GA Pancreatic tumor

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alexthecat

alexthecat

Member Since 2018
Cleo was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor today. It had been 7 months since she was diagnosed with diabetes and I just had a hunch that she needed to be seen. She wasn't isolating and her appetite was fine. I don't know why I thought she needed a check up.

The vet felt a mass in Cleo's abdomen and ultrasound confirmed that it was a tumor on her pancreas. The vet doesn't recommend surgery or steroids. She said that Cleo is not in pain and that, as long as that is the case and she doesn't seem ill, I can wait for her to tell me when it's time to let her go.

The vet thinks the tumor is the cause of Cleo's diabetes. Her insulin dose has gradually increased from 1 to 1.6 units since her diagnosis. I expect that to continue as the tumor grows.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something like this. The vet was supportive but didn't have a lot of information about what to expect.
 
I am so sorry for this news. But I am glad to read that Cleo is not in pain at this point. I don't have any knowledge or experience but wanted to offer my support. I hope others will be able to chime in and give you some help with this issue. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
Thanks for your support! I was really down about it, but Cleo is acting 100% normal. She's okay right now, so I need to be okay too. My civvy passed away less than 2 months ago. It would be hard to lose Cleo now too.
 
I would be feeling gloomy too, perfectly normal reaction. I am very sorry to hear of your recent loss also. All I can say is treasure every day you have, which I think you already do. She's such a beautiful furkid, the first time I saw her picture I thought "Wow, what beautiful markings!!!" Hugs to her from me, hugs to you too. Please keep me posted and allow me to walk this part of the journey with you.
 
I'll definitely continue to update Cleo's progress here. Her diabetes had been well regulated so far, but I expect that to change as her cancer progresses. I anticipate needing lots of feedback from the experts here as I try to keep Cleo happy and comfortable.
 
There is a member here whose cat has pancreatic cancer. He has been through some ups and downs, but his quality of life has been pretty good over the last few months from what I’ve read. I’ll tag her so you can catch up on her posts - there are some lovely pictures too. @Beck and Grandpa

EDIT: i can’t believe I forgot to say how very sorry I am about the news, and your recent loss as well. I am facing the difficult decision right now with my guy :(. I hope you guys have many more good days together ❤️
 
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Wow I love her markings!! Such a personality. I have no knowledge about this, but just wanted to lend an ear or a shoulder should the need appear. :bighug::bighug: it's gotta be tough but as long as she's happy and being a cat, no need to worry. She sure isn't :) :cat:
 
Hi. What a beautiful girl! I am sorry about the diagnosis! I know exactly how you're feeling right now. Next week will mark four months since Grandpa's ultrasound showed a pancreatic tumor that had already spread to other organs. Unlike your vet, I had two doctors at two clinics talk to me about letting him go. I'm very glad I didn't. I now only see my favorite vet with him. Her philosophy is that as long as he is "present", we keep going forward.

You already have the right attitude. She's the same kitty today as she was yesterday. You just have some additional information. Some folks get a tough diagnosis like this and begin focusing on the end. I decided to focus on life. Every day he wakes up is like Christmas, a day to celebrate. His time will come. I can't change that. But I can make sure that we enjoy the days up until then. I hope you can do the same.

I don't have any great words of wisdom. We are winging it as we go. But I'm here for anything I can do to help on your journey. Hug that pretty gal for me.

ETA. Don't be so sure that managing sugar will only get worse. Take a look at Grandpa's spreadsheet. He's gone from 400s and 500s on 2.5u of insulin to low 100s on just drops. In fact, I'm still up now because he is hovering in the 70s and I know he will go lower if I dare sleep.
 
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Beck and Grandpa said:
Unlike your vet, I had two doctors at two clinics talk to me about letting him go. I'm very glad I didn't. I now only see my favorite vet with him. Her philosophy is that as long as he is "present", we keep going forward.
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I was actually the one to bring up euthanasia when the vet gave me the news about Cleo. My first question was whether she's in pain. The vet said that she didn't seem to be. I said that I thought her quality of life was still good enough to carry on and the vet agreed.

You already have the right attitude. She's the same kitty today as she was yesterday.
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Cleo's attitude is what is pulling me through. We lost her brother kitty in August. He was sort of an attention hog. With him gone, Cleo has really blossomed. She gets all the lap time she wants and she chatters at me all the time. She's never been an only kitty before. I feel like this is our special time to be together.

ETA. Don't be so sure that managing sugar will only get worse. Take a look at Grandpa's spreadsheet. He's gone from 400s and 500s on 2.5u of insulin to low 100s on just drops. In fact, I'm still up now because he is hovering in the 70s and I know he will go lower if I dare sleep.
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The vet said to be prepared for swings and possible hypo episodes. I asked if I needed to test Cleo more regularly and she said no. I think I may start doing that anyway. I've always been pretty lazy about that and it wouldn't hurt to step it up a little.
 
Sorry about this diagnosis and for your recent loss. Hope you and Cleo have many, many happy days together.

I agree that testing more is a good idea to prevent those possible hypos.
 
I feel bad that I've wandered off for so long. I just wanted to update our friends and let them know that Cleo is doing great. Her appetite and mood are good. She's still doing well on 1.6 units of Prozinc. I know it won't always be like this, but we're enjoying our time together right now.
 
Cleo is my first female that I've had as a adult. (My family had lots of cats when I was growing up.) She's been with me since she was 10 weeks old.

If she hadn't been diagnosed with cancer, I wouldn't even know there was anything going on with her. She seems perfectly normal... but spoiled. I am spoiling this cat and loving every minute of it.
 
So sorry but you're doing all you can to make Cleo happy and comfortable. If and when the time comes you should be proud of all the time, effort and love you gave her. I'm sure she knows it too.
 
I'm so sorry about the diagnosis. I know exactly how you are feeling. Sheba was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Apart from having a couple of what I thought were pancreatic flare ups ( she had a history of pancreatitis) I had no idea she was so unwell.. it was a complete shock to hear she had pancreatic cancer. But looking back, I think she probably had it for about the previous 6 months, but she gave no hint that she was unwell apart from her usual pancreatic flares.

Her appetite was excellent (apart for the flare ups) right up until the last few days and I am sure she wasn't in pain (she was on tramadol twice a day for arthritis). Her abdomen filled with fluid in the last week or so and that was what alerted me that something was wrong and that made it hard for her to sit on my lap which she loved to do, but it didn't stop her eating or walking around doing her normal routine.
She only lived for 5 days after diagnosis and the specialist told me I would know when it was time because she would stop eating...and that is exactly what she did. Her great love was eating so I knew it was time.

I am sure you will have more time with Cleo as it sound as if it is in the early stages. I know they can do some things for some pancreatic tumours. Would you think of getting a second opinion?
ETA Shebas BSLs dropped as well in the last few months, they didn't go up.
 
@Bron and Sheba thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I really appreciate hearing from someone who has been there and knows how it feels.

I've talked to three vets about Cleo. They consider the tumor to be inoperable because of its location and size. I'm not sure that I'd want to put Cleo through major abdominal surgery anyway. I've had a lot of operations myself and it's so hard. I don't want that for poor Cleo.

And chemotherapy... I don't know... I feel like that would just sacrifice her quality of life for a potential, but uncertain, shot at more time. That's not what I want for her either.

She's such a sweet, old girl. I feel like we're a victim of excellent, modern diagnostics. I had a cat 12 years ago that died of pancreatic cancer. We didn't know what was wrong until he was very near to death. His diagnosis cost $1500 and I had to take him to a specialist at a university for an ultrasound and biopsy.

Now our vet has a desktop ultrasound machine in her office and she can run it herself in hardly any time at all. So, it's sad to know what's coming for Cleo, but I'd rather have it this way that be blindsided as I was with my other cat.
 
It is hard knowing what lies ahead, but it also means that if Cleo has some off days, you will be able to support and help her.
Sheba was on tramadol 10 mg twice a day for arthritic pain and I am sure that probably helped her in the later stages, because she showed no signs of pain, just the discomfort of the swollen abdomen in the last week or two. Maybe keep the idea of putting her on some pain relief later, even if she doesn't appear in pain. I found tramadol, which is a strong painkiller, did not effect her adversely in any way (she was on it for a couple of years) and I'm sure it helped her quality of life in the later stages of the pancreatic cancer (even though I didn't know it at the time).
It sounds like Cleo is still enjoying life .....keep spoiling her. She is still the same lovely girl and is unaware of anything. Don't look too far ahead, but enjoy each day. That is all any of us can do really.
:bighug:
 
For Cleo. If there comes a day when there is pain.
Noah was on transdermal BUPE for 2+ years, it never affected his vision, balance or appetite. He was a bouncer but I'm certain the BUPE did not affect his numbers. Sorry, that's looking into an uncertain future. Just something to keep in mind. He despised oral BUPE. Better days ahead.
 
Cleo is still doing well. Her appetite seems up and down. Some days, she is ravenous. Other days, she seems less interested in food. She does eat every day though and she is always ready for treats.

