Cat Leukemia?

Question

i just found out that my cat, who we've had four 14 yrs, may be dying. she was found seeping bloody meucus from her nose and struggling to breath through her mouth, she is very skinny and very weak, taken to the vet and he says that she may have leukimia...i love this cat, and i want to do everything i can to take care of her, besides the meds, how best can you comfort a dying cat?

Shes weak cause she hasnt eating, would giving her that fish help? i was thinking about milk, drop by drop through a straw or something, cause she doesnt even have the energy to drink....would milk be good? i think that if i got her to eat something, she might gain a lil of her strength back.

i know better than to give a drowning man a breath of fresh air...but i feel, if shes dying, the best i can do is show her out with comfort and love. Im not putten her down, nature takes its course, it isnt right to pull out early, you wouldnt do that to a person with leukemia

Answer 1

First let me say how sorry I am about your cat. I love mine and know what you are feeling.

How to proceed depends on how advanced the disease is. Cats that test positive have a very good chance of recovery if they don't show symptoms. Here is a link to a vet that has had success in treating this disease. http://www.belfield.com/article2.html
If you can pick up his book at the library, you might find it helpful.

In an advanced state there is probably little you can do to save your friend and your attention should be focuses on making her comfortable. There are may holistic cat books that list products you can get at the health food store for making your cat more comfortable and less afraid as it nears death. Here is a link to a great book that you might be able to get at your local library. http://www.amazon.com/Homeopathic-Care-Cats-Dogs-Animals/dp/155643295X/sr=1-1/qid=1172170819/ref=sr_1_1/104-8483050-1274346?ie=UTF8&s=books
This is also a great book should your vet think there is a chance of recovery and you want to research effective natural cures.

You should call around and see if there are any local vets that will come to your home and euthanize your cat if the need arises. There are two in my area and although I hate to think about it, it would be better for the cat to be at home then to have the stress and fear of going to a strange place.

Best of luck you.

Answer 2

Hi, first of all I'm very sorry your kitty has gotten ill. 14 years old mean she has lived a good long life! Now as far as your veterinarian...there is a very simple blood test that should be done to see if she has leukemia or FIV (feline version of HIV). Your vet should also do some bloodwork, chemistry and a complete blood count! With a geriatric cat many things can be wrong, and bloodwork can answer alot of questions! She could be in kidney failure, heart failure, have heartworms...all things your vet needs to check for. If she is very skinny and weak she needs to be on IV fluids. Unfortunately giving her fish and milk is not going to help much, medically speaking.
Keep in mind, if she is really in poor shape you need to think about her quality of life. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our furry friends is let them go.
Get your vet to do a good workup, and don't hesitate to get a second opinion!
Good luck!

Answer 3

From someone who watched two cats die "naturally" (versus putting down) from leukemia, I beg you to reconsider. Any idea that you have of your cat going peacefully in his or her sleep is about to be shattered. If the cat is not eating, there is not much time. I don't understand why the veterinarian would not have given a blood test for the cat, its the only way to know what it has. In the advanced stages of leukemia there is nothing you can do to reverse what has happened. Its not called "giving up" its called facing the fire and acting compassionately. I totally understand what you are feeling and how hard it is to let go, but I also have seen the bitter end. My third cat who died of leukemia (they were all three litter mates that had it from their mom) I took to have euthanized. It was hard but I would never do it differently even if I could. I know I saved him from a lot of agony, and myself too. Take a few hours with her and give her all the love she deserves, thank her for everything you shared together and then, take her to your veterinarians office and hold her in your arms while they administer the shot. Its the only way to go.

Answer 4

As a future veterinarian my first advise to give you would be to consult your veterinarian again.

Ask him the same questions you just asked. If he can not give you another option seek a second opinion. If you love you cat as much as you say you do go the extra mile for him or her.

Leukemia is no joke. It basically is defined as a type of cancer in which white blood cells displace normal blood. This leads to infection, shortage of red blood cells (anemia), bleeding, and other disorders, and often proves fatal.

Ask both veterinarians if they can give you cat a good chance to pull through. If not the best thing in my opinion (which isn’t worth more that you certified veterinarian’s opinion) is to put him or her down. Sorry my friend, don’t keep her suffering just because you are too attached to let your pet go.

