Since 2021, I've had three older cats die, one from abdominal lyphoma (age 13), one from a stroke (age 16), and the latest from an abdominal tumor (age 16).
All three were getting regular veterinary checkups with full bloodwork. We had to put my mother's 16 year-old to sleep yesterday, and she was seen at the vet's office for an exam on March 9th, just three weeks ago.
Should I be asking vets to do x-rays or ultrasounds to try to find problems like this before they become deadly? Am I just expecting my cats to live too long? Is it because cats hide symptoms of pain? I feel like I just keep getting blindsided.
It's also the case that I live in a rapidly-growing city, and we now have a shortage of vets relative to all the pets. I get the sense that the vets I see are more stressed and have less time for each patient.
All three were getting regular veterinary checkups with full bloodwork. We had to put my mother's 16 year-old to sleep yesterday, and she was seen at the vet's office for an exam on March 9th, just three weeks ago.
Should I be asking vets to do x-rays or ultrasounds to try to find problems like this before they become deadly? Am I just expecting my cats to live too long? Is it because cats hide symptoms of pain? I feel like I just keep getting blindsided.
It's also the case that I live in a rapidly-growing city, and we now have a shortage of vets relative to all the pets. I get the sense that the vets I see are more stressed and have less time for each patient.