My Lola Has Mammary Cancer

tyreebruce · Apr 24, 2016

I was just going to let you all know, my Shadow passed this morning.

I knew it would be soon, if she hadn't passed by MOnday we were going to take her in. She ate increasingly small amounts and drank little. I honestly don't remember seeing her make a bowel movement in a week. I removed the cat box Friday from our room because she just wasn't going in there. Saturday she got up and ventured into the room next to me and collapsed there. There is a cat box in there but there is also one in the hall right outside my room. She had gone there last night and laid there sort of gasping for air, not purring, eyes open but she calmed down and we carefully took her back to where she had been staying. I had been the up at night person with her and we decided to leave her last night..at 2 am I left her and went to bed, and checked on her at 7, nothing had changed. She refused food, she refused water, and since she was on a blanket, we decided to bring her into my room by sort of pulling the blanket. She was OK, but decided to pee she got up and went behind the computer I have on the floor here...I think she had a stroke or heart attack at that time and just collapsed gasping, open mouth breathing. FINALLY, she just did a couple sharp gasps, and shook a tiny bit and she was gone.

OH..ON Friday night (not sure if I posted this) I noticed her tumors were very sore looking, oozing, and I got some peroxide and a warm wet rag with some gently soup..as well as another rag with mild soup and warm water..I put peroxide on the ooze and gently cleansed the tumor area. She was pretty alert and seemed to actually get some relief so, I laid the rag on her abdomen and she really seemed to like that. I then gave her a small little clean up because her hair had been so matted, and she had some odor. She couldn't clean herself any longer so I figured she would like that.

Honestly, if any of you end up with a BIG ozzy tumor, I think there may be something to putting a cool wet rag on the abdomen or over the tumor..it really did seemt to make her feel good. She looked at me very alert after that and slept peacefully at that time..all hell broke loose the next day though. I still wish I knew where she was trying to go. We were both worried she would become confused and fall down the stairs so we had to stay up with her.

We found a basket/box and created a lid, she is now buried under a HUGE tree in the shade overlooking the farm next door. It is a BEAUTIFUL spot, and it is where we look each night as the sunsets. I don't know if any of you saw the campaign for the bee's last year they sent out a thing of mixed wildflower seeds. I couldn't find a spot to plant them till now. I am going to plant them over her and we are going to make a small memorial stone or plaque for her..

SO, I am wishing all of you the very best with your kitties. I am going to miss my girl in so many ways. She is irreplaceable. I am gonna miss her climbing up and riding on my shoulders, I am gonna miss her sleeping on the pillow above my head and waking me up for kitty snacks...I am gonna miss coming up to the room on Chicken. or Turkey nights, she LOVES turkey and chicken. I honestly think she liked Thanksgiving as much as we do..and we would NEVER let a meal go by without bringing her some.

I hope when the time comes, none of you have to wonder about if you need to end your kitties suffering, or wait and let them pass gently at home. I only know for certain it WAS her time, I won't have to second guess that one, and also that she never had to face the anixety of a car ride. I promise you, yesterday, she would have passed from the stress alone. I am CERTAIN we did the right thing. Blessings Cat people!!

inanna · Apr 24, 2016

I am very sorry to hear of Shadow's passing. She's at peace now. My thoughts are with you.

therese · Apr 24, 2016

Tyreebruce, my heart is breaking for you, on the loss of Shadow. She was not only a beautiful cat, but it was obviously she was an amazing spirit and there was great love between you two.

My thoughts and prayers are with you both....and thank you so much for sharing this tough journey with all of us. This board is a great blessing for all of us, in good times and bad.

tessie7 · Oct 31, 2016

Therese, do you have an update on how your Lola is doing?

