My cat is dying - need advice

specklebang · Feb 28, 2012

I just got home with:

Real Water. Strongly suggested by 2 oriental medicine doctors, this is alkalized water. I'm now planning to buy a processing machine for the future. I'll buy Chutney the bottled version for now. Any comments appreciated.

GNC Kitten milk

Various brands of baby cat and kitten food

She's eating dinner now and her appetite is decent. Her breathing sounds worse though and I don't think I acquired anything that's going to help with that. I think it's a cancerous lump in her throat area and I'm clueless how I could manipulate that.

BTW, one thing I learned today is that these blood tests the Vets love to sell you do NOT detect cancers. Or at least, not cancers in the bloodstream (like lymphoma apparently).

I wish I wasn't learning all this. I was happy in my ignorance. Chutney's going to leave a big empty space in my heart.

rafm · Feb 28, 2012

We lost a very special 13 year old kitty girl to lymphoma last August. Watching her lose weight and not being able to help was devastating. We gave her absolutely anything she would eat. Our cabinets looked like the cat aisle at Petsmart. We spent hundreds of dollars on food and treats. And we gat an entire year out of her that way. But it was one of the most stressful years of my life. DH and I watched every morsel she ate, talked about her intake every day. We analyzed everything, took her to the vet for weight checks every month at first, then every two weeks then every week. We lived and died by each ounce she added or lost.

At the end we took her in to be weighed and she was under 4 pounds and had lost 3 oz. in 6 days. No matter what, we couldn't get her to eat, not even with appetite stimulants. It took about 5 minutes for the vet to weigh her and do a physical exam. I took her home that Thursday night and within a few hours she was sneezing and had clear liquid coming out of her nose. I took her back to the vet the next day and her immune system was so shot that she had contracted an URI in the 5 minutes she was in the clinic the day before. Antibiotics had no effect. We knew it was time.

We took her in on that next Monday night and said goodbye. She was so ready. And we didnt realize how ready we were too. Not watching her suffer anymore, no more stress about what she weighed or ate that day made our lives a little more peaceful but the pain of losing her was horrible. We still mourn her. But we are better people having had her in our life. And for that, I would do it all over again, every day.

The decision is not easy. We went back and forth so many times. Feed her whatever she will eat. Even if people tell you it is such poor quality that it's like feeding her McDonalds, who cares. The goal is to get nutrients into her. If its all natural and full of awesome stuff but she won't eat it, all the good doesn't mean a thing. There were points when her food bowls were full of kitty treats.

I'm sorry.

specklebang · Feb 28, 2012

Oh RAFM, I so appreciate your letter. You've really touched me.

I suppose I'm grateful that my Vet wrote her off. She hates going to the Vet and I don't plan to put her in a carrier again for the rest of her life, however long that may be. I've acquired all sorts of stuff and I have friends that have extra meds (cortisone) which at least 2 other medical people suggested. Of course, as you were, we are fixated for the present. The topic never rests. But we are working to maintain our own lives so we can stay strong for her.

Tonight she is doing very well. Even her breathing was quieter. She drank a bunch of the alkaline water (and so did her "sister") so that's a hit. She's eating well, I'm going to introduce the kitten food tomorrow and see how she likes it.

You know, there are people in the world that have never had the love of a good cat. I don't know how they do it.

brinnan · Feb 29, 2012

I'm so sorry you are going through this. He sounds like a wonderful cat. They really give us so much love, and it is so hard to contemplate losing it. It sounds like you are spending some great time together, and that is wonderful for you both. I know when my girl was sick last year, all she seemed to want in the world was for me to sit with her, hold her, etc.

With sick cats, especially one with a tight throat, I think baby food is a great idea. Plain chicken baby food (make sure no onion in it!) is great. It's smells absolutely disgusting, but cats think it is one of the most amazing things in the world. I spent a lot of time with baby food on a spoon or in a syringe doing feedings. It is one of those foods that stimulates appetite in a sick cat, too. I used the Gerber plain chicken and plain turkey foods. The chicken was more popular for her. It costs something like 1.00 per small can, but I thought it was completely worth it. Plus, seeing him happy when you know something is wrong will just make things a lot easier, too.

Good luck to you both. I'm so glad you've had each other for these years.

farleyv · Feb 29, 2012

I just want to say you are ;in my prayers as well...you and sweet Chutney.

