Néd advice on cat with ruptured tumor

[fartymonk]

Hi, I recently rescued a stray female cat (the vet said she was >= 5yo) that turned out to have a ruptured tumor on her chest area.

The chest tumor is about 7 cm in length. The top 4cm and bottom 1 cm has ruptured, while the middle 3 cm looks like it could burst any day. She also had tumours growing from all over her bottom side, and also front leg armpits. The one on her right armpit has also ruptured.

I think the chest one is the main tumor, as it is the bigger and largest. The remaining ones didn't bulge and when ruptured the look like the skin is ripped apart, unlike the chest one where it looks like it bursting out.

The rontgent done on her shows no metastasis in the lung. And the vet suggest surgery to take the ruptured tumor and pray hope no recurrence happen or if it does, it won't be in weeks. I asked for biopsy to see if it's malignant but the vet said it can take 2 weeks - 1 month for a result because they had to send it to another city.

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Background:
The country I live at (3rd world country) doesn't have animal oncologist. And there definitely no treatment (chemotherapy) available.

I watched a cancer vet video that talks about feline mammary cancer (which I think is what she got). The vet said that 80% of cancer is malignant and if surgery is done, it must be a radical surgery, meaning, taking off all the mammary glands to prevent any chance of recurrence.

The vet that takes care of her personally against the idea of euthanasia and advised me to seek other vet if I decided to do so. But, they also noted that if surgery is done, closing (maybe they meant sewing up?) the area would be difficult.

Now she's currently at home (I've put her in inpatient care at the vet's place for almost 2 weeks before because the ruptured tumor was infected when I rescued her). Everyday I change clean up her wound with antiseptic soap (given by the vet), and then apply sulfadiazine silver on the wound before bandaging it up again. She always gets stressed afterwards, biting my hand if it came close to her (15cm away) even though I have no intention of touching her.

I feel bad seeing her like that. I can scrounge up the money needed for the surgery for this time, but will it be worth it if the vet themselves aren't that optimistic? Is it better to put her to sleep before all she feel is pain? She's still eating and poop/pee normally. She's thin, though.

Any advice on this? Or maybe an insight for those who have cared for such disease? This is my first time handling a case like this. Usually I only have rescues with flu, or lacerations injuries.

 

[catsknowme]

Poor kitty...at least she has known love and comfort in your care. It is a sad situation indeed. I hope that you can get advice from folks who have had better success in such situations. Have you tried using raw coconut oil instead of the silver sulfadiazine? I would ask your vet about that. Coconut oil healed a former feral's cats wounds that wouldn't close up despite oral and topical antibiotics and even a very expensive antilviral cream - the wounds were from a raccoon attack but the coconut oil was given both topically and internally; later, my doctor gave me Silvadene for 2nd degree burns on my foot but the cream caused pain but no improvement so in a last ditch effort, I tried coconut oil and it worked well for me - both soothing and healing. My vet was raised on a Northwest ranch with traditional care so she is very familiar with traditional healing methods that include using herbs.
In between treating your cat's wounds, I would try comfort grooming and offering little snacks when she seems receptive. The more comfort and kindness that she gets, the greater the chances of healing.
I had a feral who got mammary cancer because she was so trap savvy that she had litters of kittens for years. Unfortunately, she refused to be caught, although she began approaching the house during daylight hours. At that point, I would have gladly paid for euthanasia. My personal feelings, as a rescuer of ferals, is that until there are enough homes, I opt on the side of humane euthanasia when the odds of significant improvement in quality of life are dim. I always attend the euthanasias of my animals and those pets whose owners put their emotional distress over the needs of their pets; except for neonate kittens, the end is far easier than I have seen in people and animals who suffer when "Nature takes its course".

 

[fionasmom]

You are a very kind person to have tried to hard with this poor cat. If you have the surgery, one conditon of any chance of recovery for the cat is to get clean margins. Even that is not a guarantee, but it would give some chance. With a high recurrence rate, there have to be clean margins, not just a cutting out of the tumor, or basically nothing has been done. Mammary tumors over 2 cm have a high metastatic rate, although the usual recommendation if you are going to do surgery is to remove all of them. Larger tumors, even with successful surgery, have a much shorter survival time. If there are any metastases to the lungs, she will eventually start to have trouble breathing and that pathway is a common one for mammary tumors. Chemotherapy is almost always done in this type of disease; I know you said that is not available.

How much suffering will she go through if she has all these removed? Can you maintain her at home post surgery? Or does she stay at the vet?

I think that you are looking at some very steep odds with this cat, both for her wellbeing and comfort and for your own investment emotionally and financially. Can you talk to another vet and get one more opinion? To give you a straightforward answer, this does not sound good, does not sound as if she has much time, and sounds as if there could be suffering for the cat as she recovers, although I am not there to make that judgement.

 

[fartymonk]

Hi, thanks for the answers.

catsknowme
I haven't tried coconut oil. Do you mean VCO? Or is the one for cooking usage okay too?

Personally, I don't think the wound will heal though (at least on its own). It's way too big and 'bad'. Maybe small ones that looks like ripped skin can heal, but not the main one.

This is how it looks when I rescued her.

Spoiler: disgusting image, beware

The rupture is a bit bigger now.

fionasmom
What's a clean margin?

I think mammary cancer is highly likely due to the location (the video I watch also noted that it can appear anywhere near the mammary glands, not necessarily on the nipple itself). However, the vet themselves doesn't define what tumor/cancer it is. Only that judging from how it looks and spread, it's almost like cancer now.

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About the surgery itself, the vet only talk about taking out the visible tumor, mainly the big one (the rontgent shows a mass around there). At the time, I haven't watch the vet video, so I have no clue what to ask about the procedure. I have asked her on my previous visit if they can remove all of it, but they replied that they would have to 'dig' a lot of places. From their expression, I gathered that it's a lot of work that they rather not do for reasons I do not know.

When I cleaned her wound yesterday, I noticed the rupture had spread to the small one on her right armpit, even though before there's still skin between those two wounds. She also gets angry when she realized it's time to change the dressing, attacking my hands whenever I try to pick her up to the point I had to wear gloves (I've been bitten to bleed back when I rescued her). I think because she knows it's 'home' she tried to get me off her case, because she's pretty quiet and docile when the vet techs changed her dressing which could be due to fear.

My worry about having the surgery is whether she could heal before a recurrence happen. Judging from how quick it spread (to her armpit), I do think it's only a matter of time before all of the tumor ruptures or spread to the healthy ones. And considering the current vet only planned on taking the big one, I get more anxious about the possibility of me just adding more to her pain instead of helping her before ultimately putting her to sleep. I've read a few experience of others in which recurrence happens so fast (as fast as within 2 weeks) and how the financial burden piles up for the owner they ended up putting their pet to sleep. Like you said fionasmom , the odds are not good.

I've planned another visit tomorrow to my regular vet (only open during the day) to get 2nd opinion and ask if they provide euthanasia service. Hopefully, whatever happen tomorrow will settle my mind to a decision.

 

[catsknowme]

You will be in our prayers and thoughts tomorrow. The situation does look serious and although your kitty may want to live, her quality of life might be on the downswing. I pray that your vet is given wisdom and divine guidance and for strength & courage for you. Please keep us updated!

 

[fionasmom]

The tumor in the pic does look fiery and painful. You have tried and sadly efforts don't always pay off but I believe that this cat does know that you have helped her, protected her and given her a home in her time of need. She is way more fortunate than most street cats.

After seeing the pic, clean margins are not really important as I don't think that it would be possible or even significant given the extent of that tumor.

 

[fartymonk]

Thank you for the kind words and support I have received in this thread up to now.

I decided to put her to sleep.

The vet said that the tumor had spread too far. And even if surgery is done, they aren't so sure there will be enough skin to close it up with, not to mention the surgery itself would need to also take the tumor on both of her front armpits, not just the ruptured one.

So they recommended putting her to sleep as odds are against her at this point of time. Since they also provide the service, I just opted to do it right then. I had the feeling last night was the last she'll be with us, so I pampered her with lots of food and pets up to the vet appt. I just hoped she knew she was loved in the short time she's with us.

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry for your loss, but you did the right thing for her. As you have continued this thread, it seems that the odds became insurmountable, each one in itself presenting another problem which might have added to her pain. Even not being able to close up an incision properly could be tremendously painful and would really be a rule out for surgery.

An ER vet who probably dealt with sick and dying animals for most of her long career once told me (when I questioned keeping an ill cat alive for a few more days) that she did not think that cats measured time as people do. This cat of yours knew that there was kindness and love in the world and that meant more to her than anything. What is that old saying? "One hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name."