OT: Say a little kitty prayer, please

All cats are unique, but Reynard (F. for fox because of his face) adds a new dimension to that word. He was a little feral whose picture I posted about two years ago when I found him, his two siblings and mommy in my yard where she had taken refuge. He was so hostile, I worried that I'd never be able to tame him. One day he simply decided I was his best friend and now his nickname is Velcro. He went to the vet yesterday because he was breathing heavily and his heart was racing. She says he has lymphoma and the x-ray shows his chest cavity filled with tumor. He's getting cortisone (prednisolone) to try and shrink the tumor but the prognosis is grim. I'm weighing whether to see another vet and perhaps trying chemo, but everything I've read has the same conclusion: death in weeks or months. It's impossible to look at him and believe this; he's as cheerful as ever, purring and prancing about the house. Wish us both well, please. For him, the best quality of life possible, and for me, the wisdom to do what is best for him. Because he was so cantankerous, he has a special place in my heart and I am sadder than sad. Gardening will take on a new dimension now: distraction.

Oh, Alma, my heart goes out to you both. I will be thinking the best of all possible thoughts for you and your furry friend, no matter what decisions you make for his future.

When I first saw him among the plants. That was as close as I could get till I trapped him, hissing and spitting. For weeks, if I got too close, I'd get scratched and bitten. Now, whenever I sit down, if he's close, he gets in my lap, stands on my legs, 'biscuit-izes' my chest and head butts my chin.

And some people think cats aren't affectionate... they have no idea what they're missing.

What a wee mite he was--and even among the leaves, you can see he got 'tude! You get a gold star in your crown for loving and caring for him until he realized what a haven you were offering him.

Ahhh Alma! That just stinks :(
Offering up many Kitty prayers that all goes as well as possible......................

Alma your are the best kitty mom I know!!

Alma...so sorry to hear about your baby ! I had to make the decision to put my cat down awhile back. It was a hard decision but I couldn't watch him suffer anymore. You'll know when it time to make the decision. Please keep us posted. I'll be keeping you both in my prayers.

Wow this touches my heart, Alma.
My dear Lex (Bert's brother) was diagnosed with lymphoma early Nov 2005 (after 2 visits - the vet missed it the first visit). He was on The Pred for a couple weeks and the tumor continued to grow. He had a $2500 surgery but they were able to remove only 2/3 the tumor. The physiology of the Standard Pooble mouth didn't allow the surgeon to go in far enough. I picked him up at noon on Dec 7. That was the day at driver hit me head on, totalled my car and shattered my leg. (don't get in a car wreck with your pet. They aren't allowed in the ambulence). My Dear dear EMTs, took me and Lex home where DH then took me to Mayo. Lex was a trooper partly because he was drugged, hurting. Couldn't even put a leash on him do to the surgery wounds. We put him down Jan 6. The tumor had grow Sooooooo fast! It tripled in size prior to the surgery. He couldn't eat or breathe. The reason I share this is if Velcro's tumor grows like Lex's its a very miserable slow death. I'm sorry we waited as long as we did. There really wasn't even time to start the chemo nor time for it to take effect and "hopefully" reduce the tumor so he could breathe. Keep a close check on the quality of life issue. Velcro deserves the very best from you. My prayers for the little kitty! For his recovering health or kitty Heaven.

I am so very sorry Alma. This just stinks. I wish your sadness could be lessened by our sharing. Take care and make the best decision you can in the days or weeks ahead.

Peace sistah.

Alma

I am lost for words. To decide for someone else when is time to go, it is one of the hardest thing to do,.
It is, possible the best way to show our care, by allowing a loved one to not suffer and go in peace.
I hope that the meds help and Velcro will have a new lease on life.
Lots of prayers and thoughts of good health are coming your way.

Thank you all; I knew you would understand. I will not let Reynard suffer, hard as it will be to let him go. I hope so much that the pred will reduce the tumor size and he will have some quality time, even if short. He is such a fun - and funny - cat that I don't want to make that final trip until he gives me a signal. Normally, he'd spend some time outdoors in the enclosure, but he'll stay inside with me from now on so I can watch him closely.

