My cat has cancer that spread. Should I risk treatment or enjoy time?

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'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 :-(

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!

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 sorry your cat may have lymphoma. The surgery and biopsies aren't very painful, she will be under anesthesia, and they will give her some pain medication afterwards. The danger of it depends on her health status, and her vet can give you the best estimate of this. Any surgery carries risk, but it can still be safe in a cat this age. Personally I'd do the surgery first. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Trixie. I am sorry to hear about her recent diagnosis. Unfortunately, gastrointestinal lymphoma can be a longterm consequence of inflammatory bowel disease in cats. I am glad that will consult with an oncologist. There are actually a variety of treatment protocols, some of which can be oral tablets given at home. Cats tend to tolerate chemotherapy really well. They do not usually lose hair like human cancer patients will. There can be some nausea, but this is generally mild and there are good medications to control it. The main side effects tend to be white blood cell suppression. For this reason, her blood work will be monitored carefully. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry your kitty is so ill. I think rather than thinking about euthanasia, it is important to verify the diagnosis before taking such a drastic measure. The next step would be to do a bone marrow biopsy and to send the tissue harvested to a pathology laboratory. This will tell whether your cat indeed suffers from cancer of the bone marrow or another not so severe disease. If your vet cannot do the bone marrow biopsy, have him refer your kitty to either a veterinary oncologist or internist. Both of these specialists will also be able to inform you about less costly treatments and palliative care if needed. I think this would make more sense than putting down your cat on just the suspicion of a bone marrow cancer. Neka is very beautiful and certainly looks well taken care of. So I hope the diagnosis is not so dramatic after all.