Suzie's visit to the vets, mixed emotions

[lucy]

Oh Leigh I am so sorry to hear about Suzie, big  to you and the gorgeous cats. I hope she continues to feel well for as long as possible.

[Gillian Harvey]

Sorry to hear your news about Suzie Leigh, but glad that the steroids are starting to work and no sickness, long may it continue!  Bet she can't believe her luck with all those wonderful goodies she's getting LOL! 

[LeighK]

Hiya,

Liz and fluffybunny thank you for posting your inspirational stories that has given me real hope that Suzie will be with us for a good while now that I know what to do and what to look out for and have the support of such friends.

Thank you very much

Leigh

[Liz]

Leigh we used the steroid route on Miss Gracie for nealry 9 months - she had a tumour in her jaw, she loved hills A/d in tins and also any of the pate type foods and tuna and I used to whizz applelaws food up for her and she lasted a glorious 9 months and went with dignity 3 weeks ago at the grand old age of 19

pretty much we decided that if it could me mashed or liquidised and she would eat it she pretty much gad the same food as the rest, she loved kitten food to so that was treat!

Good luck and she will let you know when its time

[Millys Mum]

I hope she enjoys that tasty selection  

[fluffybunny]

Hiya!  My old boy Sooty (RIP) had a growth in his intestines and on his liver, the vet first felt it when he was about 16, when he was about 17 he started vomiting and was put on steroids, the growths slowly shrank (must have been a lot of inflammation around them I guess) and they only started really growing again and becoming a problem when he was about 19.5.  As well as steroids, I had some stuff to give him at night to stem overnight vomiting, can't remember what it was called but it smelt orangey and he hated it!  I fed him on Royal Canin sensitive which seemed to slip down really easily and of course it's designed for kitties with sensitive digestion, and it really seemed to help.  Sooty finally went to the bridge when he was nearly 20, we had him pts with multi-organ failure in the end, his whole body just gave up at one time.     

Good luck, and may Suzie continue to do well for a long time xxx

[LeighK]

Thank you both....



Oh and the beers are for me 

CHEERS

Leigh

[Topsy Turvey]

Thoughts (from me) furry headbuts and purrs (from Summer, Smartie and Skye) to you and Suzie.  I'm sure you will do everything in your power for your lovely girl. 

[Desley (booktigger)]

Am glad to hear things are going well so far, fingers crossed it continues to improve.

[LeighK]

Thank you all most sincerely for your kind sentiments and great advice.

I am absolutely delighted to tell you that the seteroid injection has started work and Suzie thoroughly enjoyed and polished off two small cans of hi-life tuna imperial which i mashed up even more to make sure it slipped down past obstruction.

We had a good night and she wasn't sick and she is enjoying her new furry mat under the chest of draws which is her new sopt but she did join me on the bed on and off during the night for regular cuddles

I am going to go out to the shops this morning as soon as they are open and buy a liquidiser to give me more room to experiment with her diet, she's such a brave 'ol girl and has been through so much over the years, we will fight this as long as she has her dignity and her quality of life is good.

On Mary's excellent sugestion I have started keeping a "food diary" to see which foods works the best.

Many many thanks again.

Cheers

Leigh

[Reynard]

Oh Leigh... 

You can be sure good vibes for Countess Suzie will be winging their way to her from everyone chez Casa Witty. 

[clarenmax]

Awww bless the boys for being so loving to their dad today 

[Millys Mum]

Sorry to hear the news Leigh, my friends cat did very well with steroids for his lymphoma (if thats what she has) so i hope you have some good time left with her 

[LeighK]

Hi Desley,

Thanks for that, sorry I'm late in replying but just cooking some food, didn't think I'd have much apertite this evening but suprised myself. she had bloods about a year ago. So far her symptoms have been the spells of sickness, she's drinking normally and toiliting normally and she hasn't lost any weight but I shall ring the vets on Monday and talk again about the bloods as the vet was alovely lady and told me to call her if I had any concerns.