She’s 14 years old! Her body might be to tired to fight this off. But, like I said get a second opinion. Best of luck to you!

Answer 5

A Siamese mix neutered male cat adopted our family one day, years ago. We already had 4 cats and 2 dogs, all of whom we kept current on their shots. My oldest cat, a neutered male tabby, was the one who brought him home, into the house, and showed him the food and water bowls, then walked away. After the family decided that we'd keep Otis, we took him in for his vet check where we were told he was positive for feline leukemia although he'd not developed any serious symptoms yet. This was a young cat, just a couple years old, and we decided to go ahead and bring him home after the vet told us that the disease is spread through the exchange of body fluids, primarily saliva. Otis was never a problem with any of the other animals and he'd demonstrated an interesting quirk... he refused to eat from the other kitty bowls or drink from the common water source. He demanded his own food dish, and would only drink from the bathtub faucet. He was a real lover, too... a model cat in all ways. He grew to be a fat, shiny, regal and proud young man. About 2 years later, he began developing symptoms and we took him back in to the vet. Apparantly his disease had been in some kind of remission for a period of time, but was active again. The vet explained to us that Otis probably wouldn't get any better, but at this time he didn't appear to be in distress. Over the next month or so he began to lose weight, his coat became coarse and thin, and he developed tumors on either side of his trachea which further exacerbated his breathing problems. One night, he was laying on the living room floor fairly peacefully, and one of the kids went over to him and snuggled him up. Throughout the evening, one by one, each of the family took a turn spending that special time with Otis. The following morning, I sadly made that one last drive with our friend. The vet was very gentle and caring, and I don't think Otis felt anything other than his typical irritation at being taken to the vet. For the rest of their years, none of the other family cats ever tested positive for feline leukemia. Your baby is 14 years old, weak, thin, and struggling. Keep her warm and laying on something soft, and take her to the vet so she can be released from her suffering. She gave you many years of her love and wants to go because it hurts too much to stay. Give her lots of luvins before you go, so you know that she is filled with your love, and let yourself be filled with hers. Leukemia is a miserable disease for anyone, your cat is no different, and there is no cure for feline leukemia. Your baby is too old and already too ill for you to think of any possibility of remission. It would be neat if you could take all your photos of her and make a web site in her memory, that way you could share what a wonderful friend she's been to you. If you're strong enough to do so, if you have your own little piece of land, you might want to arrange with the vet to hold her while she receives the shot, and take her home for a loving burial in your yard, or another special place. Some vets will make house calls, so you can alleviate the stress of the drive to the office. My best to you, it's quite apparant that you love your little girl very much. Bless you for that love.

Answer 6

That is soooo sad, but I do applaud you for going out of your way to help make your sick cat more comfortable. If you have an oral syringe, hand feed her using this (I find it very very useful for giving my cats water when they won't drink or oral medicines). Get a can of tuna (water based) and give your cat the tuna juice through the oral syringe. You can also liquify cat canned food using a blender and feeding that to your cat via syringe. I am thinking that since she is sick, it may be best to get prescription cat food from the vet - the kind they give to convalescent cats. This type of food is bander and carbohydrate rich to give kitty energy. Again, liquify it.

I am soo sorry that your kitty has leukemia. :( I pray that she will bounce back and give you at least another year of joy.

Answer 7

We just had to have our kitty put down, he had kidney failure. He stopped eating and drinking in the end. He was an 18 lbs cat (very big boned, not fat) and had lost weight ot 9lbs. If you lost half your body mass, I am sure you'd be miserable. We were giving him subcutaneous fluids to keep him hydrated. And we'd go to every pet store in town and get one of each can of food flavors. You see when cats are dying, they get picky. They aren't keeping nutrition or anything. So they try, and he tried. But then he gave up and wouldn't eat. That's when we made our decision.

Keep her comfy, give her anything she wants to eat. Talk to the vet again and ask the vet what he/she would do if if was their cat. If the news is dismal, you have two options - do your best to keep her happy (and not miserable or in pain), or put her down. I know it's hard. I still cry over cats and hamsters that I've had to make this decision with. But it's harder for me to watch them suffer.

Answer 8

lot's of love. Also because she is dying, spoil her. You know that nice piece of fish that you really shouldn't feed her but she really really wants it. Basically just make her as comfortable as possible.