Felv And Tumors

[Toadywot]

My Rambo, a 7-year-old Russian Blue, was finally diagnosed as having FeLV by an awesome vet, whom I went to when the local vets couldn’t determine what was wrong with him. This vet knew right off what was wrong by the description of his symptoms. He sent us home with a bag of Science Diet and I dropped the canned food....his stools firmed right up and the gosh-awful stench that accompanied it. Currently he eats Nutrish and IAMS.

But another problem appeared. He developed a lump that grew to golf ball size in a very short time and it was surgically removed five weeks ago and diagnosed as a fibroid sarcoma, a very aggressive cancer. When we returned to have Rambo’s sutures removed, the vet gave him a through exam and detected no more tumors, but warned us another tumor was likely to form. And one did....I just didn’t expect it to be so soon after removal of the first one.

I’m faced with two choices....do I take him to vet and have the tumors removed as they appear ($650) or cease veterinary treatment altogether, take him home and allow the tumors to grow, then have him put down when it’s time? He is very active and shows no sign of illness....I love this cat and my heart is breaking.

 

[Willowy]

What tests were done? Do you know how he got FeLV? (Most kittens born with it barely make a couple of years.) I'm a wee bit suspicious of a vet that recommends a cat---especially an older male, especially one with a chronic illness---eat dry food only.

FeLV is usually very fast-progressing once symptoms start, so that decision may be out of your hands. I would have a serious consultation with your vet about how he expects things to go in the future, and that might help you make the decision whether to pursue treatment or palliative care.

 

[Toadywot]

What tests were done? Do you know how he got FeLV? (Most kittens born with it barely make a couple of years.) I'm a wee bit suspicious of a vet that recommends a cat---especially an older male, especially one with a chronic illness---eat dry food only.

FeLV is usually very fast-progressing once symptoms start, so that decision may be out of your hands. I would have a serious consultation with your vet about how he expects things to go in the future, and that might help you make the decision whether to pursue treatment or palliative care.

The vet didn’t instruct me to stop the canned food, that was my choice. Neither cat actually ate the canned food, they just licked the sauce out. I give Rambo lickey treats three times a week and he drinks plenty of water.

I don’t have any idea as to how he came to have FeLV....I got him at PetSense when he was seven weeks old. He was diagnosed with FeLV close to three years ago; it was my understanding then that I would not have him much longer. He is still very active and if you didn’t know better, you’d think he was at peak health. I’ve ceased the regular cat treats (Temptations) because that seemed to be all he wanted.

When the vet excised the first tumor and removed the stitches, he felt things looked really good and that I could stop looking for a grave marker. I WAS warned that chances of future tumors reappearing was high, but I dearly love this fur baby. All has gone quite well until this past Saturday when I found the second lump. Through all of this Rambo has retained his energy and actually has become more active. He plays fetch, he does acrobats, plays with Sissy and leaves from the floor to my arms to get a treat, gives kisses, sits, rolls over. Nothing you’d expect from a sick cat. I mean, look at this....does he even act sick?

Well, I tried sending three video but was told they were too large.

 

[Willowy]

Is there a veterinary oncologist you can consult with? Fibrosarcoma is difficult even if the cat doesn't have FeLV so you want to make sure you talk to the best source.

 

[Toadywot]

Is there a veterinary oncologist you can consult with? Fibrosarcoma is difficult even if the cat doesn't have FeLV so you want to make sure you talk to the best source.

He definitely has FeLV and the vet told me that most cats with it makes them more susceptible to the the virus. I don’t know how or where Rambo contracted it; he was an inside-outside cat till he had the first tumor excised. He doesn’t seem uncomfortable, though he’s not eating as much. He’s still active and my husband flatly said there will be no euthanasia as long as he’s not in pain. I’ve counted the presence of two very large sarcomas as well as well felt five more.

I also don’t want to take him to the vet for the inevitable. For whatever reason, Rambo finds it traumatic and I don’t want him to spend his last minutes like that. My preference would be that he simply pass away here, at home, and happy. I also searched for a DYI method and came across helium. There’s an organization called Laps of Love that I’m considering, who send qualified people to the pet’s home and gently easing the animals from this world to the next. But Rambo hates strangers as well.

