It's official - our kitty cat has cancer :(

Well further to my post last week abour our cat Wildside Fireblad ("Blade") being whizzed off to the vet with fluid on his abdomen, we got the results of the fluid test yesterday and the cause is defintely a cancer/tumour Likelihood is lymphoma - she did mention another type but I can't remember what it is. We don't know exactly where it is but I guess it wouldn't make much difference if we did. The abdominal fluid showed low protein and high atypical cell content (neoplastic effusion)

So, she's given us a course of Prednisolone (?) - the other option was to operate to drain the fluid and see if there is a mass, but we're not doing that because there's no point and it wouldn't help him in any way and it would be far too stressful for him. The vet has been quite clear that this is not something they can cure.

We've to take Blade back in 2 weeks but obviously if anything happens in the meantime we'll get him in. But for the moment we'll just make sure he's happy and as comfortable as possible while we have him. Although the vet didn't say so, my impression was that perhaps it would be quick.

He appears to be mostly OK although he is very quiet and a bit withdrawn but then I suppose he doesn't feel great - though he's still eating well and moving around with no problems.

Oh no [emoji]128543[/emoji] Im sorry to hear about Blade. Give him lots of love and care until it comes his time to meet the rainbow bridge. Sending good vibes to you both!

I am so sorry to hear this,  I am dealing with a sick kitty as well and they are trying to figure out what is wrong with him. I am so glad that the vet is hopeful for you!!

How did you first know he was sick? 

Stephanie (-:

I know how you feel.. I've also had my fair share of cancer. My cat got Leukemia when he was still a kitten and our other cat got aids.. Unfortunately we lost them both.. Spoil Blade rotten while you still can!! Good luck!

Thanks Alyssa.

Bronxbrooklyn - thanks for your reply. Unfortunately the vet is not hopeful; this is a terminal condition and all we can do is make sure that he's as comfortable as possible.... In terms of noticing he was sick, we didn't notice very much really. He's always been a slim beastie but I do think he'd lost some weight but over such a long period of time that it wasn't obvious to us, as we see him every day. We went away for 2 days over a weekend and when we got back his abdomen was really distended so that's when we got him up to the vet.

I'm sorry you got such bad news. that his last weeks or months are comfortable and filled with love.

The one thing you said is that you did not notice the weight loss.  My cats weight went down so fast...30 days 8lbs to 5 lbs.  The 1st vet said she had lymphoma 85% chance.  The 2nd opinion vet did new blood work/ sono and believes the mass is probably bowel cancer which is more consistent with the fast weight loss.  Without biopsy there is not 100% proof of lymphoma just the fact that so many cats seem to get it these days.  Do you have a desire to get a 2nd opinion?  How old is your cat?  Don't wait to long like I did my cat is totally dehydrated and if I had taken her a week ago for 2nd opinion  things might have been better for her today.  Instead I am on the daily path of IV fluid, trying to get her to eat a special Science Diet food for cats with advance medical issues(tons of vitamins in the food) and a renavast pill 2 x a day.  

Oh wow. That's so very sad to hear. Cancer is such a terrible thing in this world right now. I wish it would go away. So many good people and wonderful pets have been lost to this terrible disease. I'm praying for Blade and for all of you that love him.

I am so sorry.

I'm so sorry about the terrible news.  

I am so, so sorry you and Blade are going through this right now. I will be thinking of you. 

Enjoy your remaining time together.

So sorry for your news.  Losing a pet, who in all rights is a family member, is so, so hard.  Hugs to you...

Deep sympathy.  Two pieces of advice - don't wait too long to make the decision to euthanize him; you'll regret it if you do, and say your goodbyes before the vet injects him - if you've never seen it done before you'll be astonished by how quickly it happens.  You'll also be astonished to discover that "putting to sleep" is not just a euphemism; it's actually a very good description of what happens.

Margret

Dear all

thank you so much for your kind replies, I'm sorry that I've not been back to post on the forum.

Well, the Prednisolone seems to be doing some good; over the past week he's been quite bright and almost his normal self (still a bit quiet but not too bad). The fluid on his abdomen has gone done hugely (but now you can really see how bony his hindquarters are ). His breathing has remained about the same; no better or worse, so I gues sthere is still a bit of fluid on his chest.

