GA Introduction and Advice wanted - Sad news, and thank you.

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I did get her to finally pee - she has been refusing to for hours, so I took her out to her bathroom and sat her there and that was apparently the prompting she needed! She tested negative for ketones - I tested the sample twice just to be sure I was doing it properly (waited 15 seconds each time and compared it to the bottle - I am certain the color never changed either time)!
 
Very sad news.. Boo has lymphoma :(
We are heartbroken and trying to figure out if there's anything we can do for her. Unfortunately, because of the diabetes it seems as though steroid therapy is off the table because it would raise her blood sugar. We aren't sure that any of the other options (radiation, chemo) are viable for her because of her age and diabetes, but we are waiting to hear back about the staging of the cancer to decide anything.

For now, she is still eating and getting around OK and that's the best we can hope for, but we are absolutely devastated.

Thanks again everyone for trying to help us regulate her, but with this diagnosis I think her diabetes is just going to be difficult no matter what. I will still be using the spreadsheet to track her - it's a great resource! Again, thank you everyone for your suggestions and help. We really appreciate everything.
 
I am very sorry to hear about Boo's diagnosis. :(

Please let us know how things go with the oncologist. If they consider it treatable then keep in mind that, while it ultimately depends on the particulars for each cat, it is possible to give steroids to diabetic cats and adjust the insulin dose based on the cat's response. Also, age in and of itself may not be a bar to treatment (we have a 16-year-old here at the moment who's being treated with a chemo med plus pred).

Sending prayers for you all, but especially for Boo.

(((Boo)))

:bighug:


Mogs
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I'm sorry about the diagnosis. I wouldn't completely discount the use of steroids if it will help her. You can always adjust the insulin dose if required, to manage the blood sugar levels.
 
Hannah & Boo said:
Very sad news.. Boo has lymphoma :(
We are heartbroken and trying to figure out if there's anything we can do for her. Unfortunately, because of the diabetes it seems as though steroid therapy is off the table because it would raise her blood sugar. We aren't sure that any of the other options (radiation, chemo) are viable for her because of her age and diabetes, but we are waiting to hear back about the staging of the cancer to decide anything.
Click to expand...
How did they diagnose the lymphoma? Many of our cats have multiple issues — It’s not impossible to treat both lymphoma and diabetes concurrently.
@Wendy&Neko
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks for the well wishes.
They diagnosed with an abdominal ultrasound. We are still waiting on the needle aspirates to come back, but they saw issues with her liver, kidneys, intestines, and also a lymph node near her intestines. We are certainly going to see about what treatment options she has after the aspirates come back. We just want her to be as comfortable as possible at this point, and I'm mostly worried about her being able to tell me when it's "time". I do not want her to suffer, I just want her to be happy and with us as long as possible. I know this is a tricky thing to get right.
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your precious Boo.
I know exactly what you mean, my Angel has recently been diagnosed with kidney failure and I said to the vet I want him as well as possible for as long as possible. I think you will know in your heart when she wants to go to Rainbow Bridge. Hopefully she can be happy and healthy for a good while yet. xx
 
There are many types of lymphoma, some are very treatable. Cats can go into remission, again, depending on type of lymphoma and treatment. There are alternatives to prednisolone, which does raise blood sugar. For example, budesonide is a locally acting steroid that helps if you are dealing with small cell lymphoma in the bowels. But if a cat cannot have those alternatives and needs pred to live, then we just work the insulin dose around the prednisolone.

You absolutely cannot diagnose which type of lymphoma with just an ultrasound. More sampling is needed. Aspirate testing only helps with some type of lymphoma, not all.

Reading through all this, I've been wondering if it's time you switched to an internal medicine vet to help Boo. Several things about your vet make me think the situation has "gotten above his/her pay grade". Internal medicine vets are great at helping multiple conditions, and tend to be more up to date on the latest treatments with things you are dealing with.
 
Thank you for the insight @Wendy&Neko . We are awaiting the results of Boo's aspirates, hopefully hearing something from the lab/vet today or tomorrow.
Our main concern is of course Boo's comfort. She gets very stressed when she's taken out of her comfort zone (I'm sure like many cats), and she is pretty frail right now. We worry that putting her through chemotherapy would not only be too stressful for her, but because of her frailty that it would not improve her quality of life, especially for the duration. I'm definitely all for hearing alternatives of medicines we can give her - the vet has been very dismissive of using prednisolone on her because of her diabetes, and it's really disheartening. I will certainly mention budesonide and ask if it is a possibility for Boo once we hear more about her diagnosis.

There is another Doctor at the vet that we go to that has Internal Medicine listed as a "medial interest" on her profile.. I assume this means that she is studying it but has not mastered it yet, but we will be asking for her advice going forward. We are not opposed to going to other vets in the area, but again we hesitate to have to make too many trips outside of the 1/2 hour range for Boo because it impacts her so much to have to travel. I wish we lived in a more populated area for things like this :(
 
Hannah & Boo said:
the vet has been very dismissive of using prednisolone on her because of her diabetes, and it's really disheartening
Click to expand...
As you're already considering, seeking a second opinion may be a good idea if prednisolone is indicated as a possible therapy for Boo.


Mogs
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Cats handle chemo much better than people do. You an anti nausea med like ondansetron and/or Cerenia before hand to prevent nausea. The one I'm giving is once every two weeks and quite mild. Of course, that's for small cell lymphoma. Different treatment for different lymphomas. Once the cat starts getting treatment, it can help them feel better.
 
I just want to thank everyone here for their wonderful support. If I ever have another diabetic cat again you can bet I'll be here every day. You guys offer a wonderful support group and service to owners and animals alike - thank you so much. I wish I had taken advantage earlier.

Unfortunately, Boo's cancer rapidly spread and was in a lymph node pushing on her larynx. We made the sad decision to put her to sleep yesterday. It was my worst day, I've never been as sad as this before, but she was struggling to breathe and we know it was the right choice. I'll miss her every day, and the next few weeks and months will be particularly hard.

Again, thank you everyone to contributed. We did our very best to help our girl, and she had a few really good days towards the end - no doubt in part because of the guidance you all gave us.
 
I'm so very sorry that you had such a short time with Boo. She knew she was loved, she had those precious days towards the end, and she let you know when she was ready.
You did everything you could, with bereavements I always feel at a loss what to say because no words however heartfelt they are can bring the loved one back.
Thinking of you and sending hugs. x
 
Oh Hannah, I'm so sorry to read your sad news, but you gave Boo a life full of love and happiness and, when the time came, you gave her the greatest gift of all in saving her from suffering.

When I lost my Saoirse, someone sent this to me and it brought me some comfort. I hope it might bring you a little comfort too.

The Loving Ones

We never have enough time with them.

(((Hannah and Spirit Boo)))

:bighug:


Mogs
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My deepest sympathies Hannah. Boo will always be in your heart. :bighug: Take care of you too, this is a tough time for caregivers, especially for those complicated kitties.
 
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