Worried of putcome

[Oxo01]

Typo on heading cant remove

Following up from my posts about Kiki last one on 4th August.

I decided to have the scan on her heart and stomach done but it had to be canceled due to a family member being hospilised.

In the mean time Ginge youngest ( 4 or 5) was rescued from streets hurt her leg a week or so ago but ok now.

On Tuesday I thought Kikis belly looked a bit bigger so thought she may have put some weight back on as her last blood test showed for time time in 18 months her thyroid levels were good but B12 low.

Thursday eve I can only describe it as if she was going to give birth.
She was eating and breathing ok and jumping the fence in the garden.

Took her to the vets Friday they were able to do a quick scan of her stomach and heart.

Said that her heat is slighlty enlarged and some fluid in stomach so could be heart disease, cancer or an infection but have to do the full scans under sedation and take fluid from stomach.

Said she was breathing a little faster when fist arrived but could be combination of strees at vets and health issues but whilst there waiting for scan and after was ok.

She is booked in at 12 today
( Monday) sedation approx 3pm.

I have been relatively calm and hoping for the best but now its nearing the time i am really feeling scared of outcome. Risk with sedation and outcome of scans.

She is the first one I bought 10 years ago, I cant bear to think she won't be ok.

I rescued 2 from the streets, Marmalade aged 11 died in January this year which was totally unexpected had a mass in stomach I was devastated and still miss her.

I love having cats but god it's so hard when they are ill or die.
Wish her luck for me please,
Here's a pics of my baby.

Good luck for today, I hope the outcome is good.

All the best to you and your little lady. She's lovely, isn't she? I agree it's hard when something like this happens. I always remind myself that whatever the outcome, they've had a great life with me and they know they are loved.

Thank you both for early replys
up late as I was, or maybe you both were up early !

Yes she is lovely.and she definatly has had a great life.

I was up at 6 to make sure she eats as cant have nothing after that, she wasnt fussed but I encouraged her in the end I gave her chicken which she ate more of.

She's been sleeping since so im am praying she does get up soon and want to go out for a wee as we leave about 11.30 am to admit her for 12.

I am a bit tired myself now.

Update
Kiki went in as planned but as soon as we arrived her breathing was faster but she always gets like that when tavelling and when at vets but settles down.

They said they would put her in a oxygen tank to settle her breathing as cant sedate and do scans as she is.

We went home

Feed back from vet her heart rate went down but not a lot so
they done a quick scan no sedation which she tolarated.

There wasn't a lot of fluid as they thought on Friday so didnt take a sample.

But my fear came true they saw a mass in her stomach which has now changed things.

They dont know if she has heart disease or hearts causing breathing or the mass or borh as cant do scans yet.

Few hours later she had a telephone consultation with someone else outside of the practice but it doesn't sound good.

She said she settles down a bit but as soon as they get her out of oxygen tank she starts panting, said it could be due to her stress levels. I said she will keep doing that as she doesn't like being caged up or strange places / people and doesn't like warm places.

She agreed and said they have turned the air up so its much cooler so may help but its probarly strees and health.

She has had some diretics as only little wee on bedding ate tiny bit of food.

She will give pain relief as she could have infection as temputure is slightly up.

She may not stabilise or get worse tonight but will call me if so.

If she makes it, will reassess in morning, if bit better more stable the consultant will do quick scan as he will be able to see if she has cancerous noddles on the lungs which is not good so maybe PTS required. 🥲

A BIG IF they are able to scan they will I think take sample to see mass type and if able to remove but to be honest its not looking good and not sure to do that i really dont know

I wanted to bring her home tonight to see if breathing would improve at home like it usuarly does but even if it was some stress its not just that I know.

If she has to be PTS i really dont want to and see her awake and then put to sleep.

I had to do that in January for my other one but I would feel guilty and regret not being there to say goodbye.

I have one other cat aged 4 but have decided that I will not get any more animals after this if / when she died i dont think I can do it any more.

I am sorry to hear this. You obviously love Kiki very much and want whatever is best for her - that's not incompatible with wanting to keep her with you. However, it may be that finding out what the mass is will help to crystallise things, especially if there is evidence of metastases. You'll know then what you and your sweet girl are up against.

One of our cats had oral carcinoma, which tends to be horrifyingly aggressive in felines - it had eaten away part of her jaw before we even realised it was there. We took her home for a weekend of spoiling and went back to the vet the following Monday, by which time we could already see her disappearing into the illness; she was very sweet, but subdued and wanted to spend all her time curled up in my husband's wardrobe. What she had just wasn't compatible with the quality of life we wanted for her. The PTS process was gentle and humane and the only thing we could do for her.

So sorry, OP. Kiki looks a lot like our lovely girl who also had a mass in her stomach and we had to say goodbye to last year - it was heartbreaking as she was just ten, and her only symptom was frequent puking, she was otherwise completely well in herself.

