We got results back on my oldest cat Shadow who is a 13 yr old Russian Blue we adopted him when he was 12 weeks old my DH got him for my Birthday all those years ago. He has been ill with the runs and vomiting again and lost some weight 1 1/2 lbs and we do take him twice per year to the vet who I love she works with us on the bill especially now she put our bill through a program that is supposed to take care of most of the costs of the visit on Friday.

I just don't know what to do for him, she wants to confirm her labwork and years of experience with either a endoscopy or a open abdominal procedure where she can biopsy his intestines. The Endoscopy we would have to take to the regional vet center and we would have to pay for it, which is a no go right now and like she said they don't get as good of results from the biopsies a lot of the times and the open procedure with Shadows age could be risky but she could get it covered but she worries he might not make it out of surgery. She says right now while it bothers us with the vomiting and the diarrhea she can keep him on the medication we just started to calm the gastrointestinal tract down and stop some of the symptoms, but it doesn't stop the fact he is sick, she says in all her years 20 some years when a cat has no signs of parasites and the lab values are elevated as his are and he loses weight and has these symptoms it has always been Lymphoma as opposed to just general irritable bowel syndrome

I don't know what to do for this guy he is family he is such a love muffin he doesn't seem to be suffering only when he gets sick and vomits he sits aroudn for about 15 minutes and then he is up and around liek normal, he is still playful like a kitten. I want to keep him on the medication which can get for $4 a month at either Walmart or Target to see if it calms the symptoms down and then if he decompensates do the right thing. DH wants to just put him down now and DS wants us to do everything for him he is 9 so in his mind money grows on trees.

Has anyone ever had a cat or other animal with Lymphoma what am I in for what should I look for in regards to knowing it is time to say goodbye. Would you risk the surgery to hope that she is wrong and he is the small percentage that this is just irritable bowel syndrome and we would just need medication and food changes? I am so lost he was our baby for so long before Stefan came along I want to do this old guy right you know?

All advice and your experiences will be greatly appreciated

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~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

I have not had any experience with Lymphoma in cats. I do want to commend you for looking at all your options and not making a rash decision as some would do. Your kitty is 13 years old and has had by the sounds of it a great life. I personally would not opt for the surgery right away and keep him on the medications to see if things get better. With as old as he is he may have a very hard time dealing with the anestetic not to mention the after effects of surgery as well and recovery. I definitely would not put him to sleep if he is not suffering. Just see how it goes for a while. He will have his good days and his bad. I am currently dealing with a dog who is in kidney failure and she is the same way. We take the good with the bad and cherish everyday that they have left. Whether that be 2 days from now or 10 years from now just love them and make the memories to last you a lifetime which I am sure you have so many already. I can't tell you what the signs will be when the time has come because every disease progresses differently. All I can say is that you will know. When he is not eating, not playing and just all in all you see a change in his personality you will know. Only you know the animal and only you can make the decision to let him go peacefully. I wish you a lot of luck and I will keep my fingers crossed that the medication will help.

After re-reading your posts it sounds a lot like what we found with my dog's first signs of kidney failure. Do you remember what the numbers from his bloodwork were? BUN levels, creatinine levels, etc...Also what medication do they want to give you?

His kidneys are in Great shape she said.

He is on Flagyl (generic metronidazole) it helps with inflammation I know in humans its used for fungal infections and causes diarrhea but is supposed to help calm it down in him. His eisonophils (spelled wrong probably) are very elevated they were slightly in January when he had some episodes of diarrhea and vomiting. I am tired of getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and stepping in a puddle of something but I can clean it up and I clean up and he cant really help it if he vomits or can't get to the potty and she said this was his way of telling me "Hey Mom look somethings wrong" and since we took him Friday he hasn't had a pooping accident anywhere, but he has vomited all over my freshly made bed but that was washable although DH had an issue with that.

