Our Cat Velvet Is Dying Options

[Ken Albin]

I was just on here telling about the sudden death of our bunny Peter and now I'm back. I don't really know why I am writing since there isn't anything to be done at this point. I knew that with as many geriatric cats as we now have that we would be facing things like this but you never are prepared for the emotional distress it causes.

The woman who previously had Velvet said that he was 11 years old but I think that is optimistic. I would guess his age at closer to 13. He went in to our vet after experiencing diarrhea with blood. Blood work an exam, and an ultrasound were done. The ultrasound showed a thickening of a part of the colon. It could have been lymphoma or IBD. Since IBD is the disease that can be successfully managed they went with that idea and treated him with budesonide. It seemed to help quite a bit but last week he started swelling up with fluid in his abdomen. We took him in and the vet extracted 150 cc of fluid from his abdomen. He said that with the ultrasound results it appears to be late stage diffuse intestinal lymphoma. He gave Velvet Lasix and sent him home. Considering his age and the advanced stage of the illness he did not suggest any other treatment except to love and pet him as long as possible. He suggested that Velvet had from 1 - 4 weeks left.

I did a lot of research on Velvet's problem and decided that putting him through a biopsy procedure or aggressive chemotherapy would diminish his remaining days without adding more than a couple of months. The pain and nausea he might experience would break my heart at this point, all for my selfish desire to keep him a short while longer. I did have our vet change his budesonide to prednisolone in an effort to slow the growth of the cancer. His condition is so far advanced that the vet said it would be useless to give him further blood tests. That was shocking to hear since our vet always follows up with blood work when warranted.

Velvet's abdomen is swelling up again just one day after the aspiration of fluid and a shot of Lasix. I had the vet add a mild diuretic pill to his medications to hopefully slow the fluid buildup but I have little hope it will. The vet seemed to think that in all probability he had only a few days left so I got 4 doses of oral pain killer in case Velvet crashes when the vets are all closed here. It would keep him from being in too much pain until we can have him euthanized. I am going to hold off on that as long as he is still eating and doesn't seem to be in a great deal of discomfort. In the meantime we have been giving him a lot of petting and special foods he likes. It kills me that I can't do much about his illness. I read where some people put in gastric tubes and put geriatric cats on chemotherapy regimens that made them nauseous. While I understand their feelings and actually did consider trying something else I just can't torture poor Velvet when it is obvious he is close to the end. All I can do is to make his time as peaceful and happy as possible and when it is finally necessary to help him across Rainbow Bridge. I dread that day and will hold off as long as possible. In the meantime please say a little prayer for Velvet. He is a sweet lapcat who spent 7 wonderful years with us. His son Beau will be crushed by this.

Here is a photo with Velvet on the left and his son Beau on the right in happier times.
Please Lord no more deaths for now,
Ken Albin

Attached image(s)

 

[sissycat]

Ken,
I never like to hear of one of our loved furbaby passing, but they are in such a great place!!!!!
Hoping that everything went smoothly.

When you feel like it--will listen!!!!!!

Hugs to you and your new angel Velvet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!