Cancer - When to 'let go' ?

Hi,

I have a cat called Mr Pablo living with me. My girlfriends cat.  He is a super fine, wonderful soul who i have grown fond of. And , love.   We collected him from her parents where he was living outside, to come to a cozy home with love. Because he has cancer.  

The vet said ' enjoy your time with him'

We have been feeding him regular, as his appetite has been healthy. He was not drinking water, so We bought cat milk which he drinks now and again.

He has been rapidly loosing body weight, and fat.  Maybe the cancer is eating the fat?

Obviously we don't want him in pain, and I have been researching the use of Human Pain Killers like codeine.  But have not spoke with the vet about Mg per kilo of body weight, and if he thinks it is a good idea.

Im writing to you, because I am a little lost....

Pablo has started to go to toilet in various places, is this a 'sign'?

It is a horrible question to ask, how will we know , Obviously some cats cannot 'tell us' when they have had enough....

I was hoping he would have months and months left...and Maybe my ego wanted to do more for him,??

if anyone has experience in when its time or just some random advice all is welcome....

thanks with a heavy heart Jeff

Please don't give him any human pain medications, they all are very very toxic to cats. Codeine for example contains Tylenol, which will kill a cat, and it is not an easy death.

There are safe pain medications for cats, they can be gotten through the vet. Buprenex would be my first choice, with tramadol or torbogesic being second and third.

The litter box avoidance could be from any number of things. Perhaps try adding a few more boxes for him, with very low sides so they are easy to get into.

If he is having trouble with his legs, he may find it difficult to squat on the litter, put puppy pads down for him instead.

But I do think a trip to the vet is in order now.

HI and thanks for answering. Also The experience you shared about codeine, and use tramadol instead has helped. Your right, a trip to the vets, but, he will just look at him and say the usual  ' if he is eating '...

does the colour of his Poo have any significance?

all the research i have done it doesnt look like he is in pain, this is my primary concern.

again thanks

Jeff

Perhaps you need a different vet, if your vet doesn't want to or is unable to suggest any palliative treatments.

The tramadol should be gotten from the vet. Please don't use any medications you have lying around the house or that someone else has given you. Use only medicine that has been prescribed for him.

A change in stool, whether it is color, consistency or odor, can be an indication of many different things.

I'm glad Pablo has you taking such good care of him.

What kind of cancer does he have?I would think that at some point it may cause Mr. Pablo some pain, but I'm wondering whether or not it might be treatable.  There are cats right here on this site who have been or are currently going thru chemo! 

As far as him going to the bathroom in places other than the litter box, is he peeing or pooping outside the box?  If peeing, that is usually a sign that something is wrong, like a urinary tract infection, and they associate the box with the pain they feel upon urination.  If pooping, sometimes that is from stress, or from constipation.  From what you said, he isn't drinking much, so he very well may be constipated.  What do you feed him?  If canned, can you add more water or even cat milk to his food. 

Also, since he is losing weight, have you tried feeding him egg yolks?  They are VERY NUTRITIOUS, and very high in calories as well.  You could try them either raw or cooked, and try even cooked in a little butter, if he would find that more appetizing.  Maybe he'd like a lightly scrambled egg in butter?  most cats really like the taste of butter, and it's also pretty high in calories...just don't use a lot of it. 

I can only talk from my own experience, but I would second the opinion to consult with another vet.  When Cindy got sick, we had a hard time getting a diagnosis.  At some point, it was obviouis it was cancer, especially since she was losing weight.  During that time, we went to see a second vet, who told us that we shouldn't put her thorugh surgery, just take her home and make her comfortable.  More than once after speaking with the vet, I left the clinic bawling my eyes out.  My primary vet said she was not ready to give up on Cindy, consulted with a surgeon and said she was a good candidate for surgery, and got us an appointment with one of the top surgeons around.  He was very encouraging and scheduled the surgery for the following day.  Up until then, we had had ultrasounds, biopsies, bloodwork, etc., with no clear diagnosis, so there was no way we could come up with a treatment plan until we had a diagnosis.  Long story short, the surgery was successful, Cindy just had her fifth chemo treatment, and she's doing very well. Her last ultra sound and Xrays on Friday were "normal."

The thing that sent us to the vet with her in the first place was that over Thanksgiving holiday, she peed on our bed.  That was very unlike Cindy.  She'd been acting a little off before then, but didn't seem in pain or anything, so it was a total shock when the vet told us she felt a mass in her abdomen.

I'm so sorry about your kitty and I know how awful it is when a pet  you love is sick, and you feel so helpless.  Do they know what kind of cancer it is? Have you talked with anyone about chemo?  In any case, you have my prayers for yourself and your little darling and hope he has many more good months remaining