We great memories with him and Cammie all our fur babies and we're starting new ones with the "Baby" Chan who just joined us. Shadow and Cammie are the alpha cats and spoiled Mittens and Snowball are just there for their entertainment I think LOL. CAmmie has her own Pillow and Blankie I crocheted for her on our bed where she sleeps and Shadow has his spot on our bed too and Mittens and Snowball know to vacate it by 10 pm every night LOL. Chan he is learning to hard way about the "Princess Cammie' Pillow and "KIng Shadow" Spot rules poor thing is getting growled and smacked at horribly.

I am sorry about your Dog, my Aunt had oen with renal failure and he lived for 4 years with it and it was up and down all the time but he got spoiled and loved and they cherished every day just like we will and always have with Shadow.

Sorry about typos I really cant see this morning the sinuses backed up and I had to ditch contacts for glasses and I cant see so well

__________________
~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

Cats tend to make really bad patients, so exploratory surgery usually isn't a good option, especially when there's no guarantee that will lead to a cure. In this case, I'd make sure he's on high quality food, which is expensive, but cats aren't very big, and don't eat huge quantities. Even if it's a matter of moving from Fancy Feast to Nutro, that might help. Seeking a grain-free diet might help too, though you might need to get food from a specialty store then. If he likes dairy, consider starting to eat live bacteria yogurt yourself, and giving him a spoonful, too. That should help with any symptoms that are coming from his medication, and shouldn't be enough to cause further stomach upset. Pureed pumpkin should help with diarrhea, too.

If he's happy much of the time, I'd take the messes as the price of owning a good pet, and keep him around and well cared for until he's no longer enjoying life. Sick cats will hide, avoid attention, and stop eating. It's painful to watch, but they do tend to put signals out when they're ready to go. When that happens, either be tough enough to bring him to a vet, or have someone else who will do so, so he doesn't remain in pain.

You owe someone you love a happy life, and a peaceful death, and with a pet, you do have a lot of control over both these things. 1.5 lbs is a LOT of weight for a cat to lose, so I'm not sure how much time you have left, but make sure it's all as good as possible. I wish you so much luck here.

Sorry to hear of your sick cat. Do you happen to know the name of the program that is helping with the cost of the visits? My neighbor has a cat rescue and has to pay out of pocket for the vets services if donations do not cover the costs and I am sure she needs this info.
Thanks

If this were your 94 y/o favorite aunt; what would you do?
If it were me, I'd keep kitty as comfortable as possible, and when there is nothing you can do to make him comfortable I would say put him down. This gives you time to prepare yourself and prepare the rest of the family

ETA--I just realized that you are the poster who can't afford to pay for your own medical care; Thus, this is a no-brainer. Make the cat as comfortable as possible and let nature take it's course

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

This is something local, that was started by a girls family who was a Vet Student in Washington State and was murdered, she grew up here and spent her summers working at the vet hospitals and volunteering at the local shelters and rescue groups. Its a trust fund of some sorts they pay bills for people in need of services and they do fundraisers on her birthday every year. She was a special girl.

I have heard of there being programs through the ASPCA and local rescue groups its worth checking into soryr couldnt help you more.

__________________
~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

My heart is with you I hope you can keep your cat comforatable but I would worry about the surgery also. It's hard I know becuase of your 9 yr old. Good Luck

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Without Health you have no Wealth!

Marilyn I should be able to pay for my Medical care if Medicare would pay what they are supposed to Labwork is supposed to be paid at 100% but when they deny it I get stuck with it and the Doctors visit, but I dont go down without a fight even though it sounds like I do. I am just frustrated now a days because there are other things going on I wont post about here or anywhere publlicly because of how mean people are.

We're gonna do all we can for Shadow comfort-wise his medicine costs $4 for 30 pills at Walmart or Target and 30 pills lasts 120 days !!! and I can make $4 easily recycling aluminum cans like we do last batch we got $55 for them so no-brainer there.

Thanks everyone for the kind words and advice I know we're doing the right thing and I think DS is starting to understand, we lost a cat in November and I think he is getting it again sometimes he does other times he doesn't.

