joyce-tuscany said:
Gave us lots of purrs, licks and sat with DH for their couch time - holding hands like they do.
awwww .... holding hands with her daddy
A few had comments about sugar cats with cancer can have what they want...... Are we talking lets go hog wild and give them whatever - and damn the sugar?? Are we talking within reason?? Are we talking a little here and there - but more as she gets worse to help her cont to eat?? Are we talking - don't worry about getting good numbers - just keep her yellow ?
I think this is an individual decision, something you'll probably want to discuss with your DH. You both have to be comfortable with whatever you choose. What works for one family may not work for another.
I've given this some thought ever since Meowzi's mammary cancer dx and our experiences since then. But I haven't been in your shoes, so it's just conjecture that I would do what I think I'd do if faced with a similar situation (I fervently hope I never will be in such a situation). We never know until and unless we are in those shoes.
So, what follows are my thoughts, and mine alone. You and DH may make different choices than I would, and please know that there is nothing wrong with that. Every kitty is unique, as is every situation and bean. Ultimately, I believe there is no right or wrong decision when it comes to end-of-life issues. There are only decisions made out of love.
My personal preference would be to forget the numbers, and focus on keeping her happy and comfortable. I think with Gia's Quirk (btw those were Gia's very wise words that I borrowed: "cancer kitties are allowed to have anything their little hearts desire") she let him have whatever he would eat, and adjusted the insulin dose around that. It's not about regulation anymore. I don't know what insulin they were using and how do-able it is to work lantus or lev around the food, but some peeps here are already working their doses around steroids. I would think food action is more predictable than steroid action, so I'd imagine it would be do-able. That's what *I* would try anyway. If you like, I can PM Gia (don't see her on the board much anymore) and see if she'll stop in to share her experience.
I would want to add this though - it has been long believed that carbs feed cancer, which is why kitties (and dogs too i believe - there's a special rx low-carb cancer diet for dogs, called n/d) that are being treated for cancer are encouraged to go low-carb, to "starve" the cancer cells. Would I advocate higher carb food - let them eat anything - and treats for a cancer kitty that has a high likelihood of successful treatment? No. But would i advocate the same for a cancer kitty with a poor prognosis, who we already know with certainty has a limited lifespan? In the latter situation, I probably would "go hog wild", as you call it, and give them all the temptations they would want, kibble if desired, you get the pic. Not to the extent that it'll make them sick or feel lousy, of course, but that would be the only limitation I set. If my kitty has a limited time left to be with me, I want that to be a happy time for her. And if that means violating the no-kibble rule and there no-high carb rule, so be it. I'd just adjust her insulin dose around the numbers, if there's a BG spike.
There may be a trade-off with my approach - would higher carb food accelerate the cancer's progress? I don't think anyone knows. But if you could talk to her today, which would she choose? Which would you choose? These are factors you'll probably want to weigh in evaluating your choices. And when you settle on a choice, it has to be something you and your DH can live with, with no regrets. And there is no wrong choice in this situation, remember that.
As for pain management, talk to your vet. If she needs pain meds, I would be inclined to give it. If pain can be controlled, there can still be good QOL. Have you seen the
QOL scale prepared by Dr. Alice Villalobos? She's an oncologist who advocates palliative pawspice, the animal equivalent of hospice. She emphasizes comfort and quality of life for pets with terminal disease.
Re: bupe, if you use it, you can always start with the lowest dose recommended for her weight (or even go a little lower than that), and observe. If it offers relief, well and good. If not, you can give a little more after an hour (med should have kicked in by then); it's trial and error till you get to the right dose. Cheryl used to do that with Winnie. You don't want her zonked out, yet you do want her to be comfortable.