God bless.

camillesmom · Mar 9, 2012

Hi I was reading your posts and was wondering how your kitty was doing. My cat was diagnosed w/an addenocarcinoma on her lip. The tumor is getting larger and I was looking into the ES clear as well. I had a biopsy done of her lymph node and there is cancer there. She is almost 15 and has also just been diagnosed w/diabetes, so surgery is not really a good option. She has lost weight, but besides being so mad at going to the vet, she seems happy and does eat, although not great and has lost some weight.

specklebang · Mar 9, 2012

Hello CamillesMom et al,

Chutney is still having fun and still eating. We give her kitten food and lots of treats plus she's still eating dry food and mooching at the dinner table. Her weight is down to 8.5 pounds from 14 at the start and 10 a few weeks ago.

Her ragged breathing was the most troubling symptom so we took her to the Vet for a cortisone shot and an antibiotic shot since the stitches need to come out from the biopsy.The cortisone shot worked for sure - her breathing improved in 48 hours and she was able to eke out a meow (she lost her meow at the start - he mouth opens but no sound).

We are giving her Nutrical (? A tube of stuff full of vitamins) and she licks it from our fingers and she also licks the ES Clear from our fingers.

We also have her on Alkaline water. It's hard to say what works and what doesn't so we just do all of it.

So, all things considered, she's doing pretty good. We know that we will lose her but things are still OK enough for her to enjoy life and all the extra attention we lavish on her.

ericsmom1000 · Mar 9, 2012

As all of these posts attest, this is the hardest part of being a pet parent -- when your baby, regardless of age, is dying.

If you read my very first post on this site, you know that I rescued dogs and cats for 12 years. I found loving, forever homes for the adoptable ones. The others lived with me. Many of them were old -- the ones no one wanted. I was a regular customer at two places: (1) the vet's (2) and the pet cemetery, bringing in another dog or cat for cremation. I have quite the collection of little boxes or tins full of my beloveds' ashes.

One time, I was ridiculed at the shelter for taking in a German Shepherd mix who was covered with marble-sized tumors. I named him Joey. He died a month after I got him. He was an elderly dog whose owners had dumped him in the street because they no longer wanted him. I took him because I didn't want him to die at the shelter. He deserved to live out his life in a warm and loving home.

My other German Shepherd mix, Harry, who I found on the streets many years earlier, became Joey's buddy and caretaker. Joey was unsteady on his feet, so Harry made sure he didn't trip or fall. Harry was with Joey when he died, as were my other dogs (beagles). When Harry died several years later, I know that Joey, along with numerous other furry kids of mine who had passed before him, was waiting for him at the end of the rainbow bridge.

When one of my cats was dying, my other cats never left him or her alone. They were with their friend until the end.

The point here is that we risk getting our hearts broken when we take furry or feathered friends in. We don't know how many years we will have with them. Hopefully they will live long lives, but there's no guarantee. And when the time comes to say good-bye, we have to be there. It means holding them to the end if they're going to be euthanized. I have never understood people who walk away when their pet is being put down, saying they couldn't handle it. I've done it many times, and it doesn't get any easier. But I wanted my dog or cat to hear my voice and feel my arms around them as they made the transition from this world into the next.

There is no human who can give you the unconditional love that an animal gives, whether it's a hamster, a horse, a cat or a dog. They don't care what you look like, what you did at work, if you got into an argument with your friend or spouse, flipped off the driver who cut you off on the freeway -- they don't care. They just want to see you. They want to be with you, and love you. That's it. In return, they ask the very basics from us -- food, water, shelter, medical care, attention and love.

So Speckelbang, give Chutney whatever she wants. Make her as comfortable as you can, and give her all the love you have, without neglecting your other four-legged kids. Don't keep dragging her to the vet, which is stressful in itself, and empties your bank account. There comes a point where there is nothing more that medicine can do.

And remember how lucky -- no, blessed -- you are to have each other. All of us know how many animals die in shelters and on the roads every year because there aren't enough homes for them. The cats we have are ours because they are meant to be. Either we chose them or they chose us.