My Tessie had an inflamed nipple removed last week, as well as 2 additional nodules nearby that were found the morning of surgery. I got the diagnosis this morning - mammary papillary carcinoma. The pathology report reads that there are clean margins all around and deep, so praying that all of the cancer was removed. She also had pre-op x-rays and an ultrasound that didn't show anything, so I'm really praying it hasn't reached her lymph nodes yet. I didn't really get a prognosis, per se, nor do I really want to ask (but I should). Vet said I could see an oncologist for a consult, but Tessie may not be a good candidate for it because of her age (10) and the stress of going back and forth may do a number on her (hates her carrier/cars).

She's still recovering and wearing a cone but is in good spirits and the incision looks to be healing well. The news is still sinking in, so not really sure what's next. Considering looking into some holistic things I can do and lower carb food options as cancer feeds on carbs.

Vet said to continue to monitor the mammary chain, and get her checked every 3-6 months. He has removed tumors before and have seen instances where no recurrence happened so I'm hoping that's the case for Tessie. It's all still sinking in and hoping there are some suggestions here of things I should do? I felt ok hanging up the phone with him, but then I started Googling and didn't feel so good....

therese · Oct 31, 2016

Tessie7, thanks for posting. Lola has had " mammary adenocarcinoma." Our regular vet found a lump under one nipple last March. In early April I took her to an Animal Cancer Care Clinic and they opted to do a 'radical chain masectomy" where they took off the teats on one side. From what i understand, it was not real invasive of a surgery ( it wasn't that deep ) but of couse it was not a hangnail, either. ( we had insurance that covered about 70% of all this )

She did quite well and I had to keep her in a giant great dane dog crate for two weeks, b/c she couldn't jump around, then we got the stitches out. Lola is a pretty hardy cat, chubby and calm disposition, age 13. ( see my avatar ) She did quite well and, because she was on pain meds for the two weeks, she was pretty quiet and did well in the crate, ate well and just slept. I was at home for that two week period anyway, so that was good, because it would have been tough to leave her alone for a whole workday.

Unfortunately, the pathology report came back with 'early lymph node involvement,' so they told me regardless, the lumps will come back, often in the neigboring area. They suggested chemo but after doing a lot of study, reading the cat boards (including here ) and talking to my regular general practitioner vet ( very wise, holistic and western medicine, been in business 40 years ) we opted to not do the chemo. It would have stretched her life expectancy out a few months, but in her case ( NOTE: this is NOT to say chemo isn't the right thing for other cats, just LOLA ) she would have been sick and although its fine for some cats, we decided not to go that route. I am not saying its not good for some cats to do chemo, it just wasn't something we chose to do ( we have insurance so it wasn't about money, either ) She bounced back from the surgery, eats, is activve and you wouldn't know she is sick.

Six months later, she is doing quite well. She gets regular check ups and so far, so good. Depending on how she does, I am hoping that she makes it another six months or more....but the lymph node involvement of course, is a big deterrent to her longevity. As she has gotten older, her hardy appetite is waning a little ( even long before the cancer ) so she is on Mirtazapine every three days to keep her appetite and weight up.

I have read many places that, if a cat doesn't have the lymph node involvement, and they get the lumps removed, they can live a year or two. Or longer. The key is the lymph node involvement, apparently.

If I were you..... I would take my records and go visit the veterinary oncologist in your area....its worth a drive and all they will charge you for is the office visit. They will need all the labs, etc. but I think it would be worth it to talk to them.

It sounds like you are still not sure of what is going on with your cat and for a few bucks, I would take her to a specialist to make sure....even if you have to drive a distance. You might end up with a better game plan and more clarity than you have now.

And sometimes, they can even do a phone consult, scan her records, and they can at least give you some idea from a specialists point of view, if you guys don't live close to an oncologist. You won't be sorry, because it sounds like she doesn't have lymph node involvement ( I am of course not sure, b/c I am not a doctor ) and they might give you more peace of mind.

