My cat has a painful lump, possibly cancer. How can I ease her pain?

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 would not give her morphine without seeing a vet as this can cause major respiratory depression and severe nausea. Also without seeing if she is healthy for morphine, it could make her get worse. The mirtazapine can be given for an appetite stimulant but cats can only tolerate 3.75mg (1/4 tablet of a 15mg mirtazapine) every 72 hours. If at all possible, I would strongly consider having a vet take a look at her to see if there is anything else they can do for her and to figure out why she isn't feeling well. I hope this helps.

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 :-(

At her age and the fast pace of which it is growing, it may be a cancer. If surgery is not an option, then you are looking at keeping her comfortable which is very reasonable given her age. As long as she is happy and not in pain and has a good appetite, then just let her keep going as she is. When she no longer wants to eat or no longer seems to enjoy life or the tumor begins to limit her mobility, then it will be time to consider euthanasia.

This is a tough question without knowing what things she is currently having trouble with. You are asking for advice on what we call palliative care, which means we are treating with medications/supplements to help make her comfortable. If she is having trouble eating, then offering soft canned food and pain medication would be the recommendation. If she is having trouble walking, then offering joint supplements and pain medication would be the recommendation. So it really just depends, because you won't be able to confirm if she has osteomyelitis or bone cancer without a bone biopsy here. And these two conditions are treated very differently. However, even with that said, treating Angel with a short course of antibiotics and low dose steroids may be beneficial, especially if she has any decrease in appetite or severe inflammation present. I hope this helps and best of luck moving forward with your pet Angel. Take care.

Meow Meow sound very sick, and at this point in time, this is a medical emergency. You cannot treat this at home, there are no pain medications you can give her. Many human ones are toxic to cats, and are fatal if given. She has to see a vet now. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding SweetPea. I am sorry to hear about her diagnosis. Cats hide signs of pain very well. Typically I assume that cancer is painful and will always offer pain medications. Otherwise, I have owners watch for decreased appetite, hiding and crying as these can all be signs of discomfort. I hope this information helps!