We opted to pts shortlyafter the specialist vet gave us biopsy results as it was large cell lymphoma and even with aggressive chemo it would have been a very poor prognosis. My take on it was that I wanted her to “go well” without becoming sad and subdued and skinny. I also knew that she would have found being trailed back and forth for treatment really distressing. Per pp, the final appointment was gentle and she went to sleep with us there, telling her how much we loved her.

Animals really do break your heart - we adopted a little orange boy, an ex stray kitten, shortly after, and he has been a total joy. I’m sure our girl popped him up on the CP website for me to find as he’s her exact opposite and totally the cat I needed at that awful time. He rescued me.

Thank you Tortielady
Im sorry for your loss it sounds horrendous, but yes we have to weigh up things and ensure they dont suffer unnecessary just for us to keep them with us.
I will update when I know more.
Ps I noticed i wrote noodles in my posts rather than nodules !

Thank you Judystilldreamsofhorses
Sorry for you loss and glad you were found by a little kitten in need who helped you.

Two of mine were rescued from the streets. Kiki was my first cat and I chose.

The other two were on the streets and I see it as they chose me.

Yes she does look very much like Kiki and same age.

Kiki was just bringing up small bits of phleme now and then but her belly swelled up in 2 days out of nowhere last week but was breathing ok up untill we got to the vets today.

I hope she has settled and more stable tonight fingers crossed.

If it is her heart as first thought it could possibly be treated with meds but this mass has drasticly changed things .

I've not cried yet but am on verge of doing so.

If she makes it through the night but not much change my partner will not be here when they call me in the morning to update and they may advise to PTS without doing the quick scan at 3pm tomorrow. ( But he's going to come home for 12 after some meeting he has to attend).

I have to consider that even if she got to a point where she can have a scan under sedation the risk of her not making it is now even greater.
Maybe that's a better way to go ?
I really dont know.

I feel Kikii situ is more complex and more descions to be made compared to Marmalade who was PTS in January due to a mass in stomach but belly was not swollen just constant tiny wees (was being treated for cystitis) but it had attached to organs so no option but to PTS in her case, so although shocked it seems it was easier.

Strange how 2 have had / got a mass in stomach in 9 months.

I will update on here once we know more.

Ps I am struggling with typing as I've got a flip phone and its tiny screen and keys so keep doing typos.

Update today
She had a stable night, breathing much better out of oxygen cage.

Not as stressed when being outhandled / out of cage but still a bit.

Heart scaason hold now
as heart was not very enlarged but they feel a chest screening is better as it could show up if she has anything sinister spread to chest affecting her breathing.

So she is having that now but has to be transported 5 mins up road a there xray machine is out of order.

The traveling is not long but I feel it may trigger her stress / breathing but we will see.

If it has spread to chest then probarly nothing can be done.

If ok plan is maybe to go ahead with scan on tummy this afternoon take sample from mass to send off for testing.

If she comes through she may come home tomorrow untill we know.

She said yesterday they would not even consider her being transported a short distence but she is much improved they feel ok to do.

So not out of the woods still and bits to consider.

If she has scan this afternoon i am thinking should I go to see her before sedation or not as seeing me and me leaving again may stress her ?

She had her chest screening no bad signs.

Concrrn is her strees levels, she travelled and had chest screening ok but on return to vets her strees level went sky high so had to be put on oxygen again.
( i predicted this earlier and told her it would happen)

Vet also spoke to heart consultant who says its not heart related.

She is fine now so is being sedated for scan and sample of mass etc

But they say the level of stress related reaction when around people or activities is so extreme never seen it before so will take a blood test to whilst under sedation to see if her body is not producing enough or too much of something but I really cant recall what it was !
I feel overloaded with info.

I told her when she comes home from vets shes always gets out of the carrier and will open mouth pant for 5 mins or so, its as if she's letting all the stress out from vet visit & being caged but then shes fine.

She confirmed that it will be all one claim from last friday related to stomach. Rather than 2 claims for new conditions heart and stomach.

So fingers crossed she will wake up soon .

Keeping my fingers crossed for you 🤞❤️

Thank-you @ Frenchfemme

Good grief. All this can't be doing your stress levels much good either. It's good that the vet is trying to get a handle on what's going on and is also able to advise you about the insurance side. The last thing you need when you have a poorly pet is worry about the bills. All the best to your sweet Kiki and you.

Thank you @ Tortielady

Was called at 4oclock to say she done very well with sedation which is great news. She ate some food after as well.

They did some pics of heart in the end. Took sample of mass and bloods all sent off as urgent for testing. Hope to get results tomorrow afternoon.

I asked to remind me what bloods was for it is to check red blood cells.

She said she has low pottasium so will give something for that as well and steroid for now.

