My cat has cancer, chest fluid. Vet says no treatment. Any options?

I'm sorry to hear about Duchess. If the lung cancer involved a single tumor (this is rare), surgical removal of the affected lung lobe is possible but is a very invasive surgery that requires a board certified veterinary surgeon. Due to the level of invasiveness and small chance for the surgery being curative, I do not usually recommend pursuing this. If the lung cancer involves numerous small metastatic tumors in the lungs (which is more common), there are frankly no good treatment options. Chemotherapy can sometimes slow the spread and growth of those tumors, but by the time the cancer has spread to the lungs, chemotherapy rarely provides a significant change in the prognosis. For these reasons, I usually do not push too hard for referral in cases of lung cancer, but instead focus on supportive care and trying to maintain quality of life for as long as we can keep the pet comfortable. I hope this helps. All the best to you and Duchess.

The most common cause of fluid in the lungs of older cats is cancer. Certainly other problems can cause it as well, but many of those problems would be ruled out with normal lab work. You can consider having the fluid drained as much as possible, and sometimes starting a diuretic such as lasix can decrease its formation, but neither of trise solve the problem. However, if you get fluid you may be able To get a diagnosis from the fluid. However, I do worry that it is likely a very guarded prognosis regardless of the cause. I’m so sorry Nibbs is so sick. Take care and thank you for using Pet Coach.

I understand you love your kitty! Do the best you can. If you can't take her to a vet for care, make sure you give her as much love and affection as you can, and make sure she always has fresh water and food available, and a cozy bed. I wish I could tell you that you can heal her at home but I don't think this is possible, so take the best care of her and your other critters as you can :) . I wish you the best!

First off, I'm very sorry that Mama Kitty has mammary tumors! Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. I think your best option in this case is to enjoy the time you have left with her. Spoil her, give her lots of love and attention, feed her favorite foods (but not ones that are toxic!). Spend as much time with her as you can. Monitor her in regards to her quality of life, and if that starts to decline (i.e. she stops eating, stops drinking, loses more weight, becomes very lethargic, appears to be pain), then it's time to discuss with your vet humane euthanasia. It's a hard thing to do, but it will allow her to go peacefully and without any further pain. You can keep in touch with your vet to discuss her quality of life which will help you make an informed and objective decision. I work for a home euthanasia service and help owners with these decisions all the time, so if you'd like to talk with me further, you can request a consult with me. Just click the consult online button under my answer. Otherwise, again I'm sorry and I hope this helps somewhat.

I am so sorry that you are having to go through this with your cat. As long as your cat is eating and drinking and not losing weight I would continue palliative care. Once he starts to decline, like acting sick and not eating or drinking, then it may be time to consider euthanasia.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear that. Lymphoma is an aggressive disease in cats, especially when in the gastrointestinal system and in circulation. Usually even with chemotherapy you are looking at a prognosis of 2-6 months depending on the exact type of lymphoma. You could try prednisolone as a palliative treatment to make her feel better for the time being and perhaps extend her survival time for a few weeks. If she is already anemic, she may also require a blood transfusion making things a bit more complicated. If she is not doing well and you are not interested in pursuing therapy knowing the prognosis then euthanasia is a good option. Let me know if you have further questions regarding her disease. Sorry for the sad news!

I'm very sorry that Persephone has been diagnosed with cancer in her spleen and intestines. You can talk to your vet about putting her on pain medications, but if she isn't eating and not responding to appetite stimulants or antiemetics, then it may be time to let her go peacefully. Not eating will cause her to slowly starve, which will be painful in itself, and she will be suffering from that. From what you have told me, it sounds like her quality of life has declined to a point where humane euthanasia should be considered. Because I work for a home euthanasia service, I face these types of decisions frequently with my clients, and I'd be happy to have a consult with you to discuss this further if you'd like. Just click the "consult" button under my answer. I wish I had better information for you, and I'm very sorry :-(