She sometimes seems wobbly in her back end, especially when she jumps off furniture. I don't know if that is neuropathy or if she gets disoriented because of her blindness. She began losing her vision about a year ago. She had not always been a blind kitty, but she had adapted very well.
 
Thank you for the update, I think about her all the time. I'm sorry to hear about the blindness, but it sounds like she is brilliantly resilient. Baby Girl Kitty here is also blind, goes outside and catches moles! Bubba, the pirate cat, has only one eye and is a master mouser. These furbabies continue to just amaze me. I wish Cleo, and you, many continued days of enjoyment, good appetite and well being. :cat:
 
Cleo is amazing! She gets around so well that it's easy to forget that she is blind. As long as I remember not to leave things cluttering up the floor, she zooms around like nothing's wrong. I have to sit in the exact same position in my recliner, so she can jump into my lap. She gets confused if I'm not right where she expects me to be.

When Cleo was diagnosed with diabetes, the vet asked if I wanted to discuss euthanasia. A blind, diabetic cat may be a big commitment, but Cleo is so sweet and she's been with me so long. She's worth it. I just love her so much.
 
She absolutely is worth it! She is so very fortunate to have you, and vice versa. We don't put blind diabetic beans to sleep. She does sound amazing, and I'm so glad you are keeping us posted. Every single one of the babies here is precious.
 
Bron and Sheba said:
I'm so sorry about the diagnosis. I know exactly how you are feeling. Sheba was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Apart from having a couple of what I thought were pancreatic flare ups ( she had a history of pancreatitis) I had no idea she was so unwell.. it was a complete shock to hear she had pancreatic cancer. But looking back, I think she probably had it for about the previous 6 months, but she gave no hint that she was unwell apart from her usual pancreatic flares.

Her appetite was excellent (apart for the flare ups) right up until the last few days and I am sure she wasn't in pain (she was on tramadol twice a day for arthritis). Her abdomen filled with fluid in the last week or so and that was what alerted me that something was wrong and that made it hard for her to sit on my lap which she loved to do, but it didn't stop her eating or walking around doing her normal routine.
She only lived for 5 days after diagnosis and the specialist told me I would know when it was time because she would stop eating...and that is exactly what she did. Her great love was eating so I knew it was time.

I am sure you will have more time with Cleo as it sound as if it is in the early stages. I know they can do some things for some pancreatic tumours. Would you think of getting a second opinion?
ETA Shebas BSLs dropped as well in the last few months, they didn't go up.
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Oh wow! I just read this and it is a carbon copy of Grandpa's progression including the dropping BSL and the abdominal fluid at the end.

We had four mostly good months with him after the diagnosis. He had pancreatitis flares, but recovered fairly quickly and his appetite would come back.
 
Cleo and I had a lovely thanksgiving. She is still doing well with 1.6 units of Prozinc twice a day. Her appetite is good and her purrsonality is as sweet as ever, so I think she is feeling well.

We live in Wyoming and our weather has turned cold in the last couple of weeks. She has grown a magnificent winter coat to stay warm. She looks amazing.
 
alexthecat said:
Cleo and I had a lovely thanksgiving. She is still doing well with 1.6 units of Prozinc twice a day. Her appetite is good and her purrsonality is as sweet as ever, so I think she is feeling well.

We live in Wyoming and our weather has turned cold in the last couple of weeks. She has grown a magnificent winter coat to stay warm. She looks amazing.
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I am so very glad to see this post. Perhaps a picture of Cleo in her gorgeous winter coat? Oh my, Wyoming gets SO cold! I holler and complain every winter about cold, snow and ice here, but we got nothing on you! Stay warm, stay safe, hugs to you and dear Cleo. :bighug:
 
Cleo is still doing well. I'm thinking of trying a product called Pet Wellbeing Life Gold. It's a nutritional supplement for kitties with cancer. I'm not sure if it's appropriate for a diabetic cat. If it is, I'm thinking that it can't hurt and might help. She's still asymptomatic and I'd like to help her stay that way if I can.
 
If you try that product I hope it helps Cleo a lot! Thanks for the update, how are you holding up? I got confused, I looke at your profile just now and saw you are from Denver, CO..but you are in Wyoming now? Hope you are keeping safe and warm. It's getting colder here than I like, we both have bad head colds and I have been flying around on my broom quite frequently (bad me). But Idjit is being taken care of and I manage to fix meals, so life goes on. Hugs to you and Cleo!:bighug::bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I did some more research on that supplement and it looks a little shady. I think I'll skip it and save my money. I just need to feel like I'm giving Cleo every opportunity to feel well. I think she is right now.

