Enlarged Spleen?

[silent meowlook]

I am so sorry. Adenocarcinoma is a nasty horrible aggressive cancer, from what I have seen. It isn’t like lymphoma, which can usually be managed.

Honestly, it doesn’t seem like she would be a good surgical candidate with how poorly she has been doing. Although you could have a feeding tube placed, I still don’t think ( but don’t know) that it would go well.

It is so unfair that she get this at such a young age especially. But, it does happen.

It’s just a bad cancer to have.

I think you have made the kindest decision you can, given the circumstances. I am so sorry.

 

[fionasmom]

My last GSD developed an anal adenocarcinoma in his older age. I elected not to treat it in any way and to keep him comfortable until it was time to let him go.

I am so sorry that this has happened to Rocket and to you and Cosmos.

 

[Jabzilla]

Thank you Fionasmom and Silent Meowlook. It's so horrible and unfair, yet nothing can be done about it. I have Rocket back home at least, which is nice. She's hiding under the bed but just knowing she's here helps. Cosmos has stopped his almost constant meowing since his sister was gone, but he's also kept himself a bit at a distance from her. I've filled out a form for a local at home euthanasia and am waiting to hear back from them on when they'll be able to take care of her. It's possible she may not make it until whenever they can arrive though, as this morning's update was that her heart rate is now slower than normal. We'll see how it goes. I have questions about feline grief since this is the first time I've had two cats at one time, but I'll make a new thread for that.

 

[fionasmom]

Just spend time with her and make her as comfortable as possible, whatever that means for her. Cosmos probably understands that something is different with his sister. No doubt home is exactly where she wants to be.

 

[stephanietx]

Thank you Fionasmom and Silent Meowlook. It's so horrible and unfair, yet nothing can be done about it. I have Rocket back home at least, which is nice. She's hiding under the bed but just knowing she's here helps. Cosmos has stopped his almost constant meowing since his sister was gone, but he's also kept himself a bit at a distance from her. I've filled out a form for a local at home euthanasia and am waiting to hear back from them on when they'll be able to take care of her. It's possible she may not make it until whenever they can arrive though, as this morning's update was that her heart rate is now slower than normal. We'll see how it goes. I have questions about feline grief since this is the first time I've had two cats at one time, but I'll make a new thread for that.

I hate cancer and I hate that it affects our kitties. It's not fair for them or for us as owners. Big hugs to you and Rocket as you go through this.

 

[Jabzilla]

Since coming home yesterday, Rocket has been spending the vast majority of her time hiding in her brother's carrier under the bed. She ate maybe 1/2 of a spoonful of canned salmon last night, despite all of her medications. If she doesn't want to eat, I'm not going to try to make her since these are her last days. When I woke up this morning, I pulled the carrier out to see if she was still with us. Rocket climbed out and jumped onto the bed for some pets and love. After getting her medication, she's been back in the carrier. I've read a bunch of posts on here about grief, both from cats and people and found them very helpful. <3 Rocket's in home euthanasia is scheduled for tomorrow morning around 11. Thank you everyone for the help and support as the three of us go through this! I didn't know about The Cat Site back when I lost my previous cat to heart failure and had to grieve alone. Being able to read folks stories here has been very cathartic and I feel significantly less alone now than I did when I lost Jubilee in 2016.

 

[fionasmom]

I would let her do whatever seems to make her comfortable. I agree that forcing anything at this point is not worth it and not going to make her feel better.

Please let us know how you are.

 

[Jabzilla]

Rocket's euthanasia has been cancelled for now. She is up and about today, meowing jumping on the bed and cat tree. She even vocally asked for and ate a little bit of food on her own w/o any medication. I also got a copy of her medical records this morning and saw that it says suspected adenocarcinoma/carcinoma. So we're going to a clinic today that provides oncology services for a second opinion. I also suspect she's allergic to Mirtazapine. The transdermal version made her ears red and flaky, and once that was stopped the skin returned to normal. Her eating this morning w/o having received Mirtazapine makes me wonder if the oral version was also causing a problem. I know for humans, if you're allergic to a drug you don't just take it in a different form. I'll ask about that at her appointment this afternoon. I'm also going to ask what, if anything can be done to change that suspected into a definite yes or no for the adenocarcinoma/carcinoma.

 

[fionasmom]

You are doing the absolute right thing to have Rocket reassessed and I certainly hope that you receive some positive news!

 

[Jabzilla]

For the cat tax. Rocket is on the bottom and Cosmos is on top. I even saw her grooming this morning too.

 

[Jabzilla]

You are doing the absolute right thing to have Rocket reassessed and I certainly hope that you receive some positive news!

Thank you, I hope so too!

 

[stephanietx]

I'm glad she's perked up!

 

[barbb]

Thank you Silent Meowlook and Fiona'sMom. Rocket's brother, Cosmos, has been sedated many times for x rays, ultrasounds, and to have his prolapse put back in when it was bad. None of those times resulted in an enlarged spleen. I've called the vet and asked for a copy of the lab work, the name of the drugs used to sedate Rocket, and a referral to the local internal med specialist. I gave Rocket her Cerenia this morning and she still won't eat. Hopefully she will do so in an hour or two, since the vet said that's how long Cerenia takes to kick in,

I’m sorry I did not see your entire thread. I’m so sorry this has happened to you. I have lost several kitties to lymphoma, but I am glad that your kitty is reacting well to the medications, and that this up and down journey is on and up for now. And glad to hear that Rocket is doing OK all things considered. I bet this has been a whirlwind for you based on all the events that have happened in such a short time!

 

[Jabzilla]

It most definitely has been a whirlwind! Rocket's appointment for today was rescheduled for tomorrow because the vet who was supposed to see her called in sick. So fingers crossed there will be more info tomorrow evening! In the meantime, Rocket has eaten more food today than she has since being home and on some of her hospital days. It isn't much, half to one full spoonful of food multiple times a day but its better than her refusing to eat entirely. She didn't hide in the carrier under the bed and asked for and ate a small amount of dinner too. She's currently resting on the top part of the floor to ceiling cat tree. Rocket also pooped and peed today. No diarrhea, just a small poop. It had some blood on it though which wasn't surprising due to the inflammation.

The vet she's going to tomorrow has one of the few minimally invasive surgical suites in the province, so I'm going to ask him if that would be an option for a biopsy to send in for a histology to turn the suspected cancer into a definite yes or no. I also would like to find out what stage the cancer is in if it is a definite yes. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, I also continue to suspect the Mirtazapine was adding to the problem, based on her reaction to the transdermal version and the fact that she's eaten more food today without it than she has with it since coming home and during the last few days of her hospital stay.

 

[Jabzilla]

Ok, a quick update on Rocket. She’s staying at the clinic overnight for fluids and in the morning the vet will do a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure to see if there’s a cancerous mass in her intestine. What happens will depend on what he sees when he goes in there. If he finds a mass, he’ll remove it and send it to the lab. If there isn’t a mass, he’ll take some tissue samples for biopsy and send them to the lab. He said that’s the only way to get 100% diagnosis on whether or not Rocket has cancer and if so, what kind and how bad. He said it’s possible that she has FIP, severe IBD, or a nasty infection if it isn’t cancer. I should hear back on his findings tomorrow afternoon.

 

[silent meowlook]

I’m sorry you and Rocket are going through this.

I thought samples were already sent to the lab and it came back as adenocarcinoma? Were those only cytology?

If you have a copy of the lab report, could you post it.

Both your cats are so beautiful!!!

Is this new veterinarian a DVM? Or are there additional letters after his name? Is anyone with Rocket tonight at the hospital?

I hope to hear that everything went well and she doesn’t have cancer.

 

[Jabzilla]

I’m sorry you and Rocket are going through this.

I thought samples were already sent to the lab and it came back as adenocarcinoma? Were those only cytology?

If you have a copy of the lab report, could you post it.

Both your cats are so beautiful!!!

Is this new veterinarian a DVM? Or are there additional letters after his name? Is anyone with Rocket tonight at the hospital?

I hope to hear that everything went well and she doesn’t have cancer.

Yes, the samples sent to the lab were cytology from a FNA. The new vet is a BVSc. I had to look that up since I’d never heard of it before. It looks like BVSc is the Australian equivalent from a DVM. The vet went to school in Sydney so that makes sense.

Thank you for the well wishes too! I am too afraid to hope it isn’t cancer, even though the vet mentioned other things it could be. But I do feel positive that something is actually being done to try to help. And yes, someone was there monitoring her overnight. I warned them about giving her too much fluids and that the team at the ER had reduced how much she was getting once they found the B lines.

 

[stephanietx]

Is this the previous lab result?

 

[Jabzilla]

Is this the previous lab result?

Yes, those are the FNA cytology results. I haven't gotten an update yet about today's procedure.

 

[stephanietx]

I hope you get good news!