Cat With Abdominal Tumor

[pcarpe]

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving,

I am looking for advice. My 13 year old boy was diagnosed with an abdominal tumor. His symptoms are weakness, poor appetite, weight loss and vomiting. My vet does not recommend me seek a specialist to potentially have it removed - he believes I will be putting the cat through painful procedures that will not buy him much more time. It was also not diagnosed using ultrasound. We had another cat that had an abdominal tumor that, regrettably, we put through an ultrasound diagnoses and chemotherapy that only made his last few months very uncomfortable. We vowed never to do that again.

My question to the group is that would it be worthwhile to have him looked at through ultrasound to see if it can be removed? I wont do chemo. I know that if I search I can can find someone to do surgery on him, but I do not want to put his remaining time on this earth to be painful. I am already heartbroken.

Thank you,
Paul

 

[duckpond]

This is a very personal decision. I think i would want the diagnoses, just to be sure if it is or is not cancer. I can understand not wanting to do chemo. However i would want to know, if its a tumor that can be surgical removed and no chemo needed it might give him several more happy, healthy years?
Sending you guys the best wish i have, which ever way you end up deciding! Hugs

 

[pcarpe]

Thank you for the reply. My vet did exploratory surgery and did not think it was operable - this was last week. He told me that the tumor is attached to his pancreas and intermingled with blood vessels. He also did not recommend seeking a specialty vet as he felt that any type of surgery would more than likely not be successful and may make that last remaining time on this earth a living hell. That would kill me. I feel I need to exhaust all possibilities before giving into the inevitable. I am completely torn on what to do.

Believe it or not, I am 46 and have not had experienced any loss, so this is my first one and is tearing me apart. It is all I think about and can't enjoy anything, especially the holidays.

-Paul

 

[SusieCookie]

Thank you for the reply. My vet did exploratory surgery and did not think it was operable - this was last week. He told me that the tumor is attached to his pancreas and intermingled with blood vessels. He also did not recommend seeking a specialty vet as he felt that any type of surgery would more than likely not be successful and may make that last remaining time on this earth a living hell. That would kill me. I feel I need to exhaust all possibilities before giving into the inevitable. I am completely torn on what to do.

Believe it or not, I am 46 and have not had experienced any loss, so this is my first one and is tearing me apart. It is all I think about and can't enjoy anything, especially the holidays.

-Paul

I am so sorry to hear about this. That is heartbreaking, and I can imagine that it makes it hard to enjoy the holidays. My heart goes out to you, I understand what that is like. Just know you aren't alone. ♡