Cleo and I are from Colorado, but we live in Cheyenne, Wyoming now. We're looking forward to our Christmas. It's lonely not having Paddy around. He was Cleo's civvie brother who passed on in August. I still miss him every day.

Cleo needs a Christmas gift, but I have no idea what she would like. Her favorite treats are out because she's diabetic and she doesn't seem to care about toys since she lost her eyesight.
 
alexthecat said:
I did some more research on that supplement and it looks a little shady. I think I'll skip it and save my money. I just need to feel like I'm giving Cleo every opportunity to feel well. I think she is right now.

Cleo and I are from Colorado, but we live in Cheyenne, Wyoming now. We're looking forward to our Christmas. It's lonely not having Paddy around. He was Cleo's civvie brother who passed on in August. I still miss him every day.

Cleo needs a Christmas gift, but I have no idea what she would like. Her favorite treats are out because she's diabetic and she doesn't seem to care about toys since she lost her eyesight.
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Maybe a heated bed? When I use my electric lap blanket, Idjit is right on it..it's a short soft pile, which he loves, and the heat is a bonus! I was just visiting my daughter and was using her heating pad, her kitty climbed right on top of it and claimed it for her own. So, I gave up and let her lay, nap on it (on low) right beside me on the couch. I am a very good "granny" LOL
 
What about a lovely small piece of fresh salmon grilled or pan fried for Christmas. Would she like that? I know my Harry would go nuts for it. I wouldn’t give too much as it’s rich but a piece given over a day would be fine I think.
 
Cleo has the heating pad that belonged to her brother. He had arthritis and was so bothered by the cold. She likes to sleep on that, but she pretends she doesn't care. She doesn't want to let on that it's not her idea.

Maybe Cleo would eat salmon. I don't know. She's never eaten anything but cat food. I always thought she was too polite to go after my food. I think she was just holding back in case Paddy wanted it. Since he's gone, she's gotten really pushy about trying to steal things off my plate.
 
Cleo is hungry today! She ate a whole can of Fancy Feast before I left for work this morning. She didn't eat much during the day, but now she seems hungry for dinner. She gets a snack when I get home in the evening. Then I take away her food for 2 hours before her shot, so I can test her. She's not pleased with me tonight.

She's gained about 2 pounds since her diagnosis. I wouldn't mind if she gained a little more. She's about 8 pounds, but she's a big girl. She was 11 pounds when she was younger and she wasn't fat at that weight.
 
We're at the emergency vet clinic. I came home this evening and she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She was hunkered down under the couch and wouldn't come out. I managed to lure her out with Fancy Feast but she wouldn't eat it. She wouldn't eat the other cat's Temptations either. Her back legs are wobbly and she collapses after a few steps.

So, this may be the end. We're waiting to see the vet now.
 
Oh I am so sorry :bighug::bighug::bighug:
I was so hoping she would have longer with you. But I know from experience that the end comes on suddenly with that terrible disease, which for Cleo is probably a blessing as she was able to enjoy life until the end, but hard on the beans.
You have been wonderful with her and she knew you loved her. Sending love as you grieve for your beautiful girl.
Fly free Cleo and land softly at the rainbow bridge. :rb_icon:cat_wings>o
 
I'm SO sorry it was Cleo's time to cross...big huge looooong hug.

Soar high on your new angel wings sweet girl...land softly back in your family's broken hearts.

More hugs,
 
This day has been horrible! I had just got back from lunch when there was a bomb threat at work. They sent us all home. Then, when I got here, Cleo needed to see the vet. I knew she had her health challenges. I didn't know the end was so near. This morning she begged for her treats + insulin and her Fancy Feast, just like always. Then we had our morning cuddle. Everything seemed so normal.
 
Oh what a terrible day you have had!
The end came suddenly for Sheba as well and although it was just heartbreaking, I was at peace with the decision that it was time.
Just know you gave her the greatest gift by releasing her from future suffering.
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
My greatest fear was that she would linger for months and I'd have to make a decision about whether it was time. Then I'd be second guessing that. I feel like she made the decision for me and I'm grateful for that.

Our civvie died in August. It's lonely with both of them gone, but I'm glad they are together now. Paddy is free of his arthritis and Cleo has regained her eyesight!
 
I am so very sorry to read this, my heart is breaking for you. You have taken such good care of Cleo and now have given the final precious gift of release. I'm so glad to know that Cleo had the last two months since the diagnosis, feeling good, well cared for and being loved. Words do not suffice, but I hope you will treat yourself very well these next days. We do share your loss and I wish there was more I could do to help ease your grief. :bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
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