We've been giving him the Prednisolone crushed up in food, as he's not a cat you can handle well and for the first time last night he refused to eat anything It's very hot over here at the moment (definitely not something we're used to in the UK) and a couple of people here have mentioned that their cats are also not eating much at the moment, so it could be down to that. He did eat some of his normal dry food this morning but he wouldn't go near the wet food the vet gave us. The refusal to eat is the first time in over two weeks, he's been eating well up until now.

I rang the vet as not eating the wet food meant he's missed a dose of Prednisolone, but she said not to worry too much and persevere and try and get him to take one tonight. If he wont' eat then she mentioned we could try steroid injections as an alternative but that it was a different drug that she didn't consider to be as effective as the Prednisolone - she didn't give me the name though.

Someone asked questions about the injections he'd had - sorry, the only drug I have a name for is Metacam (anti-inflammatory) and he hasn't had any of that since Sat 12th July. He saw the vet on the 15th and that's when she gave us the Prednisolone.

I guess we'll just keep an eye on him and see how he goes over the next couple of days. He's due back at the vet on the 29th anyway but she said I can ring her at any time if I have questions or we have any problems.

Thanks for the update. I'm glad that the pred seems to be making him comfortable at the moment. My thoughts are with you as you go through this.

Glittercat....since June 17 2014 I have been on your path.  Tonight I believe my Franny is dying and tomorrow I will decide if its time.  Do not waste any time here are some things I learned during this process.  Get a 2nd opinion.  Ask the vet for syringes.  You can pulverize the food in a small blender and inject it.  Have wet towels available so you can clean up the mess.  Put the cat on a towel or wrap the cat up when you do the feeding or meds.  Youtube has great videos on how to do force meds and food.  My first vet recommended Prednisolone liquid and my second vet added Renavast for kidney failure.  Renavast is a powder tablet.  Check if your meds can be mixed with liquid and injected in the mouth.  Your vet can recommend special diet food.  Just do your self a favor and before you baby loses anymore weight get on it.  I think I made a mistake not recognizing what my Franny was dealing with.  Do not let you cat lose any more weight.  The Prednisolone is a mask for many things...they seem good and then things go bad fast.   Best of luck. 

May I say that I think people need to be careful about assuming one experience with one's own cat is the same as someone else's, and inadvertantly possibly causing more angst to an already very difficult situation.....

robinathome said:

Glittercat....since June 17 2014 I have been on your path.  Tonight I believe my Franny is dying and tomorrow I will decide if its time.  Do not waste any time here are some things I learned during this process.  Get a 2nd opinion.  Ask the vet for syringes.  You can pulverize the food in a small blender and inject it.  Have wet towels available so you can clean up the mess.  Put the cat on a towel or wrap the cat up when you do the feeding or meds.  Youtube has great videos on how to do force meds and food.  My first vet recommended Prednisolone liquid and my second vet added Renavast for kidney failure.  Renavast is a powder tablet.  Check if your meds can be mixed with liquid and injected in the mouth.  Your vet can recommend special diet food.  Just do your self a favor and before you baby loses anymore weight get on it.  I think I made a mistake not recognizing what my Franny was dealing with.  Do not let you cat lose any more weight.  The Prednisolone is a mask for many things...they seem good and then things go bad fast.   Best of luck. 

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Thanks for this, however Blade is not a cat that can be handled easily or restrained - not even by the staff at the vet surgery. In order to take his bloods before they had to sedate him, you simply cannot wrap him, he totally flips out. If they couldn't do it then we have no hope, so injecting anything into his mouth/getting him to swallow a tablet will be very difficult and also very stressful for him. Even though he's very quiet, when I picked him up last night he was clear that he still won't put up with it!

In terms of weight loss, he hasn't lost any recently, I think the loss has been creeping and creeping over a long period of time but because he is a slender cat and we see him every day, we didn't "see" it. But now we can. The vet did recommend special food but if he suddenly won't eat it we can't do much....

I'm sorry to hear about your Franny. I think we will be making the same decision very shortly ourselves.

I am sorry to hear about Blade, Franny really hated it  for the week I tried to get the food/meds into her mouth.  And Monday when it just became to stressful thats when I said this is the last day I do this.  I think it will be better to pts and hold her hand through this than let her die alone in the closet that is next to my bed.  I just pray she will pass on her own today and I don't have to inject her.  I just can't take this it's breaking my heart.   She is not in pain, she is just shutting down.