Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: nellie jones on January 14, 2008, 20:48:52 PM
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Hi , excuse me if I get this wrong, this site seems very busy, lots of flashing icons etc. I registered on catchat in December, to find out if anyone had experience of dealing with cats and cancer...sadly I had the dreaded diagnosis that my beautiful 8 year old Sylvester who is a maine coon had lymphoma cancer and I was told he has 4-6 weeks to live. Well we are 4 weeks on and I`m really not sure if he is starting to feel any pain, he still seems quite alert anf is eating, a little less these last two days. I decided against chemo as he would hate having to go to the vets every week, I did ask the vet to prescribe steroids, but I feel so alone and would love to share with any one else who has had to go through this. I fell so helpless that I cant find a cure for him!
Thanks for listening.
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Nellie, I am sorry to welcome you to Purrs in such circumstances.
There are several people on here who will be able you advice and we are all here to offer you support.
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Thanks Christine I`m sure there will be, thanks for your support.
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A couple of the people I have in mind are not logged on at present. I shall keep an eye on this for you to try and ensure that you get some good advice in the next day or so :hug:
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Hi Nellie
Sorry to hear about sylvester's diagnosis. I am a Mod on Catchat but probably wouldnt have been around the the time you registered as i've been offline for various reasons.
Sylvester deserves a great big hug for getting to week 4 :hug: Shows what a trooper he must be :Luv:
Can I ask where the lymphoma is ?
Ordinarily the likes of intestinal lymphoma will act quite rapidly but even when it is latent stages i am unsure of the definition of "pain" they feel. They certainly feel more and more ill , feel sick, hungry but cant eat, weak etc etc but like i said i'm not sure if there is pinpoint pain.
I'd certainly recommend steriods, probably fairly high dosage aswell. This helps reduce inflammation/size & also stimulate things like appetite etc
You may want to start thinking about all the tastiest favorite foods he has and offer him smaller but more often meals, perhaps slightly warmed up if he is becoming slightly anorexic. You could try a couple of cans of "hills a/d" from your vet, its a highly digestable convalesing food with a pate like consistancy and seems to go down well or tins of sardines/mackeral in tomato sauce (normally a huge hit with cats esp when they are ill)
I understand your pain and isolation and how you probably feel helpless. The most important thing is for the two of you to enjoy as much quality time as you can together but be mindful there may be times he wants to sleep and not be bothered by anyone. I have lost a beloved greyhound through very nasty and sudden onset intestinal lymphoma & also my cat through probably liver type cancer caused from the fiv&felv viruses he had.
I think if you spend a couple of hours thinking ahead to what you know is going to happen and plan it out, know what you are going to do means you can forget about it and get on with enjoying your remaining time.
This is a very friendly, chatty, supportive & caring forum so please rant/rave/cry & share your happy storys with us and you will find many friends here willing to help you along :hug:
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Hi Nellie and :welcome: to Purrs,
Sorry it's under such sad circumstances. I posted on your thread at CC.
You will receive lots of advice and support from the Purrs "family" :hug:
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I first noticed he had a lump on his neck and took him straight to the vets the nxt morning- after tests I was told that he had 3 lumps, one in his abdomen that the vet said was the largest and I wouldnt have noticed, the other two are in his throat and sadly one is developing on his tonsil, this is the worry as it will effect his eating. The lumps are definately getting bigger and I think that now I can feel the one in his tummy. It really helps to talk about these things though and thanks for the support!
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sounds like it is generalised through most of his lymph nodes rather than one main spot. Poor lad. Well the thing is if we can help you then in turn that may hopefully help give you the strength of heart to see past the "ill sylvester" and enjoy every second with the wonderful fighter slyvester and I am sure he would not have made it this far had it not been for your obvious love and care.
Did your vet put him on steriods ? You can have this in injection and tablet form , perhaps the injection may be better for him if his throat area is starting to be affected.
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Yes he is on 2 steroids a day tablet form, and luckily he takes them quite well. He is a fighter but I dont want to see him in pain and yet again I dont want to end his life too soon. Would you say that when he starts to go off his food that is one sure sign that the end is nigh?
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Thanks Sam for your support, I did read your posts on catchat.
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Its usually a good indication that the disease is taking more of a hold, Most people will carry on for a few days possibly abit longer trying various drugs to stimulate appetite, pep them up abit. I myself feel i definately let my sooty go on for too long but you always live in hope for that miracle, or perhaps an extra day or 2 the antibiotics may turn into some miracle cure (yeah kidded myself on but this is often normal thoughts)
At the end of the day i do believe you will know when the the time is right and really it must be your decision. Some vets can be very very good at guiding and steering you but others i am afraid not so good this is why i think its good to plan ahead and know what you are going to do even though its a hellish hard thing to think of but it means you wont make wrong decisions when the time comes.
There is often rapid weight loss and general loss of overall condtion aswell the closer it comes.