All the best

Leigh

[Desley (booktigger)]

When did she last have bloods taken Leigh? I have just lost Mabel to intestinal lymphoma, hers was diagnosed on a blood test (sent off to the lab, they checked everything), but the vet prescribed bland food for her, although her symptoms were diarrhea rather than sickness, although the vet was amazed she wasn't sick with how poorly she looked. I do hope that the sickness can be controlled, as otherwise she wont have a good quality of life.

[LeighK]

Hi Desley, thanks for the sugestion about hi-life that's the one that has worked the best so far, I'll have to9 see if they do it in more flavours. Yes she mentioned blood tests, x-rays and the exploratory op but we agreed to take it one step at a time with the steroids and dietary changes and see where we go from there. I know that this is a battle that we can't hope to win in the long run but we'll give it one hell of run for its money until the time comes.

Cheers

Leigh

[Desley (booktigger)]

Fingers crossed the steroids can have some effect and buy her lots of quality time Leigh. My wet food suggestion would be HiLife. Has the vet suggested any blood tests?

[LeighK]

Thank you both ever so much,

I've got to share this with yiou all, something wonderful just happened which is why I'm late iin replying.

As you all know all of my puds are very affectionate, it certainly isn't unusual for a big Frankie to be on my lap several times a day at the weekends nor is it unusual for Alfie to be curled up on my lap and very occasionally both of them. What is unusual is the display of love, affection and "togetherness" that I've just experienced. First Frankie jumped up and then Alfie joined him within a few seconds and they both curled up together Alfie licking me and purrting his usual loud purr and Frankie purring louder than I've ever heard him purr and letting me stroke his front legs something that he has never done. We all lay there for about half an hour curled up together. Tehy know how sad I've been today, what stars, as if to say "Thanks for what you've done for our Suzie dad"!

Cheers

Leigh

[clarenmax]

Sorry to hear about Suzie's diagnosis hun 

I know nobody can love their furries more than you do, and she'll enjoy everything she wants and needs to make her feel better  xxxxxx

Give her a gentle head rub from me and Max

[Kirst]

Very sorry to hear about Susie -heres hoping you have lots more quality time left together x

[LeighK]

Thanks for the great ideas, the problem is that I cannot leave wet food around in the daytime especially when I'm at work as she's too timid to eat it when the boys are around and so I have to feed her in the bedrrom of a night when we retire to bed.

I shall experiiment and see what works best, we shall fight this insiduous disease together.

cheers

Leigh

[Christine (Blip)]

I am sorry to hear this diagnosis, Leigh, but I hope with your excellent care and the treatment, Suzie will be around to tickle the drums for a while yet.

My top tip is to mix warmed water (perhaps 20 seconds in the microwave for a cup) with any food that she likes.  I do this for Blip simply because she loves sloppy food (I mash up Natures Menu and water sometimes), but I am sure it would work for Suzie and then you can give her all her favourites  

[Maddiesmum]

So very sorry to hear the news about Suzie but glad you have time with her and let's hope it's a long time.  Would very small meals often help do you think?

[LeighK]

Thanks Mark great sugestions, guess who us going to buy a liquidiser tomorrow

Now I know what the problem is I know how to tackle it.

Bless you all

Leigh

Whatever it takes I'm going to help her fight this, I'm never so tenacious as when my loved ones are threatened and right now I'm on a mission.

[Mark]

Hi-life turkey giblet pate and salmon pate go down well here. I suppose supermeat is pate really? it doesn't seem to have the lumps of gristle and skin it used to have 

Some of them are a bit solid so may need watering and mixing a bit? 

No harm liquidising some food in jelly or gravy if that's what she prefers - if fact it would probably go down easier than pate I would have thought?

[LeighK]

What a fab idea Sam, I need a variety of flavours of pate or similar "easy going" food.

I'm on it 

Whatever it takes, she gets it, I'm going to post a happy post later about the boys, something that happened this morning whilst waiting to go to the vets, something funny to balance out my sadness
.

cheers

Leigh

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I would have a look at zooplus Leigh .... they have so many foods you should be able to get a nice variety of different ones. 

