Jester might have cancer

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shelaghc

shelaghc

Member Since 2017
Jester may have cancer.

Someone at the FB group for cats with multiple medical problems looked over his latest labs (I didn't realize I hadn't posted them until she asked) and said some of the numbers are consistent with cancer.

Also, the vet noticed a mass when looking over the x-ray. Thing is, so did the vet last year but he didn't suggest any further investigation.

Treatment last year and treatment this year would have been two completely different things.

He's been off insulin for two weeks now, but on subq fluids. Someone suggested I look into steroids, but how much help would that be?

Jester is eating and drinking, purring and cuddling, I spotted him stretching out and sharpening his claws. For the first time in months, he doesn't seem ravenously hungry, but still eats nearly two cans of food a day.

I'm just not sure what to do right now.
 
I don’t have any experience in this, so I don’t know if steroids would help. You could certainly give them a try. Have you asked the vet about trying them?
 
Sharon14 said:
Have you asked the vet about trying them?
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His current regular vet is on vacation until Monday. The owner of the practice has been answering questions for me this week. One of her replies made me suspect something else was going on. That's when I asked for opinions on FB.

Kris & Teasel said:
I'd ask the vet what might make him feel better, keep eating and so on.
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Jester's still eating pretty well actually.
Although this morning it looks like he's dealing with an URI - crud in both eyes and some sneezing.

His BG was a nice green 58. In fact someone on that same FB group was wondering if he was misdiagnosed from the beginning. The prescription food he's on - the Royal Canin Selected Protein duck and rabbit flavors - are pretty high in carbs.
 
Update
The crud in his eyes is apparently related to the probable cancer. The vet thinks there's a tumor above Jester's beautiful eyes.

They gave him 200ml of fluids because he was so dehydrated.

He's not in pain - in fact he finished eating and is now stretched out beside me letting me stroke him.

When I asked about steroids, she said we might consider oral prednisone which apparently wouldn't screw with his BG, but would also dehydrate him even more.

His current regular vet comes back on Monday and I'll talk over options with her then.
 
To say I'm gutted about this is an understatement.

I have three in person friends who've collectively had four diabetic cats. Every one of them lived at least four to six years after being diagnosed. They just needed to adjust their food, give them insulin, and visit the vet every few months to make sure everything was going okay.

Why couldn't that have been Jester too? Why am I losing my baby so soon?
 
I’m so sorry you and Jester are going through this. I’m glad he’s feeling good now, try to focus on that (not easy, I know) I hope your vet has some good options for you:bighug:
 
shelaghc said:
To say I'm gutted about this is an understatement.

I have three in person friends who've collectively had four diabetic cats. Every one of them lived at least four to six years after being diagnosed. They just needed to adjust their food, give them insulin, and visit the vet every few months to make sure everything was going okay.

Why couldn't that have been Jester too? Why am I losing my baby so soon?
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I’m so sorry you’re going through this! I know the feeling (I guess we all do here).
But don’t jump to conclusions too fast, especially if Jester is acting totally normal and happy. Quality of life is the most important thing, and it looks like right now he has that.
Keep us posted on any news you get and stay strong <3
 
If you have the money, due a full body MRI - get clear, good pictures of what might be going on. Abdominal tumors in cats are horrible, tough to treat but it COULD be benign - or easily cut out, the MRI will help show that. Especially if he's still eating, drinking, playing, otherwise being a normal kitty - might mean you caught it early.
 
Candy&Company said:
Especially if he's still eating, drinking, playing, otherwise being a normal kitty - might mean you caught it early.
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Jester's weight has gone from 12.5 pounds to 6.1 pounds. He eats two cans of food a day but has been losing weight for over a year now. At one point he was eating between three and four cans of food. He's been on a prescription diet for nearly a month now and is still losing weight.
He was 6.5 pounds about two weeks ago and on Saturday he was down to 6.1 pounts.

He cuddles with me and doesn't hide. But he no longer has the kind of energy to play.
He's having trouble jumping up on things now.
He usually uses the litterbox, but sometimes pees outside. I laid down puppy pads and he'll use them about once or twice a day.
He eats, but he's extremely dehydrated - I'm now giving him fluids every day.

I've never had the money for an MRI.

I know you're trying to help, but all this does is make me feel worse about everything. I'm very likely letting him go this coming weekend.
 
shelaghc said:
Jester's weight has gone from 12.5 pounds to 6.1 pounds. He eats two cans of food a day but has been losing weight for over a year now. At one point he was eating between three and four cans of food. He's been on a prescription diet for nearly a month now and is still losing weight.
He was 6.5 pounds about two weeks ago and on Saturday he was down to 6.1 pounts.

He cuddles with me and doesn't hide. But he no longer has the kind of energy to play.
He's having trouble jumping up on things now.
He usually uses the litterbox, but sometimes pees outside. I laid down puppy pads and he'll use them about once or twice a day.
He eats, but he's extremely dehydrated - I'm now giving him fluids every day.

I've never had the money for an MRI.

I know you're trying to help, but all this does is make me feel worse about everything. I'm very likely letting him go this coming weekend.
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Oh god, I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to feel like that, I'm SO sorry~

Based on the weight loss, I'd say yeah.. cancer. What's his diabetes scores like?

