3YO Male Cat has Cancer

[kcb]

Our wonderful 3-year-old Highland Lynx, Baxter, was just diagnosed with cancer based on palpation that discovered a mass and confirmed by ultrasound that showed a 3.5 mass on his colon as well as enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes. We took him to vet because he was leaking yellow, mucous diarrhea and occasionally I heard gurgling noises from his belly. Those are the only symptoms - he’s eating, drinking, playing, purring, snuggling. He had been to the vet about a month ago and she felt no intestinal mass at that time so it seems very aggressive. I want him with us as long as he’s not in pain but would love some advice on how to deal with the leaking diarrhea that he seems unable to control. Any meds that anyone has had success with? Has anyone tried chemo for cats? Thank you for any thoughts. I’m just heartbroken.

[fjm]

I am so sorry - what a devastating diagnosis.

I do know of a cat, in the USA, that had many months of very good quality life thanks to chemo. If your vet thinks it would be helpful I would certainly consider it - the drugs used for palliative care for cats and dogs have far fewer side effects than the very aggressive ones we associate with human chemo.

[alanc]

I wish I could give you some hopeful advice, but my experience of cancer in cats has been uniformly bad. My 5yr old Maine Coon Badger was diagnosed with cancer of his spleen 4.5 years ago, having, like your lad, been thoroughly examined by his vet about a month earlier. He showed no symptoms other than a sudden lethargy (which is why I took him in). Although operated on, he died in his sleep. So all I can offer is my sympathy and say that I know how devastated you are.

[Mollycat]

So sorry for this tough news, of course you're devastated, such a youngster too.

We had an older lady with skin cancer on her nose, had the top layer of cells skimmed off (it's pink under black!) and it came back so we were offered chemo. We didn't take it because it was very slow evolving and we didn't feel the constant vet trips were right for her, not because of any issue with giving her chemo, but we did discuss it in depth. What the vet told us is that animals don't usually get any side effects and most just carry on as if nothing had happened.

All I would say is be very clear about what you hope for from treatment. If it's a possible cure, or if it's to gave him as long as possible - if it's to keep him going or to keep him comfortable - if you are crystal clear on the best possible outcome and the chances of achieving that outcome, weighed against the stress/ discomfort/ trauma/ whatever of that treatment for your cat, then you can make the best decision for your cat. But then let's be honest and blunt we're none of us a bottomless pit of funds and sometimes with the best at heart and all the love in the world money has to be factored in. Quality of life with leaking diarrhoea has to be factored in too, cats are very clean and depending on the individual this alone can be extremely distressing. I don't have any tips for it unless pumpkin or Pro-Kolin can help a little. Has the vet mentioned steroids, could that help in his case?

[lilynmitz]

I'm so sorry to hear about this diagnosis, especially in such a young cat. I can only suggest you talk through with your vet whether there's anything you can do with his diet to firm up his stools, but if his gut is compromised by the tumour, that may not be possible. If he's lost his appetite as well, all you can do (and the kindest thing) is to feed them what they WILL eat. Otherwise I don't think there's a ready solution other than cleaning him up as a labour of love, I'm afraid.

I've lost several cats to cancer, aged between 4 and 12 years. In each case by the time of diagnosis the cancer was very advanced, as cats are very good at hiding illness as a primal survival instinct. With mine the only signs were very gradual weight loss, which wasn't easy to pick up on, and then towards the end, loss of appetite and lethargy. By the time they got to that second stage, I only had them with me a short time longer.

I'm sorry I can't be more positive, but with all of mine the important thing is quality of life. Talk through the treatment options with your vet, but if the treatment is invasive and stressful, and only buys a short amount of time, then I would go for quality of life, pain management and palliative care every time, and share as much time as you can with him.