And when one of our babies leaves us, there is often another one waiting to come to us. He may show up at your door a few months after your baby has crossed. Or you feel compelled -- I call them divine nudges -- to go online and visit a rescue or shelter website, or look through the classifieds of your local paper, or go into a Petsmart or shelter. And there awaits the cat(s) who has chosen you to be his or mom or dad. This has happened to me so many times that I've lost count. You may find your baby in front of the market or in the park because someone is using the dreaded "Free to Good Home" way of finding homes for animals. But if these people run into someone like you, then that animal will have a wonderful home in which to live out his or her life.

Being a pet parent is not easy. But I know my life is much richer for having been one. And when I get annoyed with my kids, I remember that I won't have them forever, and to forgive them. They are indeed like little children. Whatever they have done to upset me is not intentional, and it's not something I want to be reminded of when I no longer have them. No one wants to feel regret or guilt.

God bless you, Specklebang, for opening your heart to Chutney and giving her a good home. I will keep both of you in my prayers.

specklebang · Mar 9, 2012

ericsmom, Thank you for your beautiful letter. I'm teared up now so I jope there wont be too many typos.

My friend Philippa and I had imaginary cats for years before we took the plunge. We went to the local pound and there was exactly one kitten there. We adopted her and that started years of adoptions, shelter volunteering, donations and mad love for cats. That kitten was Chutney and we have loved her her whole life. I have other cats, some at my home, some at Philippas and some at other family branches. They are all very loved. Some of them had tough starts in life and others have had nothing but love from the start.

We would not have taken Chutney to the vet this last time but I'm glad we did because the cortisone has helped so much. Our vet did Xrays, then gave her the cortisone and anti-biotics and refused payment because he knows how many cats we have helped over the years. We were very touched - we expected and were willing to pay.

This is my hobby website. It supports my long term battle with our local pound and gives adoption advice. There are NO ads of any kind. Its just a labor of love. http://www.manysplendidcats.com/

Thought you might enjoy it.

specklebang · Mar 18, 2012

Chutney still doing well. Might have gained a couple of ounces.

specklebang · Mar 29, 2012

Chutney still doing well but I think she lost back her extra ounces. She's really painfully thin under all that fur. But she's happy and acting normal. Breathing is normal. She's still on Nutrocal, Kitten food, ES Clear and Alkaline water. We're really enjoying this extra time we have with her.

jcribbs · Apr 1, 2012

Have you considered a raw diet........?????

This are the recipes that I used and it worked miracles on a cat that I had.

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood#The_Recipe

However -- I did add several capsules of liquid cranberry capsules for digestion.

Here is another link that is very similiar but the taurine needs to be added. But the instructions are simplier to rear as far as using bone meal.

http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.html

The recipies are nearly identical.

===============

http://www.cancer-forums.net/raw-food-diet-for-cats-t15503.html

At this time I do not feed my animals raw, but I have many times in the past used the recipies that I am suggesting and they thrived. The skinny ones gained weight and the heavy ones slimmed down. I am not saying this is a cure but I feel a natural diet is best for any illness. I have 18 cats and probably 15 of them loved the raw food. Two or three of them just pushed it around. I made large batches and put it in baggies in. the freezer and then thawed it an hr or so before feeding.

In your case, I would use the bone meal and use your food processer to chop/blend/grind every thing very very fine and maybe even to the lapping consistency since her throat is small. Make a small batch and just see how she does. Animals have a way of eating what they need. It will hopefully boost her immune system if she eats it.

And I am so sorry you are going through this. I wish you and you baby the best!

Jenn

p.s.

Just found this......

http://www.cancertutor.com/Other/ShrinkTumors.html

Several of these have been tried on animals with amazing results. But do your research. I have read about cottage cheese/flaxseed oil.

huyi · Apr 2, 2012

ericsmom1000 said:
As all of these posts attest, this is the hardest part of being a pet parent -- when your baby, regardless of age, is dying.

If you read my very first post on this site, you know that I rescued dogs and cats for 12 years. I found loving, forever homes for the adoptable ones. The others lived with me. Many of them were old -- the ones no one wanted. I was a regular customer at two places: (1) the vet's (2) and the pet cemetery, bringing in another dog or cat for cremation. I have quite the collection of little boxes or tins full of my beloveds' ashes.