He's eating a lot of food, but if not regulated... but then again I'm just saying things you know.

I'm so sorry... your baby doesn't sound good, I'm so sorry.. losing weight a lot, more limited mobility..

The weight loss worries me, that's a huge drop... I;m so new to all this, I dunno what to say.

Can anyone help? Hello? Please?

What has your vet said, recently?
 
Candy&Company said:
Oh god, I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to feel like that, I'm SO sorry~
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I want to apologize for lashing out like that at you.

Jester and I have been going through this for over a year now. I was unemployed when he was first diagnosed and the vet, while somewhat well-meaning, tended to throw financial shocks at me by telling me how prohibitively expensive such testing would be.

Now that I have a job even if I could afford the testing it's just too late and Jester is too far gone.

I'm stressed and upset and dealing with saying goodbye to my baby because I couldn't afford the kind of tests that might have shown what was really wrong with him and might have saved his life.

You didn't mean any harm and I'm sorry for taking my stress out on you.
 
Wow, he lost so much weight in a year! I understand now how scared you are.

Maybe not doing all the tests needed wasn’t such a bad thing, maybe it spared him from an awful treatment (treating cancer varies from one cat to another but it’s usually awful), it gave him the opportunity to have another love filled year with you. Sometimes, “poking” at cancerous masses just shortens their life.
There’s no point in thinking about the “what ifs”, it just makes you feel worse (even though we all do it). Enjoy the time you still have with him, make it all as comfortable as possible for him and talk to your vet about your options.

I’m really sorry you’re going through this. I don’t even know exactly what to say, just wanted to let you know I feel your pain :(
 
Nothing that is happening to Jester is your fault. You have always advocated for him and tried to get him the best treatment that you knew how. Even if you had gotten an MRI a year ago, you may have then gone on to treat and still not be any better or worse off now, but Jester would have been subjected to more poking and prodding and you'd be out a chunk of money in the process. Don't think about what might have been... all you can do is love him and give him the best care that you are able with the information you have in front of you at the time.. and that's what you have done. I don't really have any helpful information to share, but I wanted you to know that you have done nothing wrong!
I'm so sorry you are going through this :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I know people mean well (not referring to anyone here, btw). But why when I've made the decision do so many think they're being helpful when they try to find reasons for me to wait just a little longer?

The decision to let Jester go is wrenching enough. But for my friends to tell me I don't have to do it now I can wait a little longer, he's eating and social and cleaning himself and obviously not in pain as a way to talk me into keeping him with me just a few days longer makes the process even harder.

One of my cat sitters prefers to let her kitties die at home naturally and she wants me to consider that as well.

Jester is wasting away - still eating two cans of food a day. I have to give him a tiny bit of laxative so he's not in pain when he has a bowel movement.
He gets about 100ml of fluids every day and his body absorbs it within minutes.
He's having trouble now getting up into the bed with me and couldn't make it onto the couch (which is much lower to the floor) yesterday.
 
Just got off the phone with the vet and she believes I'm making the right decision for Jester.

The practice has what they call a comfort room at no additional charge. They've even told me I can bring Bastian and Sage so they understand what's happening and why Jester won't be coming home again.
 
This week / weekend is the annual Blessing of the Animals and I had hoped to get one for Jester. But most of them won't be until Saturday afternoon. Even the one that's going to be on Thursday evening I didn't really want to attend because it would have involved putting Jester in his carrier, driving him to another area of the city, waiting around for his turn, then driving back - just a bit too much trauma for my poor boy right now.

A church up the street from me - the most convenient one - couldn't do the blessing this year because of scheduling conflicts. But one of the secretaries is my next door neighbor. I asked if the minister might do a blessing just for Jester. While the minister is out of town all week, she reminded my neighbor - Molly - that she's an ordained Elder.

Molly came over last night and gave Jester the equivalent of a last rites blessing for his upcoming journey.

It was perfect because Molly knows me and my baby.

This is getting more real every day.
 
shelaghc said:
reasons for me to wait just a little longer?
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That is your decision alone. Why people think we have to wait until an animal can't even stand up is beyond me. It's not just mobility; there's dignity (cleaning), pain and the will or lack of it to go on. Only once did I wait too long and that was a painful lesson I'll never forget.
I have to ask you something unrelated to this. Was it you who had such a hard time pilling Jester until someone linked you to a Youtube video? I'll forget this again in 5 minutes and both Marco and Andy are just impossible to pill. Thanks.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
I have to ask you something unrelated to this. Was it you who had such a hard time pilling Jester until someone linked you to a Youtube video? I'll forget this again in 5 minutes and both Marco and Andy are just impossible to pill. Thanks.
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It might have been. I didn't know I was doing it all wrong until I watched a video on youtube. Made me feel so badly because pilling was so traumatic for both of us for over six months and so much simpler after that video.
 
Do you remember which video? I know people were giving you a lot of ideas but one in particular really did the trick. Again I apologize for getting off track but my short term memory really is that bad. If it's just not coming back to you I can just dig back through previous posts.
 
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