of weeks after her ear flaps were removed, the cancer came back with a force unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. It was as if the removal of her ear flaps pissed the cancer off and it went ballistic. I had her euthanized a few days later. With the removal of her ear flaps, she was also subject to being attacked by my indoor clowder because she looked like she was always angry. It was a sad time for all.

I have a new kitty here now, he is also white and comes from the same colony that sweet Shell belonged to (may she finally Rest In Peace). He has pre-cancerous growth on his ears. My vet says he sees Samson as being "earless" in his future, but he won't be. I will give him peace before that step is ever taken.

With Chaucer, he had oral cancer-I was told that chemo was his best chance to live. Again, I would never put another cat through that ordeal which I am sure was more extensive then your sweet kitty is undergoing at this time.

Just want to send good wishes to you and your cat Emily. I am sorry she is so very sick. You will know when the time has come to let her go. I don't have much experience to share about cancer in cats. At this point, I would feed anything I could find. I know Merricks makes a tasty fish wet food, there is also Fancy Feast Fish and Shrimp cats just love, very fresh. Much to you as you deal with this illness with your kitty. You are taking good care of her and I hope she will start to eat on her own. If she will not, then I would talk more to your vet. Best wishes for your Emily

We all make health decisions for ourselves and those who depend on us, and they may very well not be the ones others would make. We can only do our best as we see it and as we are advised.

I hope Emily is doing better. It's so hard not being able to tell them that any discomfort we cause them is temporary and will make them feel better in the long run. And, of course, cats are very bad about "getting out of the habit of eating."

I've had three cats that had cancer and I feel for you and your baby. My first cat had chemo and didn't make it. My second cat was not diagnosed with it until it was too late...they thought it was something else. When my thrid cat got cancer, I knew I would not put her through the treatments. I finally knew when it was time to let her go in peace. It's such a hard decision to make, because you always think "maybe she would have gotten better...maybe I should have tried something else". I've always thought what a blessing it is that we can give our pets that relief from their illnesses and have them go peacefully, with us by their side. You'll know in your gut what to do, so just go with your heart.

Hi For_Emily_Ann! Pls take time to read.

Our well-loved cat "vuschka" was also diagnosed with mamary cancer last year July & was operated on her tumor, i was told she needs to take chemo pills. i researched on the disadvantages & i didn't take the doctor's advise.

After about 6mos., Vuschka had to undergo another surgery last wed. (april 06,2011) from multiple tumors & this time they removed all her mammary glands for this is where the cancer cells migrate. Good thing i switched her to a more healthy diet (organic cat food by Felidae) and at 12 yrs of age, Her doc was amazed to see all her vital organs & tests showed her levels were normal for an oldie and was a perfect candidate for operation. The surgery was a success. i believe had it not been from good food, she wouldn't be eligible for an operation & eventually put to sleep.. which would be unbearably & unacceptably devastating.

i was again informed by her doctor that aside from chemotherapy & chemopills, there was a holstic approach to treating cancer with a successful rate. I was told to buy "Artemisinin" (Qing Hao Su - sweetwormwood extract) (which has shown excitingly positive results for cancers to cats/dogs) combined with CoQ10.

Found these websites about "Artemisin" & now i am sharing these to you & hope these infos may be useful. i already ordered online and this is one of the reason why i joined this forum, to share insights on these. i am very positive i will succeed in this challenge i am facing. I also want to document and publish her results.

Here are some important and exciting news for you about "Artemisin".
1.) http://healthydoctors.com/blog/rever...cer-naturally/
2.) http://www.akitarescue.com/Cancer Prevention.htm
3.) http://pathwithpaws.com/blog/2011/03...ll-themselves/

Vuschka is now still alive and kicking!
I really hope this helps & I pray & wish you all the best to your cat!

Summary about Artemisin:

Artemisinin is the second most common herbal I use to fight cancer in animals and it is extremely safe in almost all cases of bone cancers, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma and lymphoma. However It is used for a number of other tumors as well.

Artemisinin is an extract from the herb sweet wormwood and was originally used to treat malaria. It is currently under study by Dr. Henry Lai at the University of Washington for its effects against cancer,

So how does it work?

Cancer cells take up more iron then normal cells. Artemisinin is attracted to these high iron cells and selectively goes to them. Once inside the cancer cells it reacts with the iron causing free radial formation which kills the cancer cells.

Cancer cells have the highest concentration of iron in their cells because they need that iron to stimulate growth, get a good blood supply going and eventually kill the host. “Because they multiply so rapidly, most cancer cells need more iron than normal cells to replicate DNA. To facilitate that, cancer cells have inlets on their surface, known as transferrin receptors, in greater numbers than other cells. Those receptors allow quick transport into the cell of transferrin, an iron-carrying protein found in blood. In creating the compound, researchers bound Artemisinin to transferrin at the molecular level. The combination of the two ingredients appears to fool the cancer cell.