One time, I was ridiculed at the shelter for taking in a German Shepherd mix who was covered with marble-sized tumors. I named him Joey. He died a month after I got him. He was an elderly dog whose owners had dumped him in the street because they no longer wanted him. I took him because I didn't want him to die at the shelter. He deserved to live out his life in a warm and loving home.

My other German Shepherd mix, Harry, who I found on the streets many years earlier, became Joey's buddy and caretaker. Joey was unsteady on his feet, so Harry made sure he didn't trip or fall. Harry was with Joey when he died, as were my other dogs (beagles). When Harry died several years later, I know that Joey, along with numerous other furry kids of mine who had passed before him, was waiting for him at the end of the rainbow bridge.

When one of my cats was dying, my other cats never left him or her alone. They were with their friend until the end.

The point here is that we risk getting our hearts broken when we take furry or feathered friends in. We don't know how many years we will have with them. Hopefully they will live long lives, but there's no guarantee. And when the time comes to say good-bye, we have to be there. It means holding them to the end if they're going to be euthanized. I have never understood people who walk away when their pet is being put down, saying they couldn't handle it. I've done it many times, and it doesn't get any easier. But I wanted my dog or cat to hear my voice and feel my arms around them as they made the transition from this world into the next.

There is no human who can give you the unconditional love that an animal gives, whether it's a hamster, a horse, a cat or a dog. They don't care what you look like, what you did at work, if you got into an argument with your friend or spouse, flipped off the driver who cut you off on the freeway -- they don't care. They just want to see you. They want to be with you, and love you. That's it. In return, they ask the very basics from us -- food, water, shelter, medical care, attention and love.

So Speckelbang, give Chutney whatever she wants. Make her as comfortable as you can, and give her all the love you have, without neglecting your other four-legged kids. Don't keep dragging her to the vet, which is stressful in itself, and empties your bank account. There comes a point where there is nothing more that medicine can do.

And remember how lucky -- no, blessed -- you are to have each other. All of us know how many animals die in shelters and on the roads every year because there aren't enough homes for them. The cats we have are ours because they are meant to be. Either we chose them or they chose us.

And when one of our babies leaves us, there is often another one waiting to come to us. He may show up at your door a few months after your baby has crossed. Or you feel compelled -- I call them divine nudges -- to go online and visit a rescue or shelter website, or look through the classifieds of your local paper, or go into a Petsmart or shelter. And there awaits the cat(s) who has chosen you to be his or mom or dad. This has happened to me so many times that I've lost count. You may find your baby in front of the market or in the park because someone is using the dreaded "Free to Good Home" way of finding homes for animals. But if these people run into someone like you, then that animal will have a wonderful home in which to live out his or her life.

Being a pet parent is not easy. But I know my life is much richer for having been one. And when I get annoyed with my kids, I remember that I won't have them forever, and to forgive them. They are indeed like little children. Whatever they have done to upset me is not intentional, and it's not something I want to be reminded of when I no longer have them. No one wants to feel regret or guilt.

God bless you, Specklebang, for opening your heart to Chutney and giving her a good home. I will keep both of you in my prayers.

that was really touching what you said, thanks for your kind words

and yes animals will always give uncondtional love that is why i will always love them more than humans.

and specklebang, i hope that you spend as much time as you can with your cat before she passes on, time can be so precious!

specklebang · May 1, 2012

Just an update to those who have been following and supporting.

At 6 weeks, we took Chutney back for another cortisone shot because her breathing got ragged again. It took almost 3 days to kick in but it did and she's doing well although her breathing is just a little bit rough. She's still eating and playing and has decided to sleep on the dining table wether we like it or not.

I think she still has a couple more months of responding to the shots. When the cycle falls below 2 weeks, we will probably let her head off to the Rainbow Bridge before she gets a chance to really suffer.

ldg · May 2, 2012

I'm new to Chutney's story and this thread, but wanted to say awwww...................... :heart3: :hugs:

:rub: I'm so glad to hear she's doing as well as she is, and that you've got this special time with her! :heart2:

Our Lazlo had lymphoma - well, has, I guess. He doesn't overly stress for vet visits or with meds, so we opted for chemo, and we got our miracle. The tumor in his stomach went into remission. I don't know how long we'll have.... but I did want to say, just for any future kitties, that chemo treatment in cats and dogs is completely different than in people. People are dosed at levels that are toxic, because the focus is extension of life. In animals, it is only about quality of life, and it is managed completely differently: it's managed in such a way that most tolerate and actually do well with it, experiencing minimal side effects. I wanted you to have that information so you don't rule it out as an option if there's ever a need in the future (let's hope there isn't) for a kitty that has a different temperament than your Chutney. :heart2:

Have you considered seeing a holistic vet? Do you know if there are any in your area? If you're in the States, you can search for one at http://www.ahvma.org. I don't know if you want to take her, or just schedule the appointment and go without her, maybe. :lol3: Our holistic vet says there are excellent treatments for those gurgly lungs, so there may be something that can work in conjunction with the cortisone shots. :nod:

She sounds like she's being spoiled rotten - just what she needs right now! :lol3: SO MUCH BETTER to have her sleeping on the dining room table than under the couch.

:rub:

Sending prayers, purrs, and vibes to you and Chutney. :vibes:

specklebang · May 2, 2012

Hey Feisty Feral,

Chutney's lymphoma is all over her body, a very unusual situation. My (beloved and trusted) Vet strongly suggested that Chemo was a poor choice in her case, and I chose to follow his guidance. The throat we think is just another lump but they are all over her body at this point, more than 20 of them. Between the lymphoma lumps and the hair clumps (from her rapid 50% weight loss), she's one silly looking cat.

I paid for a phone consultation with a woman who was purportedly the Queen of Holistic Vets. I've taken some of her suggestions in terms of diet and have used other holistic applications as well but to be honest with you, the only thing that actually seems to have a REAL effect is the cortisone. Queen Holistic was a big promoter of "natural death" but I'm not inclined to go that route. When I'm in my last few weeks, I'll bust out my suicide kit since medical people won't help (except in Oregon). When Chutney's cortisone shots wear off in less than 2 weeks, I will do the right thing for her and let her head out for the Bridge without knowing pain or the terrors of suffocation.

In the meantime, spoiling rotten a cat who was already spoiled rotten is very entertaining.

ldg · May 2, 2012

Oh no, please don't misunderstand. I wasn't suggesting you rethink your decision re: Chutney, and I wasn't being critical. :hugs:

You know her situation and her temperament, and those decisions are for you and your vet to make together. :heart2: I was reacting to your comment that if you wouldn't put yourself through that, you wouldn't put her through it, and when we made the decision to give Lazlo chemotherapy, I got a lot of messages from people saying they'd never put a cat through that. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding out there about pets and chemotherapy. My only purpose was to make sure that you - and others reading the thread - know that chemo treatment for pets is very different than chemo in people. It isn't easy, and the animal really has to have the personality for it, or it is just a kind of torture. But for those that aren't overly stressed by being medicated and the vet travel, it is usually well tolerated.

And yeah, I think Queen Holistic is a little over the top there. I don't know what she recommended for your baby's lungs, but I am glad the cortisone is helping.

Let's hope it keeps helping! :vibes:

I wouldn't want to let my babies suffer either. :hugs:

:rub:

specklebang · May 2, 2012

Oh, no, I didn't misunderstand. I just framed my response incorrectly. I think if the cancer had been more localized, my Vet would have referred us to the Oncologist but it was in 6 locations on her back spinal area so it wouldn't have been an appropriate strategy. My original posting was written at a time of high emotions.

Thank you for your guidance and loving well wishes

mani · May 2, 2012

I've just found this thread, and my heart goes out to you....

I so agree with your comment "To me, euthanasia is the ultimate gift of love I can give Chutney when it's time". We are so blessed to be able to offer death without undue suffering to our cat (and other animal) companions. I find it strange that the person who believed in 'natural death' also recommends prednisone. Most advocates of natural death require it to be relatively drug-free as otherwise it cannot be regarded as 'natural'. Anyway, I, like you, just don't agree with her.

Sending you and the lovely Chutney lots of wellbeing and love.

ldg · May 3, 2012

specklebang said:
Oh, no, I didn't misunderstand. I just framed my response incorrectly. I think if the cancer had been more localized, my Vet would have referred us to the Oncologist but it was in 6 locations on her back spinal area so it wouldn't have been an appropriate strategy. My original posting was written at a time of high emotions.

Thank you for your guidance and loving well wishes

My cat is dying - need advice

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