Last Ditch Effort to save Shadow

Ill try to make this brief... 9 years ago my wife and I adopted a large black cat from the humane society - he was at least 2-3 years old and has become a huge part of our lives, this is not your usual cat, he grew to 22 lbs, LOVED to eat, and was not really overweight at this size.

2 months ago we noticed he had been acting differently (here was a cat that RAN to meet people and to play, loved to be around guests and meet anyone who came in the door) he began hiding and was not eating and we noticed he had lost weight.  With 2 children around I am thinking that we were distracted as we didnt notice Kittys problems until he had lost 5 lbs.

We brought him to vet 1, this vet did all the normal tests and they came up normal, one week later, kitty still not eating or being social, we bring him back into vet 1, vet prescribes a steriod and suggests that it is either irritable bowel or bowel cancer - we give the cat the steroid and he reacts very negatively to it, begins licking bald spots in fur, very skiddish, and still not really eating.  The following week we take him off the steroids and he begins to normalize (behaviourly) but still not really eating (we changed to a very spendy and high calorie canned food as well as a calorie booster).  Cat will only eat if he is supervised at this point and does not go to the litter box without momma bringing him there (he doesnt make messes around the house, just appears to hold it).  but he is eating a little better now but still not normal.  Back into vet one who feels around abdomen 4 weeks ago and claims cat has cancer as she felt a lump.

My wife is devistated so I am not going to give up so I bring kitty to the university of MN vet clinic to see an oncologist.  Vet #2 - vet 2 feels around and noticed the same (lump) but doesnt know if it is cancer and it might just be hard stool, offers some spendy imaging tests, but also notices that the cat has an abcess in his mouth that might be responsible for his eating issues.  we schedule an appointment with a good but less expensive vet who can work on teeth. 

Vet 3 - we see vet 3 1.5 weeks ago, vet 3 says it appears that the bone has ben eaten away (jaw cancer?) fills it in with some form of cement, gives him antibiotics and suggests we wait a week or 2 to see how it takes.

Vet 3 today (cat is still not eating, infact he just hides, will barely eat and will not drink water, it is not the same cat)  we bring the cat back into the vet and the vet says that it appears that the cement is holding and there doesnt appear to be any additional loss of bone...  cat is giving IV, etc but vet thinks somehitng else is seriously wrong and that it is time for euthanasia...

What else can this be?  have we done all we can?  we have done our best to this point to give him a fighting chance and try to give him quality of life... my worst fear is that we have missed something and will be putting him down needlessly (but we do not want him to suffer for our sake) any suggestions would be of value... thank you

I would personally never put my cat down if I wasn't absolutely sure of the reason /why/. 

Have you tried taking him to a Feline-Only vet? They may have better insight on what to look for. It also wouldn't hurt, although it would be a bit pricey, to maybe try an Emergency Vet clinic. Since they are used to dealing with emergencies, they may be able to see and notice things that a normal vet wouldn't think about. 

If all else fails, I really would try to explore that Bowel "Cancer" lead. Maybe try an ultra-sound to see if maybe there's a cyst or something in his bowel that's making it hard for him to eat. If that's the case, at least for people, I hear milk helps ease the pain. You could always try Cat Milk? They sell it at most pet stores. 

This is a completely unprofessional opinion, but I figure I'd share anyways!  

Thanks Cowboy - appreciate the coaching... i have gone to 3 vets to this point, the only thing really left to do from a diagnostic perspective that I can tell is imaging but at 500.00 that is a steep price to pay to be told he needs 2K a month in chemo...

you can read online all the time as to what it could be, and i agree I want to know, but I am not sure that a 4th vet will make a difference...  i agree that it is very hard without knowing "for sure" as all three are guessing but we have trying virtually everything that we can think of converntionally...

Oh, and Vet one is a feline only Vet as an FYI

Did the Vet today feel the lump in Shadow's abdomen, or was this Vet just concerned with his mouth?  Just curious if he offered an opinion as to WHAT was seriously wrong with him? 