I would really love to hear thoughts on this matter. I don’t know what I can do. How to do anything. The vet gave him three months, lessened it to two. My husband flat out put his foot down...no euthanization unless he’s suffering. At the present, he is his usual self....playing and running around Sissy (cat), throwing a toy mouse around. You’d never know anything was wrong, except for the steadily growing tumors.

 

[Toadywot]

What tests were done? Do you know how he got FeLV? (Most kittens born with it barely make a couple of years.) I'm a wee bit suspicious of a vet that recommends a cat---especially an older male, especially one with a chronic illness---eat dry food only.

FeLV is usually very fast-progressing once symptoms start, so that decision may be out of your hands. I would have a serious consultation with your vet about how he expects things to go in the future, and that might help you make the decision whether to pursue treatment or palliative care.

I don’t know how Rambo got FeLV but I’ll give the vet a call to find out. I’ve read that the tumors usually start at an injection site. He was diagnosed as having it in August 2018. We’ve had the consultation you referred to....he gave Rambo three months to live.

No need to be suspicious....the vet didn’t recommend dry food only. That was my decision and I always have fresh water available. Rambo doesn’t exactly eat the canned food....he licks all the sauce off it, but never eats the food itself. Not for the first time, I wish someone would make an entire can of sauce for cats...no shreds, no bits, just sauce. I’ve tried making a sauce from gravy mix....total failure that was. Tried canned/bottled gravy....another fail. Gerber baby chicken/turkey meat. He’s pretty much existing on treats....I haven’t the heart to say no to him, especially when he reaches a paw to my face to bring it down to his for a kiss. Tried boiled chicken. Boiled chicken livers. Nothing, nope, nada....he turns his nose up every time.

So....therein lies my dilemma. I think it would be best to put him down now before the tumors start ulcerating. He’s losing weight and the tumors grow bigger by the day.

Rambo has not had a rabies shot since being diagnosed. I’m not sure why the vet won’t give him one, but I’ll bring that up when I call him. He said to keep Rambo and Sissy apart, which is impossible to do, short of tossing one of them into a room and shutting the door. Sissy has had the FeLV inoculation.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am so sorry for what is happening to Rambo and you. I wish I had some 'magic bullet' to help out, but I don't. What I did want to suggest was for you to try canned tuna in water or even canned chicken in water. If you buy the chunky (not albacore) tuna and mix it well with the water, it turns into almost a slurry - maybe that would somewhat mimic sauce enough. It did for Feeby when she was going through some issues - she doesn't eat anything with any chunkiness in it. You could also try Beech Nut baby food meat to see if that might make a difference. Also, if you look around you can find Gerber baby food meat made with ham or beef. I am not sure if Beech Nut has ham, but they do have chicken, turkey, and beef.

Also, talk to the Laps of Love about if it would be possible to bring someone into your house multiple times so that Rambo could get used to them. At first a quick visit, then some that are a bit longer, etc. I don' even know if that is possible, and if it were it might be kind of pricey.

Lastly, consider talking to the vet about CBD oil down the road, should Rambo start to show signs of pain.

Feeby (15+ yo) is an indoor cat, but she hasn't had a rabies shot in years and years. So, since Rambo is inside now, I wouldn't even worry about it.

 

[Toadywot]

Hi. I am so sorry for what is happening to Rambo and you. I wish I had some 'magic bullet' to help out, but I don't. What I did want to suggest was for you to try canned tuna in water or even canned chicken in water. If you buy the chunky (not albacore) tuna and mix it well with the water, it turns into almost a slurry - maybe that would somewhat mimic sauce enough. It did for Feeby when she was going through some issues - she doesn't eat anything with any chunkiness in it. You could also try Beech Nut baby food meat to see if that might make a difference. Also, if you look around you can find Gerber baby food meat made with ham or beef. I am not sure if Beech Nut has ham, but they do have chicken, turkey, and beef.

Also, talk to the Laps of Love about if it would be possible to bring someone into your house multiple times so that Rambo could get used to them. At first a quick visit, then some that are a bit longer, etc. I don' even know if that is possible, and if it were it might be kind of pricey.