If she is a nervous cat, perhaps you can talk to your general practitioner vet and see if they can prescribe a chip of valium for the trip to the oncologist....I had just gone thru Hurricane Matthew here in south Florida and it was the only thing that saved my other cat's nerves ( lola and the dog were cool but my other little boy was a wreck )

If all else fails, go to www.vet.cornell.edu ( the veterinary college of Cornell University ) or Google Cornell Feline Health Center. When you get to that site, under "Health Information" go to "Camuti Consultation Services" .....they have a special consultation service for a small fee, to talk to one of their vets over the phone. This is a very good school and they specialize in cats.

Please keep in touch and let me know how she is doing and I will keep you posted on Lola. P.S. don't let your vet deter you from seeing the oncologist 'because of her age." My lola is 13 and we didn't hesitate to try to extend her life. My last two cats lived until they were 18 each. You owe it to yourself to talk to the oncologist, in my opinion.

therese · Mar 27, 2018

therese said:
Hi Guys...

I don't usually open new threads but I felt that I needed to do this...There is no where else I can go to talk to kind, empathetic cat lovers who have been to hell and back for their cats and will understand my situation.

And I want to add up front that none of these decisions I have to make has to do with money, because we have very good insurance on my cat, with a cancer rider. Its about a cancer guessing game and ultimately her quality of life.

My 13 year old kitty Lola ( see avatar, when she was a little younger) had a small 1.5 Cm ( very small ) cancerous mass, a mammary tumor, on one nipple, that we discovered a month ago.

( btw she was spayed at 8 weeks old, so she doesn't fall into the category of a late or adult spay, which can sometimes contribute to this mammary cancer in cats ) She has been a healthy beautiful indoor cat for years, gotten the best of love and care and is a very sturdy, loving little girl.

We went to the veterinary oncologist and the oncologist's board certified vet surgeon did a radical chain mastectomy on one side. It sounds like a lot but it was just the skin, didn't involve muscles etc. and was less invasive than a spay. So in two weeks she has almost healed up.

Its amazing how fast she bounced back. We had to keep her in a giant dog crate with her bed and portable litter box for two weeks, but she had the stitches out today and she is doing remarkably well. She is eating well, etc. And in a good mood.

But I am just heartsick. I have had her since she was two months old and of all my cats over the years, she has been my favorite. She is fine, doesn't know she is basically dying and I am sitting here crying my eyes out.

Her diagnosis is Adenocarcinoma with some "early lymph node involvement" in one node ( the one they removed ) Unlike with people and dogs, most cat mammary tumors are aggressive and take them down a lot faster.

The oncologist said that although the tumor was small and we got it early, because of the lymph node involvement, the protocol is chemo.....one treatment of adrimycin chemo every three weeks for five weeks. If we had no lymph involvement, she would be at stage 2 but b/c of the lymph situation, she is a stage 3.

I am very mixed about whether or not to have this chemo because I understand that without chemo, she has a chance of it coming back within 4-6 months, possibly in the same area, like a nipple on the other side ( at which point she said that we might just be able to remove the mass and keep going, at that point ) or , on the other hand, we could find that in four-six months, rather than presenting as another small tumor, it could simply have spread to her lungs, which is a death sentence.

In the literature I have read, the likelihood of it recurring at the same area ( the other side chain of nipples or one nipple ) is the usual case, but its all a guessing game, because of the shortage of real numbers and research on this with cats.

But with the chemo, she said that Lola has a 50-50 chance of living six months or 50-50 living a year or more, its like a roll of the dice. And I am not seeing that the chemo is really increasing her odds significantly, for the side-effects etc. that will cause her to be sick.

So I am not hearing any survival numbers that are much better than skipping the chemo and just monitoring her. And as far as tolerating the chemo, I guess every cat is different.

I wouldn't hesitate to try the chemo if I could get a couple years for her, but to put her thru that, when it might give her a few more months or not, and have this cat be sick all the time during this, I am not sure what to do.