This herb “might provide a safe, non-toxic, and inexpensive alternative for cancer patients, cats & dogs alike.â€

1.) http://healthydoctors.com/blog/rever...cer-naturally/
2.) http://www.akitarescue.com/Cancer Prevention.htm
3.) http://pathwithpaws.com/blog/2011/03...ll-themselves/

Important to note, I have read that Artimisinin should not be used on animals undergoing chemo, and please reference the time between chemo and use.  I believe I read becasue chemo/radiation spreads iron to the healthy cells.  I have been using Artimisinin since it was prescribed to my father by his naturopath as an anti-lyme herb and I have done much research.  It has been great for my skin and a very calming effect.   I have recently started giving it to my sixteen year old brother kitties, after their sister died or disappeared when she became ill.  I realize now that she was parasite ridden and tried to tell me. Her tummy was bloated, her eyes were splotchy and she had blood and mucus in her stools.   I live near a wetland/drainage ditch.  I think the soil makes my kitties susepticble to parasites.  The year Demi became sick...she kept bringing in dead mice (that can carry lyme disease) and we were overrun by mosiquitoes and moths and some type of mites.  Artim (that I buy from Holly Pharmacuciticals, is a known malaria treatment and also cures cancer.  A dr at the UW holds a patent for developing a synthetic version.  Total truth.  Anyway, I have done great with it...and my boys get 50mg.  I pulse it.  You will want to check with a naturpathic vet for proper treatment. 

Curious what the first most common herb is that you use for treating animal cancer.  Can you share???

Also wanted to note, artimisinin does not have the adverse affects of chemo.  In fact, I have experienced no negative side effects from taking as a "skin" supplement for myself.  The only thing I have noticed from my "boys", Pooky and Hemingway, is that they will occosaionally spit up some flem or mucus.  But it seams to make them feel better...and they have much more engery while taking it (Pooky no longer hides in the dark or the closet...and hangs out with me in the living room.    Please look of the Cancer Smart bomb articles..."I have a dream".....

The reason doctors want to develop a synthetic version (other than the obvious)...because they can't patent the natural version and make billions...they say, "some people are becomming resistant".  The Chinese I have read, who have used the herb for centuries, don't trust western medicine and think they are just looking for profit.  I think they say, resistance, because re-infection.  Keep getting exposed...it will return.  I use all sorts of natural products to keep mosquitos and fleas that are primary carriers of disease around my home...Dr. Ben's evictor (cedar oil and quartz...love it!!!), and use copper on my roof, ACV and baking soda in my gutters...keep my yard as clean as possible from debri and rotting leaves and standing warter. 

Artimisin cures malaria and cancer...hummm...tends to make me believe that many forms of cancer are actually parasistic.  Good luck to everyone in taking care of your four legged friends.  Unlike us...they don't have a voice and choice, and can't run out to the supplemnt store.  Totally dependant on us.  It is our responsibility to our housepets, to give them the best care and life.  I for one, love this herb.

http://www.mwt.net/~drbrewer/canart1.htm

Just one more thing....my mother, misdiganosed for decades...arthritus,anemia, brain tumor, auto-immune, suspected Remicade induced MS, suspected Parkinsons, neuro degeneration, cebrebal ischemia, all too early for her age.  She had chronic lyme disease from independant testing at Abgenix.  Hospitals do not do the proper test, or say you are negative, when positive, just not positive enough.    Lyme disease, just like malaria can cause all of these symptoms.  Bacteria, borellia...and co-infections can be spread by mosquitos and ticks.  Depolarizes the cells and affects the immune system, leaving it basically helpless. My kitty Pooky's blood results were almost ditto to my mother's.  His vet said, negative, hegative, negative.  

I have spend endless hours researching for the why and treatment because I have had to research....the doctors couldn't give me any believeable answers...just devastating meds that were her downfall and death.  I learned alot about lyme disease and zoonic diseases from a great naturopath who was an expert on the subject.  But discovered to late for my mother's r treatment.  I think Artimisin does show promise.  One thing I keep in mind, lyme just like fleas, goes though a 90-day cycle...eggs, larva, adults.  Treatment needs to be continued and pulsed long enough to break the cycle.  Anyone interested, please seek out a lyme literate/zoo-onic naturopathic vet.

Just one last blurb, I promise....I give my boys grain-free food now and greens (cat knip and organic wheat grass...break it off and feed it to them).  Solid Gold Indigo Moon holistic dry and Wellness grain free wet.  After a trip to emergency one night, I found out that Gluten and wheat was throwing Pooky's glucose level sky high!  I thought I was feeding him a good food...vet recommended and totally full of chemicals and grain.  From what I understand, cats can't tolerate wheat...nor chemicals, like most of us. 

Juliet of the herbs...she studied with the gypsys and in veterinary medicine. She has a number of videos out there...on treating animals.  Part I through Part V, I believe. She saved lambs who were dieying following the war, by feeding them Ivy.  They were starving for chlorophyl...and oxygen.   

Artimisinin...a natural herb.  Please research it...and check with a holistic vet.  Anti-parasitic and kills cancer cells without the side effects of chemo. Holly pharmacuticas sell 50 mg tabs that are very small and my kittes can swallow them without any problem.   Also, grain free diet...Indigo Moon Holistic, Wellness grain free wet food, organic wheat grass and live cat knip her might help.  Sugar, dairy and wheat are very inflammitory foods, even for humans...and feed cancer cells. Also, 5-filtered water...I buy mine at the grocery store in refillable non PBC bottles for 35-47 cents per gallon.  Anyone going through chemo is told only to drink purified water.  I only give my pets 5-filtered water know in a stainless steel drinking dish....and very fresh and cold.  

Lastly when my Buddy kitty was sick years ago, before I even knew about holistic....I tried everyting.  The only thing he would eat was pureed calves liver with milk thistle supplement.  He lived another 10 years.