It is looking like lymphoma i think but have to wait to see, she maybe have to be PTS If bad.

Mentaly I am preparing for the worst and hoping for the best .

I have controlled my emotions but yes it has been and continues to be very stressful waiting and just hoping.

She's done well so far considering everything.

I would love for her to be able to have and respond to some treatment but I wont let her go through things that will not be benifical or not save her life or impact on her quality of it.

The bill is estimated bill was £2000 then but now its about £4000 due to the unexpected issues , treatments / tests / regular oxygen etc.

So hopefully insurance is my friend

If for any reason they dont pay
( i dont see any reason why they would not) i have the money to pay it myself fortunately.

Some would say wasted money if she has to be PTS eventuarly, maybe it is but I have tried to ensure she at least had and deserved a chance as she is loved and worth the 10 years of joy she has given to us.

Thank you all will update later.

So sorry to hear it’s looking like lymphoma. I know of two other white cats beside ours who have been pts with it in the last year - I wonder if that’s coincidence?

We were given three treatment options to prolong S’s life - top line IV chemo, oral chemo, or steroids. Even with the IV we were told best case scenario of 12 months, and would have been a 40 minute drive each way to the referral centre for it. The other two could have been done with our own vet but were much “less successful”. Our girl hated the car, the vet, the box, the whole lot so we knew any option would have been very distressing for her. The specialist vet actually said she was a good candidate for treatment because her only symptom was vomiting (she’d never lost weight/appetite or been in any way “off”) but we loved her too much to let her suffer in any way, and any treatment option was really rearranging furniture in a burning house. When I asked our own vet what she would do if it was her cat, she said she would not pursue chemo and would let her go.

On her last evening she caught a mouse. On her last day she had tuna and Philadelphia, and she lay in the sun - all things she loved. I hope someone can give me a gentle goodbye like that! I have her paw print tattooed on my arm, and we have a beautiful framed photo of her in the hearth with her ashes so she can keep an eye on our orange pest.

Our insurance were great but if we had gone into chemo it was going to be criminally £ and would not all have been covered as we’d used a lot of cover with the scans etc. We were lucky that we could have funded it (and we probably would have if it was going to cure her) but it’s certainly not cheap.

Sending love to you and Kiki OP.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses

It could be a coincidence but who knows, however one i had valled Marmalade was not white she had a mass in stomach in Janaury her stomach didnt swell up but weeing all the time ( im going to ask what type it was.)

So this will be 2 of mine in last 9 month with a mass.
Coincidence maybe or cats are prone to it i dont know.

This morning they called just to update and said she is much brighter,ate food in night and a whole bowl this morning, breathing good and even liked a bit of fuss from the nurse !

I assume its steroids, pain relief and pottasium thats helped her feel better OR she may have just thought they have left me and i will have to get used to this lot of strangers and noise !

Just got results its aggressive type
Its Large Granular Lymphoma.
That's why her belly swelled up in 2 days

Im so sad but once i saw her stomach i think i knew itvwas a form of cancer / tumer
The same options as you was given to us to condsider.

Going at 5pm with my partner so he can hear it all from our regular vet

I said to the vet ealrlier I want and feel i should bring her home for a little while which he said is fine, but im scared i wont want to take her back !

He told me if i do what to look out for re:deteriation so will see what we decide later.

I hate the choices even though i know what's best ( i didnt have a choice with the other one it was so quick.) Wish it was quick likel that with Kiki.

I am really sad I wish it was her heart that had got a bit worse which could be treated with blockers for a while i believe.

The food prep went from 3 tins to 2 now while shes away its just 1 and will stay that way once shes gone its so sxxx.

Thank you for your thoughts
Will update soon.

How did you get on at the vet?

We were large cell lymphoma but had no stomach swelling or other symptoms beyond vomiting, which had been low-key going on for months. We had her back and forth to the vet multiple times but they were never fussed because she was always so “well” and didn’t present in the traditional way for lymphoma. Even the specialist vet we were referred to said she expected it to be IBS when my partner dropped her off for the scans so we were all really shocked when they found the mass.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses
Thanks for asking
We both went at 5.30pm
He explained it all to my partner confirmig it is
Large Granular Lymphoma (but I think when he said it he added some extra letters onto
Granular bit but not sure)

Anyway he said it was very aggressive probarly only started a few weeks ago hence why tummy swelled up in such a short space of time and it is quiet rare / not common.
Can't be operated on as its looks like blood vessels going through or near it.

She looked so alert and comfotable in her carrier.

We decided to bring her home for a bit. i asked him if that is cruel he said no it isnt and would tell me if it was as she is comfortable, alert breathing good and eating.with pain and steroid meds.which we can give whilst shes with us.