Now if only my insomnia would go away changed my meds and they worked for a whole 3 days grrr

__________________
~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

Shadow hates yogurt with a passion we tried that in January with the last bout of diarrhea and he wanted nothing to do with it. Weird thing he likes to eat Green Beans, Broccoli and Corn my cat is a vegan LOL. So far cant see any difference with the medicine except he is making it to one of the litter boxes with no accidents thankfully. Will have to try the pureed pumpkin is canned OK? I have several cans that were recently given to me to make Pumpkin cookies with and I have leftover cans.

When Smokey died he "hid" in his favorite sleeping spot under the recliner wouldnt come out even for wet food and died there and Petu who we had to put down in November would hide behind the couch I knew it was time for him. So will be watching for signs in Shadow and my vet already said she would put him down for free and put the other costs through the trust fund, I hope he makes it to his birthday on Christmas Day.

__________________
~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

Canned pumpkin is fine. Can't remember where I heard about it, but I've used it with my girl cat when she was a kitten, and after worrying about how to feed it to her, she just licked it off a spoon. The cans are so big, though, I think I'd try making ice cubes of the pumpkin you don't use. Er, freeze it in an ice cube tray, I mean, don't add water. I imagine it'll be a bit watery when it thaws, but that shouldn't hurt it.

Losing pets really is awful, so I hope you've got some time left.

itscc2u, I'm very sorry to hear about Shadow. I wish I could find more comforting words, or at least some answers for you. But, I do know what you're going through. I've also lost 2 cats within the past year, Sasha (18yrs old) last November, and Skooter (13yrs old) this past April, so I can relate.

I was actually coming to make a post about one of my newest adoptees, Sophia, when your post caught my eye. I'm going through something similar, but so far, she's not been clinically diagnosed. Sophia's been vomiting (pinkish) and has diarrhea. She's just begun her 2nd bout, so it has not yet become as severe as the 1st, which ended about 2-3 weeks ago. During the 1st bout she had severe bloody diarrhea where she was basically excreting bloody water. I had to put her one Hill's Prescription Diet I/D and quarantine her so she wouldn't eat the regular food. (She wasn't happy about that. She wanted the regular food and the other cats wanted her food.) Thankfully, she's had no "accidents". She's always been able to make it to the litter box in time, but she does vomit wherever she's at when it hits her. During her 1st bout, she was tested for viral infections, which came back negative, but her lymphocytes were low. Then she was x-rayed to check for a blockage. The vet said she was happy with her x-ray, all her organs looked good and there was no blockage. So, the vet now thinks she my have inflammatory bowl disease, in which case she'd need to be on HPD I/D for the rest of her life. (So, I'm told.) The vet said the next step would be a fecal culture and/or to have her scoped to get a more accurate diagnosis, of which I can't afford either right now.

When I saw your post I was really hoping I could find some anwers or helpful advice. Since May 1st, I've already spent almost $500 on Sophia and Isabelle together (the other stray I adopted). You are, at least, very fortunate that you have such a caring and dedicated vet who's willing to assist you with the costs. I wish you the best with Shadow, I know what a heartbreaking struggle you're going through.

.

