Should I euthanize my 8-year-old cat diagnosed with lymphoma?

This is a very difficult situation for you to be in. When it comes to quality of life I advise owners to look at what things there cat enjoys doing and if they are still doing those things. Examples could be eating, playing, or interacting with you. If those factors are not what they should be then it is a matter of can this be fixed or not. For example if your cat is not eating due to nausea could we give him medication to make them feel better and eat. Or if they are weak due to anemia could we give a blood transfusion or stimulate the bone marrow to make more red cells to help them feel better. If though none of the interventions are acceptable to you then it might be time to assess the quality of life and end any suffering. Ultimately it is your decision about what constitutes Peter having a good quality of life and if those measures can be met or not realistically. As you know lymphoma ultimately is fatal. Some cats can do very well for a long period of time however with his dropping red cell level I am concerned about Peter's long-term prognosis.

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'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 :-(

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lymphoma is in fact a cancer. This is typically treated with chemotherapy. There are many chemotherapy options that can be considered such as a multi agent protocol called CHOP. There are other chemotherapeutic medications that can be considered depending on what your veterinarian has available. In general, chemotherapy is well-tolerated in dogs when done appropriately. If not able to proceed with chemotherapy, there are other options like prednisone therapy alone which in itself can help dogs with lymphoma though for a very short amount of time. The prognosis with chemotherapy varies and depends on the type of lymphoma he has (B-cell vs. T-cell) and the treatment chosen. The prognosis varies between 6 to 12 months with chemotherapy and about 2 months on just prednisone. Please feel free to request a consultation with me if you have more specific questions. Good luck!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear that Trixie has this issue :( It is very difficult to give much of an opinion about this without having the entire medical history, but in general, I would say that if she has been doing very well so far with no set backs, you could stop the Leukeran and just continue with the prednisolone. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes!

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 Felix has leukemia! It is a very hard decision to make if you want to euthanized him or not. It really depends on how he is doing at the moment, what symptoms he is showing, and how much you want to invest in treatment. Eighty-five percent of cats who are diagnosed with FeLV die within three years of diagnosis. But regular vet care and good preventative health can help keep cats with this feeling well and can prevent secondary infections. Secondary infections from FeLV can be treated, and cats who develop can cancer receive chemotherapy. If you chose to treat him, you should do twice yearly vet visits with lab testing and parasite control to prevent complications and identify problems quickly. Felix should be kept indoors at all times now. Cats who has bone marrow compromise or widespread lymphoma do have a very poor prognosis. I wish I could give you an easy answer as to what to do, but depending on his current symptoms, Felix does have the possibility of living another couple of years with good vet care and treatment of any secondary infections. It's really up to you how much you want to invest in his treatment. I would be happy to consult with your further on this if you'd like. Simply select the "consult online" button under my answer to talk more.