Lynn X
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Thanks for all your help, I feel my vet has just abandoned us, gave me 30 days of steroids and basically said see how it goes and let us know when you think his time is up!
Any, I really appreciate the support,
I am going now to give him lots of TLC, just found a tin of sardines in the cupboard will see if these tempt him tomorrow. Will keep you updated.
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Hi Nellie, glad you have found your way over here, even if you have found us in such sad circumstances. Watching his appetite is a good way to determine things, and really it is about his quality of life, and when he starts having more bad days than good, or more bad times in a day than good, then things need thinking about. I dont know if I mentioned on CC, but it might be worth asking in advance about a home visit at the end, rather than taking him to the surgery. I personally have never done it, I'm afraid I would rather not associate a certain spot in my house as where they went, but I know people who have, and they prefered it. Do treasure this time you have with him, and spend as much time with him as you can.
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Nellie,
When mums cat was diagosed with throat cancer her vet gave her 2 weeks .... but it was 4 months before Lucy finally let my mum know she had had enough. You know your boy and you will know when he has had enough. :hug:
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Hope that he manages to enjoy a sardine...
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:welcome: to Purrs, I am so pleased you have found us. ;D
I cant give you any advice I am afraid but the ones who have know their stuff and I think we have a couple more owners who have this sad problem with their cats now and if they see this thread I hope they will give you the benifit of their experience too.
Treasure everyday with Sylvester, what a handsome boy he is :hug: :hug:
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No advice to give I'm afraid but wanted to let you know we're thinking about you and remember we are always here for you :hug: :hug:
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Hi Nellie, so sorry to hear about Sylvester and all I can advise really is to take each day as it comes and try and enjoy him as much as you can. I had a little cat here called Little Bob, he had a large tumour in his Oesaphagus but it was quite late on in his illness that the vet diagnosed him, I think you just have to let him eat what he wants, give him plenty of cuddles and let him tell you when he's had enough. The steroids will help but sadly not for long. Bob was losing weight on a weekly basis and because of stupidity on my part listening to 3 different vets, I feel now I should have let him go sooner. I had a biopsy done on the lump in his neck but it was pointless as an op was totally out of the question :'( I'm sure you will know when the time is right, sending lots of cuddles to your gorgeous boy, and lots of :hug: to you :hug: , xxxxx
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Hi Nellie & :welcome: to Purrs, sorry that it is such sad circumstances. I lost my cat Tiggy to an intestinal tumour last year, I found out about it very late on despite her having monthly check ups for another condition. In the end I had to make that awful decision to let her go.
My only advice would be to try and cherish the time you have together, try not to feel sad because you know you're time together is coming to an end but instead have the best weeks or hopefully months possible. Please give Sylvester a gentle head kiss from me, I'm sure you know it already but he's absolutely he's stunning :hug:
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Hello Neillie I am glad you found this board. I am sorry it is in such sad circumstances. I hope your lovely Sylvester enjoys a lot more time with you and know that the people on this board are truly fantastic, caring, helpful and supportive. :hug:
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Hi Maddiesmum, see you are online. Just got to work and had a quick look, am so pleased at all the replies and support I have on here. Sylvester had a good night and was outside (in the rain!!) when I left him, but he loves his garden, my son will see that he comes in to dry off! I tried the sardine this morning but he still favours his prawns!
Must get on with work, hope you all have a good day.
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Hi Nellie,
Welcome to Purrs, I am sorry that it is under such sad circumstances.
All I can really say is cherish every moment with your handsome boy and he will tell you in his own way when it is "time" xxx
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Thanks Sheryl!
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Hi nellie, well come to purrs.
I am sorry to read about sylvester, he is gorgeous. I wanted to tell you that my cat Boy has lymphoma and after a number of tests and x-rays and ultrasound it was confirmed that it is intestinal cancer, he also has a mass in his pancreas but the vets are not sure if its a tumour or inflammation and is not advisable to go through with surgical biopsies to find out, they have started hin on steroids and also leukeran which is a very light form of chemo, like you i told them from the begining that i do not wish him to go through with chemo because of evry week blood tests and injections but with this tablet and steroid he needs to go only once a month for blood tests and the side effects are minimum.
I have to say that i lost my other cat last year to pancreatic cancer and the best thing to do is basicly what every one else said, just enjoy evey moment together and spoil him with all his favourite treats and lots of cuddels :hug:
As sheryl said, Sylvester will tell you when its the "time" , and then you have to be brave and because you love him so much you will do whats best for him.
The people here are really nice and will give you support when needed. :hug: :hug: To you and Sylvester.
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My friends cat had a large intestinal lymphoma and he got 6 months longer than the vets thought, it was the steroids that really helped him. My cat Taffy got the same thing, the lump was so tiny it couldnt be felt, an x ray found it. I lost him really quickly, i found his appetite went (despite high dose of preds) and he had no interest in anything :(
Enjoy all the time you have left with Sylvester, he sounds like a tough guy :hug: :hug: