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My 16 year old cat had been rapidly declining and I made an emergency vet visit.
Back in March he had been urinating frequently and getting vomiting and some blood in diarrhea, also losing weight. The vets found nothing wrong.
Two weeks who I noticed my cat had trouble eating and barely ate for days, and he had become skin and bones, so I made a vet appointment. The vet felt his stomach and felt a mass. He used to be 18 pound two years ago and was now 6 pounds. He had an ultrasound done and they found a lymphoma mass I believe located in the bowel area.
I cannot afford cells taken to test for cancer or any chemo/surgery so at this point I’m just trying to keep him comfortable. He had an injection of Cerenia last week and the next day he began eating and drinking vigorously holding the food down and seemed much happier. He gained 4 pounds in two weeks.
My vet had prescribed him prednisolone 1 ml liquid twice a day to start and said he suggests he stays on the steroid the rest of his life. He mentioned this could help decrease swelling in the bowel or possibly the mass and help his appetite but nothing can cure the cancer which I knew. However I read the long term side effects of steroids especially in older cats are scary, and could lead to other scary side effects or make him feel sicker. I’m not sure I want to put him through that knowing it won’t cure him. He is mostly an outdoor cat and I cannot afford monthly testing to make sure the steroids aren’t negatively affecting his organs so it’s very risky to do this to him. The vet mentioned because this is a digestive issue the steroids could even make him eat so much it further irritates the bowel causing vomiting and weight loss, which is the last thing he needs.
I was also given liquid cerenia to mix in wet
as I can’t pill or inject him reliably. So far from what I saw if he is uninterested in eating giving a dose of this (as needed) might allow him to keep eating and put on weight, he seems happier and healthier after the injection of it already. I know it won’t help the mass or cancer, but I don’t see many side effects from it and if he can have a happy quality of life instead of feeling sick from steroids wouldn’t that be better for him? I never gave liquid cerenia yet so I don’t know if side effects are same as injection form?
I’m having a hard time deciding to experiment with steroids or only give cerenia as needed, I hate that my cat has cancer but due to my financial hardships, him mostly being outdoors, and the diagnosis I’m very limited in what I can do for treatments. I thought it’s quality, not quantity of life that is better and as long as he is eating, walking, bathroom, and acting mostly typical that’s ok, but if he no longer can eat or is in severe pain than I know euthanasia is the humane option.
I added his vet results below.
Back in March he had been urinating frequently and getting vomiting and some blood in diarrhea, also losing weight. The vets found nothing wrong.
Two weeks who I noticed my cat had trouble eating and barely ate for days, and he had become skin and bones, so I made a vet appointment. The vet felt his stomach and felt a mass. He used to be 18 pound two years ago and was now 6 pounds. He had an ultrasound done and they found a lymphoma mass I believe located in the bowel area.
I cannot afford cells taken to test for cancer or any chemo/surgery so at this point I’m just trying to keep him comfortable. He had an injection of Cerenia last week and the next day he began eating and drinking vigorously holding the food down and seemed much happier. He gained 4 pounds in two weeks.
My vet had prescribed him prednisolone 1 ml liquid twice a day to start and said he suggests he stays on the steroid the rest of his life. He mentioned this could help decrease swelling in the bowel or possibly the mass and help his appetite but nothing can cure the cancer which I knew. However I read the long term side effects of steroids especially in older cats are scary, and could lead to other scary side effects or make him feel sicker. I’m not sure I want to put him through that knowing it won’t cure him. He is mostly an outdoor cat and I cannot afford monthly testing to make sure the steroids aren’t negatively affecting his organs so it’s very risky to do this to him. The vet mentioned because this is a digestive issue the steroids could even make him eat so much it further irritates the bowel causing vomiting and weight loss, which is the last thing he needs.
I was also given liquid cerenia to mix in wet
as I can’t pill or inject him reliably. So far from what I saw if he is uninterested in eating giving a dose of this (as needed) might allow him to keep eating and put on weight, he seems happier and healthier after the injection of it already. I know it won’t help the mass or cancer, but I don’t see many side effects from it and if he can have a happy quality of life instead of feeling sick from steroids wouldn’t that be better for him? I never gave liquid cerenia yet so I don’t know if side effects are same as injection form?
I’m having a hard time deciding to experiment with steroids or only give cerenia as needed, I hate that my cat has cancer but due to my financial hardships, him mostly being outdoors, and the diagnosis I’m very limited in what I can do for treatments. I thought it’s quality, not quantity of life that is better and as long as he is eating, walking, bathroom, and acting mostly typical that’s ok, but if he no longer can eat or is in severe pain than I know euthanasia is the humane option.
I added his vet results below.
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