My senior cat has suspected cancer. What are my affordable options?

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 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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Inky. I would consider asking about conservative treatment options. You can decline diagnostics due to cost and see if you veterinarian will treat her for the suspected inflammatory bowel disease. She could have nausea medication, a GI protectant for the dark stool and an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties. I think it is worth asking about this and seeing if it is an option for her. Good luck!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Mystic is so sick. Unfortunately there are no pain-free ways that you can perform euthanasia at home. I recommend calling your clinic, or the emergency clinic in your area. If you explain that Mystic is very sick and needs to be put down, but you don't have money for this, most clinics will euthanize at no cost so that the animals are not suffering. Try a few if the first clinic says no. You can also try a humane society. If you say that you know Mystic needs to be put down, and don't want a consult but he is suffering, they should be able to help you and Mystic.

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 retommend you contact your local humane societies for advice on emergency and subsidised care - there is much help available for pets in need due to financial constraints. Unfortunately with the weakness described there is a risk of complciations such as bone marrow supression which would make surgical treatment less likely to be successful and in ths case euthanasia may indeed be the kindest option for him to allow him his dignity in passing. A blood sample may help in guiding this decision as if curative treatment is not possible it is unfair to exoect him to carry such a debilitating condition for much longer

This looks pretty serious I'm afraid. I would be worried that this is a a cancer. You will need to take her to a vet for an exam. There is no way around that. This clinic in you area does $15 exams - they can tell you better what may be going on after they examine her in person. Then you can talk about your options. In the meantime, you can apply this topical wound spray gel (linked below) to hopefully help soothe the skin. http://www.sosohio.org/services-pricing/ https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-cat-wound-and-skin-hydrogel