My old cat has a stomach tumor. How long does she have? Is it painful?

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.

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!

I'm sorry to hear that Sweetie has a stomach tumor! While that is a slightly elevated SDMA value, it is difficult to say exactly how her kidneys are doing without the remainder of her bloodwork. As long as Sweetie does not have spread of her cancer to other organs, especially the lungs, and her heart is functioning normally, anesthesia may be safe. She will also be on fluids throughout the surgery and monitored carefully. Your veterinarian can go over the risks associated with anesthesia with you considering the remainder of Sweetie's blood work. The prognosis for survival once the tumor is removed depends greatly on the type of tumor it is and how well the stomach is able to heal following surgery as well as if you elect to pursue chemotherapy. Certain tumor types, such as lymphoma, have a survival time of only several months following surgery. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have about Sweetie!

Poor Squash! It is possible that she does have mammary tumors, or it could be another type of cancer causing these tumors. Unfortunately, cancer is always a possibility in an older cat. If one of the lumps is oozing and looks infected, then Squash needs to see a vet right away. I would take her into an ER vet or a find a vet on call in your area to have her examined. If it is mammary tumors, they are very aggressive, and 85% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. If for some reason you can't find a vet on call, I would take her into the vet first thing in the morning.

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'm sorry to hear this. This must be very shocking news. Without knowing the extent of the cancer, it's difficult to know for sure what to expect, but it will likely be a range of complications when the time comes near. One thing that is common is for the patient to lose a considerable amount of weight and muscle mass as time goes on. Pain is definitely a factor as the cancer grows, but cats will usually not show signs of pain until it gets moderate to severe. Luckily there are medications that will help to alleviate the pain and your veterinarian will help to ensure the pain is controlled. Generally, signs of pain are a decrease in activity, decreased appetite and possible increase in aggression. The cancer eventually causes organ failure, which can lead to many different problems. For now, it's good to monitor Twig for any changes and bring these to the attention of your vet when they occur; so they can alleviate pain when possible. I hope that helps and all goes as well as possible with Twig.

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.