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No outfit is complete without cat hairs!

~~~MsMiser

Hello, I just lost my Bandit to a 4 centimeter mass in her stomach, lymphoma. She thru up, and then was OK we just could not figure it out, blood work up the butt! the last blood work showed kidneys good, but blood bad ??! but the other times, fine?! so this made my vet do a ultra sound and saw the mass.

Can you have a ultra sound done?

I know what your dealing with, Bandit passed on April 4th
Orangie was kidney failure
George was Bladder crystals

I'm available to chat

banditd, I'm very sorry to hear about Bandit. It's strange how attached we can get to animals, they're just like our children to so many. And, I'm sure to those who don't have children, losing a pet can hurt every bit as much as losing a child. I've lost 3 cats myself, thus far, and I know I'll have to go through it again at least 8 more times.

The first cat I lost, Myah, was 5yrs ago. I believe she was the hardest loss, mainly because it was my first time going through it. It was unexpected and I was totally unprepared. Stupid me. I thought they'd give me some antibiotics or something to make her better and I was going to bring her home. I still get teary eyed when I think about her, but I also smile now when I think about what a great cat she was. She was very smart. I still miss her very much.

The only diagnosis I got with her was the day I had to put her down. She was always wanting to eat my houseplants and she'd even warn me before she attempted it. She'd stand next to the plant, whipping her tail back and forth, and then she'd look at me to let me know what she was about to do. (She'd look at me, then look at the plant, look at me, then look at the plant, etc.) And, if I happened not to notice her, she'd meow to get my attention.... As if she were telling me, "I'm gonna do it! I know I'm not suppose to, but my tummy hurts and I'm gonna do it if you don't stop me." I gave her Petromalt, which she hated and I always ended up the scratches to prove it (LOL). So, often I'd just go outside and pick some young blades of grass and bring back in to let her eat. She'd eat it, throw up, and then she'd be fine for a couple of weeks. I just assumed she was always constipated or had hairballs, and the vet seemed to agree. But, with hindsight, I think she was trying to tell me there was something seriously wrong.

At that time, I had been working around 50hrs a week. With that, and the fact I also had 8 other cats (at that time), I didn't notice right away that she'd stopped eating. She'd rapidly declined in a matter of 4 days. One day she was her normal self, then 4 days later I noticed she'd lost a lot of weight and felt dehydrated. When I took her to the vet, they x-rayed her and said she had a mass in her abdomin, her lungs had filled with fluid and her body temperature had dropped very low. Surgery would be in the thousands and her chances would be very slim. I only had a short moment to say good-bye, and I was so upset I didn't even think to ask if I could hold her while they did it. That's the part that hurts the most, still to this day. While they took her off to the back to bring her peace.... I remember standing at the desk in the lobby, sobbing uncontrollably as I tried to write out my check through my tears to pay for the vet visit.... while everyone in the lobby stared at me. It was a very traumatic experience, and I vowed to never go through it again.

When it was time to put Sasha and Skooter down I went to a different vet office, paid upfront, and held them while the vet put them to "sleep". I would suggest that anyone who has to put down a beloved pet do the same.


Sorry for hijacking your thread itscc2u, I just started thinking about Myah and it all poured out.

How are you and Shadow holding up?

.

__________________
No outfit is complete without cat hairs!

~~~MsMiser

I am very sorry about your sick kitty. I have had a kitty with lymphoma. You absolutely want to get a diagnosis so that you will know how to treat. Cats do great with surgery and usually bounce back much much better than humans ever thought about. It is a possibility it is inflammatory bowel syndrome. This kitty at 13-years old is not ancient. I currently have a very healthy and active 19 year old cat that had hepatitis as an 9 year old which was diagnosed with exploratory surgery. He has had many great years since that he would not have had had I not allowed the biopsy. Give the cat a chance. Even with lymphoma, treatment could buy over a year or more of high quality life. Pets are a responsibility and a choice to own. They are a luxury item. The best thing you can teach a nine-year-old is that if you take on the responsibility of a pet, you take care of them. If not, you don't adopt them. For future reference, be aware of pet insurance. Pet insurance is a wonderful way to help with the expenses of illness/injury. However, it does not cover pre-existing conditions. I hope your cat does well.

I'm so sorry!! Just wondering if your vet tested for hyperthyroidism? It's very common in cats your age and the symptoms fit. Lab values can go crazy if left untreated (liver, kidney, etc...). I know this because our 14 year old kitty just got diagnosed with this. Thankfully, her lab values are fine (we caught it early). This is treatable with medication, surgery, etc...

Here are the symptoms:

* Increased Appetite
* Unexplained Weight Loss and loss of muscle mass
* Irritability or Nervousness
* Frequent Vomiting
* Unkempt-looking Coat
* Diarrhea
* Excessive Thirst (polydipsia)
* Weakness
* Lethargy

If it is Lymphoma, look at options. 13 may seem old, but for an indoor kitty, it's not. Kudos to you for being such a great pet owner!! Best of luck to your fur baby!