Lastly, consider talking to the vet about CBD oil down the road, should Rambo start to show signs of pain.

Feeby (15+ yo) is an indoor cat, but she hasn't had a rabies shot in years and years. So, since Rambo is inside now, I wouldn't even worry about it.

Hi and thanks for the time you’re giving me. I will definitely try the tuna, but he seems to know his food has been diluted....I’ve tried it by adding a little water to canned foot, but the look he gives me plainly asks what kind of fool do I think he is. I’m going to try putting a can of Friskies Shreds with Sauce and put it in a mincer chopper, even though he has yet to eat ground food of any kind. I wish Tender Vittles were still available.

I’ve tried the baby food meat and chicken already. Hartz has a product called Delectables that are in a squeeze tube and he really loves it, but basically it’s a treat, not a basis for a healthy diet.

I thought of Laps of Love and rejected it.....Rambo dislikes strangers and hides till they’re gone. I believe it would be just a traumatic as a trip to the vet.

Okay, update (I didn’t finish in time to post last night): Rambo is in bad shape this morning and it’s clear the time has come. I don’t want to let him go, but I know I have to. So I’m going to spend this day focused on him. If he wants to be held and walked like a baby, which he loves, I’ll do it all day if he wants. I’m already in tears. Most people don’t understand the emotions, the hurt and the pain, of losing a beloved pet...”it’s just a cat, get over it” but I know no one on this site holds that viewpoint. I’m calling the vet in the morning, do what I need to do, bring him home and lay him to rest under the old oak tree with the five other pets God saw fit to bless me with in the past.

Thank you everyone, for your support.

 

[Toadywot]

Rambo crossed the Rainbow Bridge this past Tuesday. It was by far one of the five worst days of my life. Totally agonizing. I’ve cried more in the past week than in my whole life combined. My father’s death in 1975 wasn’t THIS bad. It hurt, God, did it hurt. The worst was when the vet picked him up by the scruff of the neck, put him on the table with his back to me to give him a sedative. Never have I heard a cat scream like that. I screamed just as loud, hands over my ears, stomping my feet and even kicked the vet, but I was just.....hearing that scream. I brought this on him and I feel horrible. I miss him so much....can’t talk about him without crying. Yeah, some may laugh it up....just a cat, right? Not to me, he’s not.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your support.

 

[FeebysOwner]

RIP little Rambo.

 

[Toadywot]

I miss him so much....

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[Pouncecat1]

sorry for your loss.

Cancer is usually do to a genetic mutation of some kind. I went through this with my Isabelle last year and had 2 surgeries. I don't think the second surgery helped because the cancer came back at the surgery site immediately afterwards. Now one of my other cats has been diagnosed with lymphoma (6 month estimated survival). He had no risk factors so the diagnosis was a real shock- only risk factor was his age (10 yrs).

If you have animals, you are going to lose some to cancer. It is not your fault. This is just life, unfortunately. I adopted hamsters as a child from a friend, both developed very aggressive tumors before they were even a year old. My first set of gerbils all died of cancer as well (genetic basis). My second set of gerbils all lived very long lives (4 yrs) and never had cancer at all. I was breeding gerbils at this point and had multiple generations with no cancer at all. Genetics is such a strong component, especially with cancer. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.

Obviously viral infection (FIV, FELV) increases your risk of the cat getting cancer, but most cats that test positive are already infected before adoption, in which case this was not your fault.

My friend has Rotweilers and apparently the breed is extremely prone to osteosarcoma. She just adopted one and owned it for less than a year before it developed cancer and had to be pts. The sweetest dog too. That's about her 4th Rottie to develop cancer. She has adopted another one, but for the life of me, I can't imagine why someone would put themselves through the repeated heartbreak of getting a breed prone to cancer. It's bad enough when it is random. The first 2 dogs she had, she tried aggressive treatments, all to no avail. She works at the vet school and has access to the most advanced medical treatment you could hope for and it is not enough.

Again sorry for your loss. You cannot blame yourself. None of this is your fault.