Another pet with cancer. I HATE CANCER!!

[chickerdoodle]

I had the urge to share as I am so bummed out that I hoped typing this will help.

Two days ago I took our 14 year old cat, Amelia to the vets as she has been losing weight. She had hyperthyroidism 3 years ago and we treated with a radioisotope (I131) and she did great and has bouncing around like a kitten for the years since. I was suspecting it was becoming a problem again.

Our vet (who we love as she is phenomenal) examined her and made recommendations for a bevy of tests. Our cat has lost nearly 1 lb. in 3 months and although she is a big cat that is a lot. I feel bad that she lost that much--I should have realized as she sleeps on top of me at night. I know I've been crazy busy with the holidays and work (and we have her real sister too) but she is a sweet fur-ball. So we did the blood work and urine tests, an ultrasound of her intestines, biopsies, cytology, and a chest x-ray. The results came back and they found she has a urinary tract infection (she's NEVER had one before) and that she has lymphoma. Lymphoma! We lost our terrier to lymphoma this summer. I am so very sad and angry we are going through this again. I know some think they are just pets but we've had them since they were youngsters and they are family to us and we love them as such.

The doctor said this type of lymphoma may respond to treatment so I am picking up her meds today. We are also doing a culture or her urine to see which antibiotic is best to use for the infection before we start with the steroids for the cancer. As long as she feels good I will treat her but I am so worried that if she doesn't we'll have to let her go to see her doggie sister, Emma in heaven. I cannot stand it and am so depressed. I also spent a small fortune (nearly $2,000) so far and that was not just lying around in the bank account--especially after Emma's vet costs. I will have to be on a very tight budget for a few months and will be praying a lot. Thanks for letting me go on about this.

 

[KellyHM]

&

 

[Mak]

Oh, I understand how you feel! I lost 2 sweet boy cats witbin a few months of each other a couple years ago to cancer. I hate the crap, too. (not to mention the surgery I had in 2007 for colon cancer. Mine is all gone, tho, thank heaven!) And my daughter just had to put her 6 year old cat down due to lymphoma. But Munch did respond to the treatment for a good while, so here's hoping your baby does, too!

 

[chickerdoodle]

Thank you for your good wishes, Kelly and Mak. I am so happy you beat it, Mak!

 

[ChickenWisperer]

I lost my first cat to brain cancer, and just recently my male hedgehog, Raphael.

For two weeks, I fed/watered Raphael every 2 hours round the clock with a syringe, changed his pad, and loved on him. We had originally suspected attempted hibernation, but it was soon evident that it was testicular cancer. He had never produced, even though he both courted and mated, and we could tell it had spread to his legs/guts. Eventually, there was no hope of him having a quality life. He could not move, and the urine burns on his legs were so bad that his skin was falling off. There is no way to treat cancer in hedgehogs like you would dogs or cats, as they are such small animals.

What I've found, is that the loss felt in your heart is much deeper than the loss to your pocket, which is what we animal lovers all know. We get so attached to our animals, and it's hard to ever let them go or see them in times of suffering and pain.

Best of wishes, I hope that she responds to treatment and can share the rest of her life with you in comfort. I'm so sorry your having to go through all this in such a short amount of time.

 

[gritsar]

I'm so sorry.

I lost the worlds best dog to cancer a year and a half ago. It still hurts every day.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm so sorry! It's so tough dealing with serious illness with your pets. i've lost a cat and several chickens to cancer. It does sound like your vet is optimistic, though, and good there is a treatment plan. You sound like a wonderful cat mom and Amelia is lucky to have you. Hope she starts getting better soon.

 

[chickerdoodle]

I am sorry you lost your sweet pets to cancer, Chickenwhisperer, Gritsar and ESF. It's frustrating when you take such good care of them for their entire lives and love them so much--suddenly you must decide whether to treat or not for a terminal disease. They cannot tell you what to do--it all depends on your relationship with your pet and whether you can tell their quality of life.

Its also weird as our Jack Russel Terrier was diagnosed with lymphoma 1 1/2 years before she had what appeared to be a massive stroke--but it was most likley her cancer spread to her brain. We treated her holistically with Mycoplex 7 (a mushroom powder) and with a low carb and high protein diet (cancer starving diet) and she was totally fine until that day. I am thinking of doing something similar with Amelia in addition to the meds.

 

[Laurieks]

We just lost our 15 year old cat named Amelia to age and possibly stress from the recent fires. I logged in to find her picture to post an RIP, as I had it saved in BYC. Lo, no more saved pics. I'm pleased to see that another cat bore the same name. It fits a cat well. So sorry your Amelia had to go the way she did.