So shes home we can say goodbye in our time
As we arrived a little way before my road she started to hang her paw out of the cage hole as if she knew we were approaching the door.

She has no fur on belly so that makes her look bit thiner, leg is shaved but as soon as she got home she sniffed around, ate over half a tin of food and some dry.

She cried to go out but i was hesitant i realised she wanted to toilet but she went into the itter tray ( never used before but in vets) and honestly done a big stinky poo.

So i gave the pain meds and let her out in the garden, she then done a wee sat around then jumped my fence at end of garden and sat on neighbours low level shed oppersite me which she always does loving the freedom and fresh air.

Came in without being called after 1hr or so, ate another half tin of food plus a stick treat and had water. So not sure what time they fed her last.

She went upstairs laid on floor as she does and I left a few bits of chicken for her which she ate straight away so currently she has a great appetite but this may go up and down. ( She has appetite meds but only if required, wont give unless a big dip in eating as need to know how much she is actually eating normaly).

Just need to monitor her eating weight and energy etc as she will deterioate quickly usuarly 3 weeks from diagnosis but could be before or a bit longer.

Looking at her and her actions she looks so much like her normal self so it would be very easy to think she is but I am aware of how this is going and how rapidly it can be and will not keep her longer just for my needs and wants.

So for now she can just enjoy being home as we will.

Its going to be hard PTS when she starts to get worse but vet said that I have always been alert and spot on regarding recognising when she has lost or gained weight with the tyrpid issues so hopefully i will know when the time comes.

Keep thinking maybe I should not have brought her home but we think it's the right choice for now.

My son is on nights so will be able to see her in the morning hes close to her and she him.

Only usual thing she hasn't done is jump from the low shed to the other neighbours garden building with a flat roof she loves to sleep or watch over the gardens up.there but maybe she knows she cant go far or a bit higher.

She is not a lap cat but may come on my bed for10 mins for a light chin stroke and fall asleep for 5 mins purring so loud like a helicopter but then just jump off as she likes the cool floor boards.

So for now she seems content and pain free.

I may just get the vet to come to my home to PTS rather take her by car or bus when the time comes but will see.

I am keeping a record of eating to see any dips and will try and weigh her.
I signed a claim form and let them send it off for me and to pay me directly the bill came.to £4,219 with one week of meds to take home.

Will update accordingly and thank you for hearing my ramblings

Was just going to bed and shes come down ate more wet food and had some water, i hope she isnt sick or big poo later, she looked at back door but went back upstairs when I said no .

How is she today, OP?

Our girl was given a long lasting steroid injection by the specialist vet while we weighed up our options. She was honestly great in herself but still puking once that wore off in a couple of days - some of the vomit had blood in it which the vet said was inflammation from the tumour. That was the point I thought, no, we can' have this. We had the diagnosis on the Wednesday and PTS the following Thursday after we had the biopsy results through, and then calls with our own vet and the specialist vet on the Monday.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses
She's been good eating well not been sick.

She's been in garden from this morning enjoying the bit of sun as she loves being out there lazing around but not venturing over fence today.

Just ran under cover as its rainy a lot now.

When I stoked her she does feel skinner along her back but better than I thought she maybe.
Have to take it day by day but at mo I think i made the right choice bringing her home.

Will update and thank you

Hi
Just a little update as i just responded to another post.

Kiki has been eating very well since home with no appetite meds needed, she is still going in the garden and over the back fence to neighbours flat roof to sleep as usual.
But today I feel her breathing was a bit faster so I think her time to go is approaching as they said its usuarly 3 weeks from diagnoses but could be longer, she has lost some weight i think

My vet is meant to call me tomorrow regarding more meds but will discuss todays breathing.

She went in the garden late this evenng and jumped the fence but I couldnt see her on the flat roof so was sitting here waiting and hoping she ok.

Just seen her on the far side of the flat roof from my bedroom window just ignoring me thank god.
But will still wait for her to d3cide to come in !

It sounds like you are being very vigilant @Oxo01 - it's such a sad and awful thing to go through.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses
Yes trying to be.
This morning she came on the bed purring and head butting me for strokes. but i thought the was breathing was a bit worse her eyes looked tired ( she and I did have a late night) ! joking aside I said to my partner maybe its time.
I literally felt sick and wanted to cry at the thought.

Gave her her streroids etc within 15 mins she came down ate half tin, some fresh cooked chicken and few treats.

She has just came back after sitting on the neighbours small shed looking for more food, ate some more chicken and laying on my garden swing now.

Breathing is not as heavy but it is a bit more smaller quick breaths.

Will speak to vet hopefully later maybe she can have meds increased in dosage or regularly maybe not and we may make descion soon but its so weird how she still has a good appetite with still some energy to jump the fence.

Thank you for your responses.

Oh forgot insurance paid the over £4200. i just paid excess £125 as new condition.