[LeighK]

Thank you all for the advice, I've just been reading it. I knew that at 17 she wasn't going to be around forever but thinking it and facing it as we all know are very different things and, even when we've experienced it before as I have with my beloved Oli who also sadly secumbed to stomach cancer. I'm hoping that the steroid injection that she had today will improve her apertite and reduce the sickness and that the new diet will also help, any food sugestions for pate type food would be great. I got her some sheba and also some li life tins.

The main thing is that she's home with me and that whatever time we have left she will be loved even more, if that's possible and live her life in dignity and that's where the vet and I are in full agreement.

Many thanks

Leigh

[Mark]

Sorry Leigh. I'm sure you will give her the best care possible and make the right decision at the right time - anyway as long as she has a good quality of life, that's the main thing 

[Tiggy's Mum]

Sorry to hear this Leigh  Hopefully the steroids will perk Suzie up and allow you to have as much precious time together as possible.  Tiggy had an intestinal tumour, although in her case it wasn't found until it was very advanced as the steroids she was having for another purpose were keeping it at bay.  You should see a big difference in Suzie as the steroids start to take effect 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Oh Leigh I'm so sorry to hear about Suzie    

I've done a bit of a search and found the following sites which might be of interest/help:

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/cancer/info1.html

http://www.manhattancats.com/Articles/Feline_Cancer.html

Sending lots of love and hugs to you and Suzie xxx

[blackcat]

yes there is a fine line between pursuing surgery and allowing her to live her remaining time with the minimum stress - I think your vet is a wise woman, Leigh 

[LeighK]

Thanks you both for your kind replies,

The vet said that i8s she was a younger cat then she'd have recommended the X-ray exploratory op aourse of action but, at 17, she thought the procedure wouldn't be the best course.

I am of course very upset but at least I know what the problem is (I think that deep inside I already knew) and more importantly that she's not in any pain or distress and what I can now do to help prolong her life until such times as her quality of life deteriorates and the sad time finally comes for us to have to say our goodbyes. I'll do everything in my power and with herb very best interests at heart to see to it that she lives out the rest of her long and happy life with dignity and loving. I feared that the visit to the vets this morning might have been a sad parting but we have more precious tijme together and that's priceless.

xx

Leigh

[ems]

So sorry to hear this Leigh 

I'm sorry i don't have any constuctive to add but just wanted to send you and your puds some big hugs   

[blackcat]

Leigh, what terrible news .... is there no chance of removing the affected section of bowel and reconnecting it, or is that not something they can do with cats?

[LeighK]

Hi folks,

I took Suzie to the vets this morning as her spells of sickness have been getting more frequent. The vet, a lovely woman examined her. Firt the good news, she's the same weight as she was two years ago when I adopted her, her teeth are fine her breathing is fine, she's free of fleas etc. and her nails are now beautifuly clipped. Now the bad news, I thinkl I knew this but the vet has confirmed that she has a growth (cancer) of th intestine. She felt the growth and told me that Suzie wasn't in any pain as she would have felt her contractions and that this explains her periodic sickness. as food can build up against the obstruction and come back up again. She said there were two courses of action, one to take bloods, x-rays and possibly open her up all of which would cause her lots of stress and probably only serve to confirm what tyhe vet had already diagnosed and the second course of action, which, considering Suzie's age, we both agreed was the best and that was to give her a steriod injectionn which I'm told willl last about 6 weeks and ease the inlamation and perhaps increase her appertite. The vet said that I should cut out any dry food and concentrate on giving her things like the pate food which slips past the obstruction and that;'s what I shall do. She said that if she was sick several times a day then we'd know that her illness was getting deteriorating. I feel that this course of action is the best as she's not in pain and hopefully has a good time left but as you can imagine it is very upsetting news but she's such a tough and brave 'ol girl and of course she's my mum's cat whom I adopted there's not just her and myself to consider. She was such an angel, she just st there and let the vet check her over. Of course emotionally I'm full of mixed feelings, those of relief that I know what has been causing her sickness and that I have her home and safe with me and those of sadness about her illness. I'll have to play things by ear and take every day as it comes and "Letterbox" have their super drummer still.

Best regards

Leigh

PS. I bought her a nice new cosy rug to lay on in her new sleeping sspoy under the chest of drawers in the bedroom and some nice pate food.I fanyone has any helpful tips I'd be really obliged.