Cat diagnosed with terminal condition

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I took my two 16-year-old cats to the vet last week for their annual exams. The vet said she felt "something suspicious" in Adam's abdomen, but couldn't tell if it was a tumor or just something he hadn't passed yet (if you know what I mean). She said wait a few days and come back and she'd palpate it again. I did and the lump was still there.

They did an ultrasound (at no charge - it was for training a new veterinary assistant) and the diagnosis was lymphoma - a pretty common condition in older cats. I was given an oral solution of Prednisone to administer ($50 a small bottle), but it was only going to "buy some time" (once lymphoma is confirmed, the prognosis of survival is 2 to 8 months). I gave Adam the Prednisone and it made him foam at the mouth and drool. I called the vet right away and she said that the medicine is very bitter tasting and that would cause that reaction. Giving Adam that medicine almost seems as cruel as doing nothing. I also learned that once that medicine is started, you can't just stop administering it, it has to be cut down gradually.

BTW - It's Adam's photo I use for my avatar.
 

First of all, the biggest hugs and purrs I can send you...actually we'll do a group hug as others come to post. I'm so very sorry darlin'. You're facing one of the hardest choices we ever have to make. We love them for so many years and then have to decide when it's time to say goodbye. The vet can advise us medically speaking, but we're on our own ultimately. It has to come from the heart...I might say it's time to stop the meds and let him go painlessly. Peace and warm thoughts
 
Sorry to hear that Deb, I've been in your shoes a couple of times and know how you're feeling. Hugs to you and your kitty.
 

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to you debodun for going through this difficult time.

If the medication is liquid that is causing the foaming and drooling, is there any way your vet could prescribe tablets instead?
 
Gemma said:
If the medication is liquid that is causing the foaming and drooling, is there any way your vet could prescribe tablets instead?
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He doesn't take pills well, either. That's why I asked for liquid medicine. That gave me a 3 ml syringe to use (he needs 1.5 ml once a day). I thought if I got the medicine back in his throat far enough, he might not taste it, but it didn't seem to make much difference.
 
debodun said:
He doesn't take pills well, either. That's why I asked for liquid medicine.
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Oh, I see.

I have 4 cats but I've never had to administer anything to them, yet. It really breaks my heart knowing your Adam is going through all this.
 
This time comes to all pet lovers. Is the cat in any distress -- I mean pain or feeling bad? If not, I would just let him go on for a while, but watch him carefully. If he is feeling pain or sickness, I would let him go -- I am not a believer in making animals suffer through till the bitter end -- my vet advises me about when it is time to let go.

When my beloved Harold (pitbull/lab cross) had an inoperable mass on his spleen, my vet called me as soon as she found it on the ultrasound and told me she could wake him up and he would go on feeling increasingly bad, or she could just let him go quietly with additional anesthesia, which would be the kinder alternative. I chose to let him go because I loved him and didn't want him to suffer any more. To do otherwise, I felt, would be selfish on my part, keeping him around suffering.

PS on that prednisone -- I've had to use it in dogs quite a bit for various things -- yes, you cannot stop it abruptly.

Additionally, prednisone or prednisolone, at least in dogs, has the side effect of making them ravenously hungry all the time, causes them to drink more water and urinate more. It also can cause personality changes, most of which are very unpleasant.
 
When my daughters Hooch was diagnosed with bone cancer in one leg, the vet said they could do chemo and they could amputate the leg to alleviate the pain he was having in it. But the cancer was a very fast developing one and those treatments might have bought him an extra 6 months at best. Holly decided to just give him pain meds to keep him comfortable until his 'natural' end. He died about 7 weeks after the diagnosis. But his last seven weeks was spent in a warm fuzzy haze of loving spoiling and tenderness instead of wretching his guts out and learning to move on only three legs.

If it was my kitty and the meds to prolong his life a little, bit tasted awful and made him feel sick and foamy and all like you say, I think I'd just keep him comfy and love him till it was time for him to cross the Rainbow Bridge. Sometimes it's all about them and not at all about us.

The last time my little Diesel got sick, I wish I'd handled it so differently. He was having terrible trouble breathing because his chest was filling up with fluid (bad, bad heart). Because we had company at the time and I didn't want to 'put my doggie to sleep' while they were there because I know how badly I was going to feel, the vet gave me some diaretics to get rid of the fluid buildup and I was going to bring him back a week later when the company was gone and we'd give him peace then.

But when I got him home and gave him the meds, I put him in a basket to rest and the poor little guy was gasping and choking and I was praying the meds would work fast.........and suddenly I looked over at him and he was gone. I still feel awful that I couldn't be brave enough when he needed me to be and he suffered like that.:( At least he didn't suffer for days or anything, only a few extra hours.

To be honest, I wish the vet had talked me out of it and had been honest about how likely it was that the meds was going to help (or not help him).

I'm so sorry you and Adam are going through this right now debodun. You have lots of sympathy here that's for sure because we've all gone through this and it never feels good and it never gets easy.:love_heart:
 
My daughter had Cupcake. She was getting on in years and I noticed a mass under her front leg. I kept an eye on it for some weeks. Finally it was to the size where she had difficulty walking. They could have operated, but given her age and size she might not have recovered anyway. I cried the whole way to the vet and the whole way back home. Fortunately my daughter did better than I did, a new baby a few days later and she was okay. But poor dear Cupcake was special.
 
I'm sorry Debodun I know how close we get to our pets and it's hard to hear such bad news.
 
So sorry to hear about your boy, it's so hard to make major decisions when it comes to our babies. I have 3 rescue cats, one is a kitten. They are all healthy, thank you God, an I'm also fostering a dog.
Sadly Charley was kept in a crate from birth till 2 so his hind legs are crippled. A group of animals lovers are helping pay for his surgeries to correct. He flew thru the first but the second one has been
so hard on him. He's had seizures , he's had to go back to the hospital last week end because of his pain. It has been so rough....on us both. Today is the first he hasn't had any problems but with him he will recover.
Have you decided what your going to do with Adam? 2 to 8 months isn't very long to be here ,esp at 16. I wish you well, but like you said is it really worth the pain an side effects he's going through. So tough decision
an heartbreaking hope you can find peace for him an you.
 
I have loved and lost many beloved pets over the years... it always hurts... but I try to keep in mind that I have given all of them good lives, and love and kindness that many poor animals never know... I also have the feeling that some day, I will see all of them again.
 
Agreed, when I pass into the hereafter and arrive at the Rainbow Bridge I will be toppled by every furry creature I ever loved...ah paradise...
 
The last animal I had to make the "final kindness" decision for was Homer. He was a 9 year old Beagle/Basset mix. He was getting more and more lethargic and refused to eat. We took him to the vet and tests showed he was in acute renal failure and would need emergency dialysis.. Since his kidneys were shot we would have to continue to give him dialysis.. Of course we could not afford that and it would be cruel to put that dog through that, so we decided to have him euthanized. I think that vets have to offer all the options.. however a good vet will guide you to making the best decision. Ours had no problem with our decision and actually supported it.
 
debodun said:
The vets make you feel guilty, though, unless you do everything medically possible. It goes without saying that "everything medically possible" will also make them money ..
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Yes, but not only because it will make them money. Some of them, especially the younger ones seem to be too emotional to be vets. That's why I really like the farm vet practice I use out in the country for the goats. They do both pets and farm animals and are more practical.

I'm still a little ticked about the last cat I had. She ended with renal failure just like Quicksilver's cat. The vet in town insisted it was not that serious and did one of those IV fluid things, I guess that's what you call dialysis. A week later I took her back because she was getting worse, and a different vet in that practice told me, no, this cat was in very serious condition, and showed me she was in constant pain by pushing on her stomach in certain places, said she would have to do the IV treatment at least twice a week to keep her alive. I opted to put her down, and hated I had put her through all that.
 
deb - sorry to hear what you are dealing with. We lost our "Charlie" about a year and a half ago. He was a dead ringer for your "Adam" except "Charlie" had blue eyes. We still walk in the door and expect him to lead us to his food bowl or "belly-rubbing mat".

We were very fortunate to have an absolute Saint for a vet. He was honest with us and somehow you know when the time comes. We decided it wasn't about days, weeks, or months - it was quality of life. And when "Charlie's" quality of life deteriorated we felt it would be unfair to make him suffer.

So, the vet gave him a shot. He laid on my lap purring as I petted him. And soon- - - he fell asleep.
 
Ray said:
deb - sorry to hear what you are dealing with. We lost our "Charlie" about a year and a half ago. He was a dead ringer for your "Adam" except "Charlie" had blue eyes. We still walk in the door and expect him to lead us to his food bowl or "belly-rubbing mat".

We were very fortunate to have an absolute Saint for a vet. He was honest with us and somehow you know when the time comes. We decided it wasn't about days, weeks, or months - it was quality of life. And when "Charlie's" quality of life deteriorated we felt it would be unfair to make him suffer.

So, the vet gave him a shot. He laid on my lap purring as I petted him. And soon- - - he fell asleep.
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This is the way my vet is -- she tells you the truth about what the prognosis is, and about what further treatment will cost me in dollars, and what it will cost the animal in suffering. She always has the best interest of the animal at heart and NEVER tries to push me into going on with treatment I don't feel comfortable with. In fact, she has several times (she's been my vet for over 30 years) advised me that doing anything further would be a waste of time and detrimental to the animal's quality of life.

Deb, you need to find a vet whom you trust to have the welfare of your animals (and your pocketbook) at heart.
 
I love that an yes that's the way cats are. I have 3 of them.They usually look at me when I call their name they just stare at me. When I call Charley ,my foster dog, he's in my lap ASAP. I love them all.
 
It's sad when a pet becomes ill. Also quite challenging to get the medicine down! Hoping you still have some good quality time with your pet. Sending you a hug. Carla
 
Butterfly said:
This is the way my vet is -- she tells you the truth about what the prognosis is, and about what further treatment will cost me in dollars, and what it will cost the animal in suffering. She always has the best interest of the animal at heart and NEVER tries to push me into going on with treatment I don't feel comfortable with. In fact, she has several times (she's been my vet for over 30 years) advised me that doing anything further would be a waste of time and detrimental to the animal's quality of life.

Deb, you need to find a vet whom you trust to have the welfare of your animals (and your pocketbook) at heart.
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That's what I wished Diesel's vet had done. Not really knowing what he was going through, she allowed me to put it off (supposedly for a week) and his last few hours were awful. I wish she had said, 'he's drowning in the fluid and there's a good chance that the meds won't work fast enough for him to become comfortable. It would be kinder to just do it now and let him go'. That's what I wished she'd said........instead she sent me home with pills for him. I loved that little guy so much and I'll never forget how badly I let him down.

Yes debodun, if you have other pets, I hope you find a vet that you trust and that cares about you and your animal. For a variety of reasons, I know mine only cared about the money.
 

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