URGENT- cat with mass in the mesentery

[brit07]

Hi all,
I adopted an FIV+ cat in January who is approx 5 years old and who we have since named Kipper. Over the last couple of weeks my partner and I have noticed he has been eating less so we took him to the vets and they’ve done an ultrasound and found a mass in his mesentery. The vet did not seem optimistic at all about the prognosis of this so I’m just looking for any advice any of you may have. He suggested that because the mass has such a big blood supply that surgery would be very risky and he said that the mass has 3 lobes so he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get it all and then said that even if he was able to get it all, Kipper would have to go through a big recovery and the mass may just come back a couple months later. I am completely devastated by this as our previous cat Persia had a tumour in her intestines and liver and it was the most traumatic experience of my life just watching her decline day by day and the anticipatory grief I felt was insurmountable. I feel completely overwhelmed by anticipatory grief already and have not been able to stop crying the past 48 hours. I don’t want to accept this for Kipper, he was a stray before we adopted him and he’s just beginning to enjoy his life with us. Does anyone have any experience with a mass in this location? If so, was operating an option or chemotherapy? (Our vet did not suggest chemo as a standalone option). Our vet has prescribed us prednicare as palliative care but I honestly can’t deal with the thought of him having to go through all of this. If palliative care is our only option, does anyone else have any experience with this? I have felt guilty all weekend even leaving him to go to the bathroom because I feel like I should be making the most of every second with him so I’m not sure how I’m going to cope with going to work this week. I work from the office as well so he’ll be alone 7:30-4:30 and I can’t bear the thought of him alone if it really is a case of this being terminal. How can I navigate this? I just feel so lost and so heartbroken and am desperate for some advice. Thank you all so much for reading and any advice you can give.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi, I am so sorry about what Kipper's going through. I can only suggest that you consult with an oncology vet to see what they say. They will be more experienced and up to date on treatment options, and at least give you the chance to get a second opinion from an expert in the field of oncology. Oftentimes these specialists will review the tests that have already been run as a starting point. Ask your vet about a referral to one.

 

[fionasmom]

I completely agree that you need a second opinion from an oncologist. If you were to go forward with the surgery, it would be a good idea to investigate veterinary surgeons as opposed to turning any of this over to a regular veterinarian. That does not in any way mean that your current vet is not a good doctor.

This kind of tumor usually does require debulking as opposed to just doing chemo; however, I am not saying that improvements have not been made in non-surgical treatment and you need to get the latest information from someone in the field. It might be that there is some benefit to chemo (which is tolerated well by many cats) in place of surgery.

Pred is often part of palliative care. If Kipper were my cat and the other options were not viable, I would proceed with palliative care. I am unclear as to whether you had the opportunity to do this with Persia, but it involves pain management and supportive care including dietary and supplemental care.

I did palliative care with my last GSD who was 16 and had an anal adenocarcinoma which I elected not to treat surgically as he had other medical conditions, not to mention advanced age.

 

[brit07]

Hi, I am so sorry about what Kipper's going through. I can only suggest that you consult with an oncology vet to see what they say. They will be more experienced and up to date on treatment options, and at least give you the chance to get a second opinion from an expert in the field of oncology. Oftentimes these specialists will review the tests that have already been run as a starting point. Ask your vet about a referral to one.

Thank you so much for your response. I’m in the UK so I’m not sure if we have vets that specialise in a particular field like that but I’ll have a look! It’s honestly b

Hi, I am so sorry about what Kipper's going through. I can only suggest that you consult with an oncology vet to see what they say. They will be more experienced and up to date on treatment options, and at least give you the chance to get a second opinion from an expert in the field of oncology. Oftentimes these specialists will review the tests that have already been run as a starting point. Ask your vet about a referral to one.

Thank you so much for your response. I’m in the UK and I’m not sure if we even really have vets that specialise in particular fields like that (at least where I am as it’s very rural), I have only ever encountered general vets but I will look into this!! I do already have another general veterinary practice lined up to give another opinion tomorrow so I’m praying to everything that they will provide some more hope for Kipper.

 

[fionasmom]

Please let us know what you find out.

 

[brit07]

I completely agree that you need a second opinion from an oncologist. If you were to go forward with the surgery, it would be a good idea to investigate veterinary surgeons as opposed to turning any of this over to a regular veterinarian. That does not in any way mean that your current vet is not a good doctor.

This kind of tumor usually does require debulking as opposed to just doing chemo; however, I am not saying that improvements have not been made in non-surgical treatment and you need to get the latest information from someone in the field. It might be that there is some benefit to chemo (which is tolerated well by many cats) in place of surgery.

Pred is often part of palliative care. If Kipper were my cat and the other options were not viable, I would proceed with palliative care. I am unclear as to whether you had the opportunity to do this with Persia, but it involves pain management and supportive care including dietary and supplemental care.

I did palliative care with my last GSD who was 16 and had an anal adenocarcinoma which I elected not to treat surgically as he had other medical conditions, not to mention advanced age.

Thank you so much for responding.
My main hesitation with surgery is the what if we put him through all of that and he has a hard recovery for the tumour to just come back but equally, I want peace of mind knowing that we’ve tried everything we possibly can for him- it’s an impossible balance. I’m also so concerned that it won’t even be an option as our current vet seemed to think that because of the blood supply to the mass it would be too risky of a surgery so he didn’t recommend that we do it but I will definitely seek further opinions on this as I can’t imagine my life without him and he deserves more time than this.
I’m not sure how I’m going to cope at work- the guilt feeling I already have of leaving him at home when his time may be limited is just unexplainable.
I did do palliative care with Persia and it was the most traumatic event I’ve ever gone through. I just felt like everyday we lost a part of her and I grieved for her so much before she even passed away. She had IBD really badly and was regularly going to the vets and having medication for that when one of the vets felt a lump in her abdomen and she was later diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma in her intestines that has begun spreading to her liver. I never want to live through something like that again so I’m really praying that something can still be done for Kipper.

 

[brit07]

Please let us know what you find out.

I will of course!! Hopefully it will be some better news!!!!!

 

[fionasmom]

the guilt feeling I already have of leaving him at home when his time may be limited is just unexplainable.

It is very possible that Kipper is so happy and secure in his home that he will be comfortable until you return. Do whatever it takes to make him as comfortable as possible, maybe leave a piece of clothing for him to lie on, some food if that is what you normally do, and he will probably be very content until you return.

 

[brit07]

It is very possible that Kipper is so happy and secure in his home that he will be comfortable until you return. Do whatever it takes to make him as comfortable as possible, maybe leave a piece of clothing for him to lie on, some food if that is what you normally do, and he will probably be very content until you return.

Thank you for that. I think I need some reassurance at the moment that it’s okay and he will be okay but I already felt guilty leaving him for work Monday-Friday but now I know what I know it’s just so much worse. I will definitely use that idea of the piece of clothing, that’s great thank you so much!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Maybe if these vets are too far away, they would be willing to offer consultation via teleconference? Ther are several others listed as well. If you search for them, you might find the ones closest to you.
Veterinary Oncology (rvc.ac.uk)
Pet Oncology | Cancer Care Service | Davies Veterinary Specialists (vetspecialists.co.uk)
Veterinary Oncology - Surrey Cancer Research Institute
51 Veterinary Surgeons found who are Specialists in Oncology - Find A Vet (rcvs.org.uk)

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I would definitely see a specialist. I agree with you that surgery probably wouldn’t be in your cats best interest, but there are medications that can help to shrink the mass and hopefully give a good quality of life. But, you need a specialist for that.