Susie, I can't believe you went through all that in such a short time. What an ordeal. It is another sign of an environment out of whack, I think, that more and more pets are dying of cancer. This didn't use to be, but it is now and there seems to be little we can do about it. I am so sorry you lost your beautiful dog. Did you recover fully from your shattered leg?

So sorry to hear about your precious cat. I have been thru this with cats and a dog. We chose not to put our dog thru the cancer treatments knowing how uncomfortable that would have been for him and he not being able to tell us to stop. Toward the end I was feeding him with a spoon but at that point we had him put to sleep. Better we suffered in losing him then just keeping him with us when he had no quality of life. Sounds like you gave him a very special life. Now perhaps you can give him a comfortable goodbye when the time comes. Linda

Velcro is so very lucky to have found such a wonderful mom. Prayers and love for you both. Susan

My dear Alma, I am so sorry to hear this news. That is the sweetest little kitty face. You both are blessed to have had each other in your lives. You are in my thoughts, my friend.
Jane

Alma you and Velcro are definately in my thoughts and prayers. Whatever happens from here please realize its in someone else's hands. Please find solice in that!

As a fellow cat lover - our hearts are heavy. It is my hope that all turns out for the best!

Don

Alma, I am so sorry about your dear Reynard. Everyone here has said so eloquently what I find hard to put into words, but know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and he. Do keep us updated and come here to share, you need some extra love and support right now.

You and Reynard are in our prayers Alma.

Alan

Sorry to hear of Reynard's troubles. Prayers and healing thoughts coming your way.

I 'talked' to a vet in an online group this afternoon. She strongly advises me to get a second opinion, saying that it's impossible to diagnose lymphoma with just an x-ray. She thinks it may be a pleural efflusion. So Monday, I'll try to get in quickly to see someone else. I am really fearful, though, that the vet who saw him is right. I listened to him for a couple of minutes earlier today and I could only hear his heart beat faintly. And his lungs don't sound crackly like you'd think they would if he had fluid there.

He is such a strange little sweetheart; he has a high soprano meow and when he starts looking for me, he starts that meow and I know it's him. Thank you all for being here; my mood goes up and down between disbelief and sorrow.

Alma,
For what its worth, Lex's breathing changed, his bark changed, he coughed and he salivated alot.
I would suggest getting a second opinion. My unfortunate experience was that his vet of 5 years misdiagnosed his cancer for an allergy.... weeks were lost to a steroid treatment. I don't see that vet any longer.

Thanks to an amazing doctor and his fabulous team my leg healed with NO residual problems. He operated for 4 hours piecing it all back together with wire and titanium etc. Physical therapy was phenomenal.

Alma I think you getting a second opinion is for the best also. I am so glad you talked to another vet, let's hope and pray the news is better...... You are such a wonderful person and I'm sure Velcro maintains that same personality.... God bless!

Don

Alma, I hope the second opinion brings better news. I know what's it like to suddenly find out that the kindest thing for a beloved pet may be the most painful thing for you...it's an awful shock.

He's such a beautiful and interesting little fellow...those eyes shining in the leaves tug at my heart! My most beloved cat was also a strange and cantankerous one (horrible and wonderful all at once.)

I know letting them go with grace is the last and best gift we can give them, but it's so hard, no matter when it comes. I'm so glad he found someone to give him the love he deserves! Try to be good to yourself, and please give that special boy a little pat for me!
Sheri

Oh, I do hope you find better news in the second opinion. If not I hope your beloved kitty can be made comfortable.

Susie, that's just a terrible story, those are the things that make us stronger I suppose.

So sorry to hear that. I hope the second opinion is better. But I know you are just happy you have had him to brighten your life for whatever time you have. I know he is lucky to have found you!

alma - all the best you mr. velcro...

I'm a little worried that he's not eating enough. He's always been a long, lanky cat and I don't think he's lost much, if any, weight. But he can't afford to lose any now, for sure. I'll be pulling out all my temptations and if you have any food tricks that have worked for you, please share. The pred should make him hungry and if it doesn't, I'll really worry.

