looking for someone with experience w/cat w/growth in chest

catnapt

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hi

i need to talk to anyone who has had a cat who had an unidentifed (or identified) mass or growth in their chest

asap

please its important - literally a matter of life or death
thanks
althea

ps my cat had an xray done that shows a small dark spot in the chest, but the vet i saw gave me virtually no info rather than to strongly suggest putting her to sleep- right away

there is NO fluid in her chest now, just a soft tissue mass

i need more info!!

until i can talk to another vet, because i am worried- will she die over the weekend
or what?

how long do i have?
other than a very very slight change in her breathing she seems FINE
 

gardenandcats

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I have no experience with this. I would just be guessing. Just wanted to say I hope everything turns out ok. Sending good vibes your way. Its odd that you vet didn't tell you what he thought the problem is,but suggest the cat be put to sleep. Is your cat showing any signs of illness or pain? Able to eat and drink?
 
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catnapt

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hi
thanks for replying,
she is able to eat and drink
but she sleeps most of the time


i should mention she is one month short of her 19th birthday! and has been in renal failure for about 3 yrs

she does seem to have a very very slight problem with breathing, you can barely detect it

i just need some idea of how quickly this might progress to where she has fluid in her chest, because i have been told that is like drowning, a terrible thing to have happen of course

vets around here do not spend much time with people explaining things, i dont know why

they should realize that cats and dogs do not take themselves to the vet nor do they pay the bills,
so if they are not able to deal with the owners they should perhaps go into another line of work

sorry, frustrated here!!

thanks for your response, its hard when no one responds at all even though you can see ppl have read the post

just having someone to talk it over with is very helpful
 

huggles

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Hi Althea, I am so sorry to hear what you & your girl are going through. Many people might read the post but dont necessarily have any advise they can give you.
I myself can not give you any advise as I really have no idea. But I AM here if you would like to talk. Its late afternoon in Australia so I can be around for a while. Hopefully when the morning hits in the US more people will be online and someone can give you some advise.

When are you able to get her to another vet? do you not have an emergancy vet you can take her too? I think its appalling that your vet didnt give you more information.

chin up, stay strong for your little girl... is it Sara your talking about?
 

pat

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Hi,
I am very sorry to hear your vet didn't explain this. I don't think any of us could answer you since there can be more than one possible explanation.

In one case, my cat had cancer in the lungs (evidenced by severe loss of weight despite good appetite and ibd under control and hyper t under control) which rapidly led to respiratory distress (within 1 week of diagnosis).

In another case, we had an ultra sound done to try to determine if the mass seen was a swollen lymph node, tumor or?? It turned out to be a benign cyst that was fluid filled - they drained it, she has no need to have it drained again nor removed. But without the u/s and fine needle biopsy, they could not have told us exactly what this mass seen on x/ray was.

You need a second opinion, and they owe you a detailed explanation of what this is.

Please keep us posted, and give your girl an extra special skritch from me...I had a dear kitty, almost 19 that I lost earlier this year, after almost 4 years with crf, so I know what it's like to deal with that.
 

booktigger

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I have never experienced this, but wanted to wish you luck and hope that you can find a vet who can give you more answers.
 

cearbhaill

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vets around here do not spend much time with people explaining things, i dont know why
You have to ask for more information.
Stand there and don't leave until all of your questions have been answered. You are paying for a service so the veterinarian works for you- don't feel too intimidated to ask them to elaborate on things you don't understand. You can also ask them to use more common words if the medical terms are unfamiliar to you.

It is sometimes hard to think on your feet, so make a list of all of your questions so that when you go back in you will remember what to ask. I have even handed them the list and have them answer each question in turn.

My first question would be "what exactly is the diagnosis of my cats illness?". Then maybe "what treatments are typically available for this type ailment?" Then ask about success rates, costs, etc.

Sadly, with a cat this age there may not be much that can be done, but before you decide anything you are entitled to know the cause of what is going on. That is a basic right.
If it is determined to be untreatable or terminal, then I would ask about how the disease usually progresses, the pain or discomfort encountered, and pain medications.

If this veterinarian will not discuss these things with you it is time to find another veterinarian. ASAP.
 
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