Hi all,
Problem:
So my cat has an enlarged spleen, swollen lymph nodes, pleural effusion, and some GI issues. A fine needle aspiration found mast cells (unsure whether or not they're well or poorly differentiated (in a foreign country atm and not entirely fluent)). My cat apparently moved too much so they couldn't gather a cell culture to test the lymph nodes.
She's been itchy for a bit (since last summer, which I idiotically chocked up to either the weather or just cat stuff) and has recently been vomiting daily. She's also been hiding more. With meds, she's been holding in her food. Other behaviors- grooming, playing, etc- seem normal.
Advice needed:
So I'm trying to decide what to do. MCT confirmed yesterday. I don't believe I'm the only one that's been in this situation so I'd love to hear about other people's experiences to help guide my own.
Issues:
The S.O.P seems to be, and the vet recommended a CT scan and a splenectomy with/without chemo. The vet is entirely new to me. The usual one I go to wasn't apparently a cat specialist hence recommended to this one on Saturday. A few issues for me-
1) If the mast cells have metastasized, then the prognosis is extremely poor, so what would be the point of surgery? Surgery and post-surgical care with recovery time does not seem pleasant and I do not want my cat's last few months to be filled with pain. She was unsure about the state of metastasis because of the failed lymph node aspiration which doesn't inspire confidence.
2) Risk of death during surgery. Which the vet said her clinic never experienced, but others have (which makes me a bit suspicious about that clinic - new vet)
3) The median survival rate post splenectomy was said by the vet to be 1 year. Online figures seem to concur (14 months) From what I've been searching online (which I know isn't rigorous, but it's been difficult finding raw numbers and when the vets only quote the median figure, it doesn't exactly inspire trust), the average seems to be in the months.
3) Cost is prohibitive. And if this bought my cat years, then it'd be a no-brainer. But given the poor prognosis, the unknown state of metastasis (rather the likelihood of metastasis given the enlarged lymph nodes), quality of life issues post surgery and with chemo, I am at a loss of what to do. The alternative seems to be a course of anti-histamines until she passes. Which also sucks.
She is 5 years old. Maybe 6 (a rescue). I did not see this coming.
Thank you in advance.
Problem:
So my cat has an enlarged spleen, swollen lymph nodes, pleural effusion, and some GI issues. A fine needle aspiration found mast cells (unsure whether or not they're well or poorly differentiated (in a foreign country atm and not entirely fluent)). My cat apparently moved too much so they couldn't gather a cell culture to test the lymph nodes.
She's been itchy for a bit (since last summer, which I idiotically chocked up to either the weather or just cat stuff) and has recently been vomiting daily. She's also been hiding more. With meds, she's been holding in her food. Other behaviors- grooming, playing, etc- seem normal.
Advice needed:
So I'm trying to decide what to do. MCT confirmed yesterday. I don't believe I'm the only one that's been in this situation so I'd love to hear about other people's experiences to help guide my own.
Issues:
The S.O.P seems to be, and the vet recommended a CT scan and a splenectomy with/without chemo. The vet is entirely new to me. The usual one I go to wasn't apparently a cat specialist hence recommended to this one on Saturday. A few issues for me-
1) If the mast cells have metastasized, then the prognosis is extremely poor, so what would be the point of surgery? Surgery and post-surgical care with recovery time does not seem pleasant and I do not want my cat's last few months to be filled with pain. She was unsure about the state of metastasis because of the failed lymph node aspiration which doesn't inspire confidence.
2) Risk of death during surgery. Which the vet said her clinic never experienced, but others have (which makes me a bit suspicious about that clinic - new vet)
3) The median survival rate post splenectomy was said by the vet to be 1 year. Online figures seem to concur (14 months) From what I've been searching online (which I know isn't rigorous, but it's been difficult finding raw numbers and when the vets only quote the median figure, it doesn't exactly inspire trust), the average seems to be in the months.
3) Cost is prohibitive. And if this bought my cat years, then it'd be a no-brainer. But given the poor prognosis, the unknown state of metastasis (rather the likelihood of metastasis given the enlarged lymph nodes), quality of life issues post surgery and with chemo, I am at a loss of what to do. The alternative seems to be a course of anti-histamines until she passes. Which also sucks.
She is 5 years old. Maybe 6 (a rescue). I did not see this coming.
Thank you in advance.