Keep those good thoughts coming and thank you for every one.

If he has an obstruction in his gullet he'll resist eating, like my Lex did. Look into his mouth, down his throat. My vet never did that. With Lex's size, 65 lbs, his throat passage should have been open the size of a half dollar or a silver dollar. When the surgeon showed me his throat it was the size of a dime. The tumor's position closed the throat. Just check it out. Velcro's tumor (if in fact there is one) could create obstruction.

(((Alma))) you will know when its time to give him the greatest gift of all.

Susie, I will look to see if there's an obstruction. I did see him swallowing hard yesterday but not today. I've read as much as I can bear to read and I felt all around his neck for any swelling, but there's none that I can feel. The dex he got Friday seems to have relieved his breathing a little bit so I'm hopeful it will give him some relief.

I have been through some very hard times with terminally ill cats and I always look to them for a signal that they're done with life on earth. It's not foolproof, but I would rather that trip be for their sake, not mine. It is never easy and it is always tearful. Reynard loves life and I'm hoping he gets the most he can get, with comfort.

I'm so sorry to hear about Velcro. My thoughts are with you. I'm glad you're getting a second opinion. Diagnosing lymphoma without further tests doesn't seem right to me. If you need the name of a very good vet oncologist, let me know.

I don't know if this will help Alma but sometimes when I have been nursing small animals back to health for what ever reason and getting food down was difficult or they just lost interest I would go to the store and buy Similac, the baby formula and the Pedialite water and give it with a dropper to help keep up strength and prevent dehydration. I hope that doesn't sound stupid...I just want to help. Susan

Susan, not at all. I have fed more than one cat with droppers and syringes. I thought about getting something like Ensure today, but decided that was not a good idea. I didn't think about Similac or Pedialyte but that sounds promising. I had to give him his first syringe dose of pred today and that wasn't pretty. He's a freaky little boy and he wanted no part of that syringe. He did eat some smelly canned food tonight. Not much but I was encouraged. Thanks for the suggestion.

Sand Dragon, I'll let you know if I get that far. Right now, I think another regular vet can help diagnose; I hope so much that we won't need an oncologist.

TF,
When my cats or dogs have been ill I put them on pedialyte, cooked lean hamburger or chicken, cottage cheese/yogurt, organic brown rice. But most of all you need to establish and let us know if there is a tumor. If its lymphoma and what treatment you will follow. Hopefully, whatever the diagnosis, its treatable to a heathy result for Reynaud, le chat.

Alma- I am so sorry to hear this news, my chest just tightened up. I will hold both you and Velcro in my prayers. Life can just be so unfair sometimes. Perhaps he was sent to you in the beginning to have the best possible life for as long as he was here to enjoy it, be it 2 years or another 5 or 10 or 15.....

Susie

Reynard has an appointment tomorrow morning with oncologist, Dr. Soderstrom of Sonora Oncology. Has anyone had any experience with this clinic and especially with Dr. Soderstrom? I've never used them before and the consult alone is on the $$$ side.

I was going to get a second opinion from another regular vet but Reynard is changing before my eyes. I am pretty certain his vet is right but if there is any hope, he will need aggressive treatment. He has not meowed in two days. He is eating, not much at a time, but several times a day. This business of not being sure what to do is horrible.

Please let me know if you know - or know of - Dr. S.

Oh Alma....I hope for the best..................

I'm praying for you Alma and that sweet little purrball.

Thinking lots of good thoughts for you both...

Sorry, haven't heard one way or the other about Dr. S, although a google search revealed that he has seems to be known in vet oncology circles. Here's one example on article published by him:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7709566

I just wanted to let you know that both you and Reynard are in my thoughts.

Thank you; I need every good wish. I went to an online lymphoma group. Lots of info, not much of it good. There are a few rays of hope and I was happy to hear those. Reynard pranced a little today. He's a cat that seems to walk on his tippy toes with a looooong tail straight up in the air. He was born with a 45 degree angle at the tip of his tail, giving it the appearance of a bottle brush. He's apparently very proud of it! I tell him he's beautiful.