Stomach cancer - what to expect

[Noitsnotteatimeyet]

My elderly father's beloved remaining cat has probable stomach cancer. She's lost a huge amount of weight very quickly and is obviously not happy. She's having a scan next week but the vet is pretty sure that it's a growth of some sort.

She's 17 with an underlying thyroid condition so I'm presuming surgery wouldn't be an option

Unfortunately my father does not subscribe to 'better a day too early' so I know he will want to throw everything at this - my mother died two years ago, he's house-bound and the cat has been the centre of his world

Are there any realistic treatment options and how long might she have?

.....She's lost a huge amount of weight very quickly and is obviously not happy.....

How is she showing her unhappiness? And will your DF really hang so tough if the results of the scan are ....not good?

This must be really difficult for you - for everybody in fact.

PS - is she still eating, drinking and using her tray?

Not eating much, and squatting over her litter tray for about ten minutes before producing miniature poos and v smelly wees

My father is convinced he's doing the right thing for his animals in treating them until the bitter end

He is prone to depression anyway and I fear the next few weeks will push him into a crisis

It doesn't sound so good.

As your father is housebound, are you the one who takes her to the vet's? (And I assume 'reporting back' for decision making because she's his cat?)

PS - you referred to 'animals' in the plural. Does he have any others at the moment?

Would you be able to talk to his vet and explain the situation and ask the vet or perhaps one of the nurses to speak to him honestly? I know it's a big ask but they must come across similar situations.

It is a big one. There are obvious immediate issues about the cat's welfare but some much more general ones also - and I don't know if this board is the best place to discuss them, I'm afraid.

Wait for the scan. Our dear old girl had a mass. We thought we would lose her. It wasn't cancer at all.

I had a friend whose cat had cancer, can't remember which type but she took it home. One day she rang to say the cat was going crazy.

I drove to the vets while she sat in the back with the cat in the carrier. It was literally spinning and somersaulting and choking.

As we pulled up, it died. I was traumatised and didn't sleep for a week, it was so distressing.

It looked like the most painful death and I vowed to never let a cat of mine go through something like that. I have one with CKD and have resolved to get him pts sooner rather than later.

Sorry if this sounds negative but I hope you can make the right decision for this poor cat.