And although the oncologist says that 'most cats tolerate the chemo pretty well,' I have read entries on this site with people whose cat had the chemo and it was a rough roller coaster, not eating, etc. and the cat didn't live but a few months longer and was sick most of the time. If we only have six months, I want her to be happy and feel ok.

And unfortunately, there is not much literature or studies on this situation from the universities and journal articles, which the doctor agreed. I pulled the best of the stuff from the university sites, etc. and for the little studies that have been done, its like I said, with or without chemo, it seems to be a no-guarantee crap shoot. And at least, imho, skipping the chemo will give her quality of life for the time she has life. And I can keep praying that she has a year or more. Miracles do happen, I guess.

My inclination is to leave her alone, just have her checked out by our primary vet on a monthly basis and see what happens. Which the oncologist said is the other option, although she pushes for chemo b/c that is the protocol. Lola is 15 pounds, eats very well and is a solid sizeable cat with a hearty disposition. I just don't want to put her thru the chemo but I am on the fence.

I haven't seen a lot on this site about this issue, but I remember reading a few posts of where they did the chemo and where they didn't do it.

I am just looking for any feedback that anyone can give me, be it regarding their cat or even someone else they know that had to deal with this. I am still thinking about chemo or not chemo....I am at a loss right now.

Thanks for any imput.

therese · Mar 27, 2018

Hi guys...just to give an update...its two years later and my LOLA is still going strong ! Her tumor was very small and we had the chain masectomy...and we bring her back for checkups every two-three months. I have her on a good canned, grain free diet ( blue basics grain free turkey and potato...she likes the kitten version which is a little higher fat. Fingers crossed and no re-occurence yet. We decided against the chemo, we had insurance for it, but my holistic vet and myself decided not to put her thru that. She is going to be 17 at the end of the summer....every day is a gift. She is eating well, bouncy and no problems, I am happy to say.

Antonio65 · Mar 27, 2018

Hi

therese , I had never read your thread before because I joined later than your last post.
Lola was also the name of my Rainbow Bridge cat (the one in my profile photo), who defeated two cancers in her life and lost to the third. She left me a few weeks shy of her 17th birthday. I do hope your Lola will be 27!
I'm glad she's much better, hopefully this bad exprience will be a thing of the past.

Your Lola sounds as strong as mine, maybe there's somthing in the name.
A big kiss to Lola!!!

therese · Mar 11, 2020

Its March 2020 and I have not be visiting this wonderful site as much as I wanted to ....but I wanted to let you guys know that my Lola died Jan. 2019, so with the chain masectomy and no chemo, she lived almost three years of total health, she ate well, was her bouncy happy self......then in the end, it spread to her lungs and she died within a couple of months after that. I am not sorry I had the surgery due to we had insurance and we were very lucky because they said without chemo she would live only 4 months, which was not the case.... I think that every one of these cases is very individual, but I wanted to do a final follow up on Lola...its been 14 months since we lost her.... and I now have two, very cute, one year year old kittens that I rescued, but Lola was one of a kind and she is sorely missed.

Antonio65 · Mar 11, 2020

therese said:
its been 14 months since we lost her.... and I now have two, very cute, one year year old kittens that I rescued, but Lola was one of a kind and she is sorely missed.

Your pain is mine, believe me.
First because it's always so sad to lose a lovely pet.
Second because you lost her to a cancer, that is what took away my Lola from me.
Third because that name is stab in my heart.
I'm so close to you now, I hug you and kiss your Lola. She is sitting on a soft cloud and looking down on you, to thank you how good a cat mom you have been to her. She couldn't ask for more, and because she knows how good you are, she sent you two lovely rescue kittens.

I know you will never forget Lola, she was one in the world, one in the universe.

RIP Lola :bawling2:

therese · Mar 11, 2020

Thank you for your kind sentiments, Antonio65....we both have Lola Angels now, looking over us.

My Lola Has Mammary Cancer

tyreebruce

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inanna

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therese

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tessie7

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therese

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therese

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Antonio65

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