Sick Kitty Help

[John Malcolm]

Jack is a 17 pound 12 yo Siamese-ish neutered Tom. He's the smartest cat I've ever met, and we'd hate to lose him. He's not himself lately. Do cats get colds?

He's normally active and sociable, with a ravenous appetite and definite routines of mealtimes and lap times, etc. Lately he sits quietly and only nibbles at his food. He purrs but barely when petted. Moving rather slowly and there's a drop of mucous on his nose. Breathing seems OK.

There was a mouse in the house recently, and since then I've found him sitting near where he saw the mouse like he's waiting for it to come out and play. Normally he's waiting for me to get up in the AM so he can get onto the bed, but now I find him downstairs watching the corner where the mouse was.

Is this normal cat blahs or should we fear catastrophe?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!

Lately he sits quietly and only nibbles at his food. He purrs but barely when petted. Moving rather slowly

How long is lately? This is an enormous change in behavior for any cat. Is he losing weight? Have you taken him to the vet?

 

[stephanietx]

Any kind of change in behavior like this warrants a trip to the vet, especially with his age.

 

[John Malcolm]

So... $360 later, the vet thinks it's terminal, probably neoplasm. Physical exam is unremarkable. Labs below. Any clue?

 

[Furballsmom]

terminal,

Although you provided the lab results I don't know what I am looking at although there is this if it's any help
Cat Blood Test Results Explained – Cat Articles
I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I ask, can they determine yet if it's benign? I apologize, I'm not clear what the meaning is of terminal in this context.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Did the Vet say anything else other than possible neoplasm? What kind? Cats take well to chemo, so it's not unheard of to treat them, but naturally you need to find out more. Did they do an ultrasound? Of course, first they need to try to figure out what kind? Some of those figures in the bloodwork may be from dehydration and/or stress, but not all. His RBC and H & H are low, so he's getting close to anemic and I've never seen stress cause that. With bloodwork, ALL the values count, so it's hard to single them out one at a time and say this or that. But you definitely need more info. If they suspect something in a certain spot, an ultrasound should pick it up, then you can opt for a biopsy, then if it comes back positive, talk to an oncologist (yes, they have them for animals) If your Vet did not discuss any options with you and didn't give you any more information, perhaps you should get a second opinion.

In the meantime, here is a link to a site that might help you with the bloodwork: Your Dog And Cat's Blood Chemistry Panel

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Neoplasm can mean many things. The lab results you show would seem to indicate a kidney issue, but there is only way to know for sure - and that is to ask for a consult with the vet. Go over each and every result that is out of range, and ask them to provide you with a detailed explanation of each. There is no universal key when each lab can make abbreviations for the items that were tested, and I have learned through this site (among others) that no two tests are exactly the same. I am particularly intrigued as to why his blood cell counts are low - not always, but many times these counts will be high with cancer.

 

[Jem]

I'm no expert but I would say that Jack is definitely Anemic. Why? who knows. The other lab results point to possibilities such as Diabetes, Renal failure, Dehydration and yes even Cancer.
Is the vet doing or suggesting anything or did he just send you home with "it might be terminal"???

 

[John Malcolm]

The vet and I had an extensive discussion of the possibilities. She wasn't able to pinpoint the cancer without further expensive testing, and she has no hope Jack's condition is curable.

My wife and I have owned pets for decades and our families had dogs and cats all the while we were growing up. We've gotten used to the idea that they don't live as long as we'd like. This particular cat has cost us more than all our previous pets combined (he had complicated problems with Struvite stones that required drastic surgery to the urogenital tract). Thus, much as we will miss him, we don't want to sink a lot more money into prolonging his death. He's had a pampered, sheltered existence here for half his life, and there are plenty more pets out there who need a rescue.