So they gave him some fluids today during his visit?  If so, that might make him feel better, and maybe he'll perk up some.  It's really amazing how something as simple as getting fluids can help.

As to what might be wrong with Shadow, really, only a qualified Vet (and perhaps more expensive testing) can tell you for sure.  I'm so sorry your little guy isn't doing well

Have tests been done for diabetes? At 2-3 years he would have been full grown, so all that weight he put on would be very stressful on his body.

I would get a feeding tube in if he is not eating at least 5.5oz per day. If he is eating that much, then you can move on to other worries.

Get that lump looked at to find out for sure whether it is cancer or not. Then it'll be easier to figure out what your next move is.

I definitely think euthanasia isn't something to put on the table just yet.

Just so you know, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) can act a lot like cancer and I'd like you to find out what that steroid shot was that was given to him. First of all, he should be put on a steroid pill since he reacted badly to the shot. Prednisolone or budesonide and he should get appetite stimulants to help him eat. This vet is giving up way to fast without knowing what's going on. Have you done an ultrasound to see exactly what that lump is?

I went through the IBD thing along with not eating and the feeding tube.  Unfortunately there seems to be a thin line between lymphoma and IBD, IBD can be a precursor to lymphoma.  I went through not knowing with Patches.  Fortunately he didn't have a bad reaction to the steroid and that brought him out of it, he is still on a small daily dose.  It's been two years now with no further problems so I think we are in the clear as far as cancer goes. The steroid can mask cancer.   Patches had two ultrasounds with needle biopsies on his liver and still no clear cut answer.  I don't really have any suggestions beyond the steroid which he is having problems with and a feeding tube.

By normal tests, you mean blood work? Why hasn't an ultrasound been done? I don't understand all this guessing about whether the lump is cancer or not. An ultrasound would give you a clearer idea of what is going on.

I'm not sure I understand what was done in Shadow's mouth?

I'm sorry you are going through this. Poor kitty, it's terrible to see them suffer, I know.

Just a suggestion, if extensive testing and treatment is not possible. Why not begin with the assumption that it's diet-related rather than cancer, and try switching to a raw diet? In the "Cat Nutrition" forum there are many knowledgeable people that can help you get started; and results can be seen pretty soon. You could try it for, say, a month or two; maybe his quality of life would improve enough that the idea of putting him to down could be discarded. Please let us know how things go.

(This is the kitty mommy)

It is with a very heavy heart that I have to say we euthanized shadow. He completely stopped eating and was absolutely miserable. His breathing had become labored. he continued to hide and just want to be left alone. His body was always so tense and could barely look in my eyes. I could not watch him suffer anymore. I wanted him to die with dignity and not starve to death.

I wish the first (feline only) vet had been more assertive in telling us what to do. I am devastated that he is gone and wish we had a definitive diagnosis. By the time we started taking him to the other vets almost 2 months had passed where he steadily declined. Although he seemed to somewhat perk up with cortisol, he still had absolutely no interest in eating. For whatever it was worth, I told him we would keep fighting but the day he stopped eating, I would let him go...I continually talked to him through this process.

But my gut feeling is there was something very very wrong. I have been crying for weeks. I can only hope he is there at the rainbow bridge :'( I loved my first baby so very much and will miss him forever.

I'm so, so sorry about Shadow! I was hoping that some solution would be found, but sometimes the kindest decision is also the hardest one.

StealthKitty said:

I'm so, so sorry about Shadow! I was hoping that some solution would be found, but sometimes the kindest decision is also the hardest one.

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Yes, I completely agree with the above.    The greatest love is to set them free.

I'm so sorry for your loss of your beloved Shadow. You gave him a great gift, after a lovely life filled with your love, freedom from suffering.

Shadow is an Angel now.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

When you feel up to it, please consider making a memorial thread in our Crossing the Bridge forum.

I will now close this thread.