Pets with cancer, what did/would you do?

[mummyhaschangedhername]

Ok, so mums cat has cancer, kidney cancer. We now have to decide what we want to do.

She would need to have an open biopsy to give us more details, but reading online all her options sound bleak and she is really upset after her scans and bloods so not sure we want to put her through more invasive tests and surgery/chemotherapy if it's not going to give a long term good solution.

I know no one can know, the vet is encouraging us not to do further tests if we are not going to carry on with treatments, but it's so hard to know. Equally my mums other cat (brother to this cat) died in March, similar-ish symptoms but no cause was found, so to lose two cats within weeks of each other seems so horrific, yet it's not about mum, it's about what is best for the cat.

Just looking for experiences.

Anyone?

What a sad situation. My beautiful mog kept being sick. The xrays showed stomach cancer. The next day we had her pts. It was heartbreaking but I couldnt let her suffer. My friends cat had end stage kidney failure and was so miserable until she decided it was time to let go and say goodbye. It's such a tough decision but if theres no treatment then I would pts. Keep all the wonderful memories and hugs to all animal lovers for their losses.

We had a dog with a cancerous lump in her windpipe.
We just made her comfortable and pain free until she could no longer breathe.
I think if the lump had been in her skin we would have had it removed but anywhere internally then no.
My view is not to make an animal suffer for my benefit. They don't understand so i couldn't put them through frightening treatment so i could be with them a couple of months more.

Good luck with your decision

Thanks.yes that's what we are leaning towards. It's so hard though. There are surgical and chemo options but it seems horrific to put her through that if things aren't ever going to be cured.

I would make a decision based on quality of life in the short term as well as the long term. Obviously a cat can't understand the point of chemo the way a human can. I would consider it for a young cat but only if the chance of success was excellent and the side effects were completely manageable. If not then no. Certainly not for an older cat and it sounds like in your case the treatment could reasonably be expected to be onerous for the cat, so in your shoes I'd probably be considering how long (if) the cat could be kept happy and comfortable.
Sorry.

Thanks. I agree, she's 7 so I guess in the middle of older and younger, but still she's not handled things well this far, so unlikely to handle more invasive things.

Vets gave morphine today, not had it yet, but she's showing signs of distress. It's happening so quickly.

Vets called, stating more tests and urine are needed and that the specialist is prepared to travel to them rather than them come there. I understand they are trying to help, but it makes the situation harder. My agreed to more bloods and urine. They are saying there is still a small chance it's FIP (original suggestion), but really whatever it is amounts to the same.

They want more scans etc to look for secondaries but not sure there is much point, they were talking about PTS on the weekend this morning and now have a list of new tests to do. So upsetting.

Call the vet or the nurse ro see her at home if she in distress and you cant get to the surgery.

I would put the poor thing to sleep right away. She's in distress and the treatment would be extremely traumatic for her. I've been through this many times and it always breaks your heart.

My much cat had feline breast cancer. We did the surgery but in hindsight in only gave us a couple of extra weeks with her, the cancer was incredibly aggressive and a second tumour as big as the first was present in no time. We kept her comfortable for as long as possible and then one morning I looked in her eyes and I knew we had to have her PTS.

If I had the same situation again I wouldn't go down the surgery route. Huge costs aside, I just don't think it was in her best interests.

Thanks @GeorgiaTrotmansParachute ... I guess that's what I needed to know, thanks for sharing, so difficult.

So sorry for everyone's losses. So hard, animals are so much a part of the family, especially for my mum. She's still not over losing her other cat and now this again. But I think she knows what she needs to do.

I posted recently about making this decision. It's heartbreaking especially as I was stuck in hospital undergoing treatment nowhere near home but, for her, I had to make the decision to euthanise. It was time. She was in pain. I'd tried what I could. I wasn't prepared to make her wait till I could get home for the weekend. But she had a lovely life and was very much loved