Cat isn't eating after prednisolone. Is it time for euthanasia?

I am so sorry you are going through this with Nino. This is a very tough decision, but one you must make because you love him. You do not want the tumor in his chest to get so large as he begins to have problems breathing. This can come on quite suddenly

I am so sorry for this sad news. I would call your vet and see if they can give her any fluids to help hydrate her and get her started on an appetite stimulate. They could also possibly give her an infection of cerenia or Zofran which are great to help with nausea and vomiting. Unfortunately, she may need something to help with the nausea so she feels better and more willing to eat and drink. If you can figure out a way to make her eat and get the pred in her, it will make her feel better. The vet may even have an injectable form of prednisone or some other type of steroid that could be beneficial if you can't get the oral type in her. If these things don't work and you don't want to take her to an oncologist, then I would conisder her quality of life and euthanasia may be the best option for her. I hope this helps and I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Hang in there!

Poor guy. It is tough when you are in these situations where you are deciding on continued care (which isn’t 100% guarantees to work) or Humane euthanasia. Unfortunately we don’t have enough information about your cats particular case to help you decide things here. Perhaps a consultation would be best to comb through all of the details such as lab work findings (even seeing the normals is quite helpful), medications tried so far, and his physical exam findings would also be helpful. But generally speaking if your pet is ill from liver disease, which can be any condition such as hepatitis, hepatic lipidosis (carries a poorer prognosis unless aggressive treatment is implemented including a feeding tube in most situations), liver cancer or even gallbladder disease can cause elevated liver enzymes, then it’s best fo an abdominal ultrasound to determine what specific liver condition is present. The prognosis of your pet should be determined by your vet and then carefully considered when determining if continued care should be done or if Humane euthanasia is the better option. I hope this helps and best wishes moving forward with a good decision regarding Elmo’s care.

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!

Maybe and maybe not. You will need to talk to the doctor who is treating your cat as to whether or not he or she thinks that the poor appetite is due to the small cell or due to the leukeran. This drug can cause this side effect so it is important to discuss this with your doctor. If you are not seeing an oncologist your doctor can contact a local oncologist for advice on your kitty. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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 :-(

Poor Kitty! Since she is already 17 years old and she is having such a tough time with her inflammation in her GI tract, I think steroids will be the best choice for her. If her blood work looks okay now, then I think she can tolerate the steroids. Unfortunately, if you don't put her on steroids the lymphoma or IBD may continue to get worse. It is true the steroids will not CURE lymphoma, but it certainly give her a better quality of life right now. It could keep the IBD under control and eventually you may be able to decrease her steroid dose to a lower dose. The concerns of long term steroids are much lower since she is already geriatric. If she was 4 or 7 years old, then I would be much more worried with starting her on long term steroids at that time. At the age of 17, our goal is to give Kitty are good quality of life. If you want more options about the lymphoma and interested in seeing an oncologist, I would ask your vet for a referral for a oncology consult. I hope this helps!