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#1
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Feline Breast Cancer (Post-surgery)
Does anyone have experience with low white blood cell counts and chemotherapy?
Did WBC fall then rise? Do you think chemotherapy was worth it (health and happiness of the cat, financial and emotional for you)? So, our 5 year old spayed female has breast cancer. In July she had a radical mastectomy to remove the right mammary chain. Four weeks ago she had her first chemotherapy injection. Initially we were going to do a treatment every two-three weeks with blood work in between the early treatments to check for side effects. The problem is that her white blood cell count remains too low for further chemotherapy after four weeks. The oncologist says this is unusual but I should bring her back next week for blood work again. When I started I felt that chemo was the way to go but I don't want to drag her to the vet every week for blood work. |
#2
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Feline Breast Cancer (Post-surgery)
KLopez wrote:
Does anyone have experience with low white blood cell counts and chemotherapy? Did WBC fall then rise? Do you think chemotherapy was worth it (health and happiness of the cat, financial and emotional for you)? I have been thinking about these questions for a while now, and I have my answer ready at this time. No. I do not think chemotherapy is a good idea for a cat or other pet. It's not that I don't love them and want them to stay with me forever, because aAI do and I hate it when one of my friends die. But there is a big difference between a pet and a person. A person knows why he feels sick and is willing to put up with it because he realizes and expects the reward that he will get in the form of future life. A cat doesn't know this. He only knows that he is sick and thinks that you, who are bringing him to the place that is making him sick, are doing so because he has displeased you in some way and you must be punishing him. Because of this, I believe that you are giving him the chemotherapy for you and not for him. He would be happier and better off if you just put him down and left him alone. In fact, I have known people who made this decision for themselves, and they knew that they might live a few months longer because of the chemotherapy. To impose this on a cat, just so you can be with him a few more months is, to me, cruel. Hard as iut is to do, you should hold him in your arms, have the vet give him some tranquilizer which puts him to sleep, and then give him the shot that stops his heart. I expect others on this forum to disagree with me, but this is my opinion. |
#3
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Feline Breast Cancer (Post-surgery)
In article , weg9
@comcast.net says... KLopez wrote: Does anyone have experience with low white blood cell counts and chemotherapy? Did WBC fall then rise? Do you think chemotherapy was worth it (health and happiness of the cat, financial and emotional for you)? I have been thinking about these questions for a while now, and I have my answer ready at this time. No. I do not think chemotherapy is a good idea for a cat or other pet. It's not that I don't love them and want them to stay with me forever, because aAI do and I hate it when one of my friends die. But there is a big difference between a pet and a person. A person knows why he feels sick and is willing to put up with it because he realizes and expects the reward that he will get in the form of future life. A cat doesn't know this. He only knows that he is sick and thinks that you, who are bringing him to the place that is making him sick, are doing so because he has displeased you in some way and you must be punishing him. Because of this, I believe that you are giving him the chemotherapy for you and not for him. He would be happier and better off if you just put him down and left him alone. In fact, I have known people who made this decision for themselves, and they knew that they might live a few months longer because of the chemotherapy. To impose this on a cat, just so you can be with him a few more months is, to me, cruel. Hard as iut is to do, you should hold him in your arms, have the vet give him some tranquilizer which puts him to sleep, and then give him the shot that stops his heart. I expect others on this forum to disagree with me, but this is my opinion. I sort of feel much the same as you. I don't want to put an animal through suffering that they cannot understand. |
#4
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Feline Breast Cancer (Post-surgery)
On Sun, 6 Oct 2013 12:39:11 -0400, T
wrote: In article , weg9 says... KLopez wrote: Does anyone have experience with low white blood cell counts and chemotherapy? Did WBC fall then rise? Do you think chemotherapy was worth it (health and happiness of the cat, financial and emotional for you)? I have been thinking about these questions for a while now, and I have my answer ready at this time. No. I do not think chemotherapy is a good idea for a cat or other pet. It's not that I don't love them and want them to stay with me forever, because aAI do and I hate it when one of my friends die. But there is a big difference between a pet and a person. A person knows why he feels sick and is willing to put up with it because he realizes and expects the reward that he will get in the form of future life. A cat doesn't know this. He only knows that he is sick and thinks that you, who are bringing him to the place that is making him sick, are doing so because he has displeased you in some way and you must be punishing him. Because of this, I believe that you are giving him the chemotherapy for you and not for him. He would be happier and better off if you just put him down and left him alone. In fact, I have known people who made this decision for themselves, and they knew that they might live a few months longer because of the chemotherapy. To impose this on a cat, just so you can be with him a few more months is, to me, cruel. Hard as iut is to do, you should hold him in your arms, have the vet give him some tranquilizer which puts him to sleep, and then give him the shot that stops his heart. I expect others on this forum to disagree with me, but this is my opinion. I sort of feel much the same as you. I don't want to put an animal through suffering that they cannot understand. I'm willing to put them through suffering if they will really be better and happy afterwards. My cats know that I won't torture them with no reason, or even with reason. But I put one cat through Chemo and I don't know if I'd do that again. Supposedly they handle Chemo better than people do but I'm not aware of any interviews that confirmed this belief. I went by what the vet said, that there was a good chance that the cat would live for a few years and have a good quality of life. It turned out that he only lived for a few months and probably suffered most of the time. This is the toughest decision we have to make. Either we force our cats to suffer or we put them to sleep too soon. No easy decision here. |
#5
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Feline Breast Cancer (Post-surgery)
"KLopez" wrote in message ... Does anyone have experience with low white blood cell counts and chemotherapy? Did WBC fall then rise? Do you think chemotherapy was worth it (health and happiness of the cat, financial and emotional for you)? So, our 5 year old spayed female has breast cancer. In July she had a radical mastectomy to remove the right mammary chain. Four weeks ago she had her first chemotherapy injection. Initially we were going to do a treatment every two-three weeks with blood work in between the early treatments to check for side effects. The problem is that her white blood cell count remains too low for further chemotherapy after four weeks. The oncologist says this is unusual but I should bring her back next week for blood work again. When I started I felt that chemo was the way to go but I don't want to drag her to the vet every week for blood work. ~~~~~~~ I have not had any experience with chemotherapy, but I had to make a decision for my wonderful cat Holly just two months ago. The vet found a large mass that had not been there just a few months earlier, although she had suddenly been showing evidence of discomfort and rapidly declining health. Holly had developed a very rapid and aggressive cancer. I made the decision not to put her through any more tests or painful procedures. She had already spent a week in the hospital on IVs, and a tech had come to my home twice a day for awhile to administer fluids. When the cancer was confirmed, I decided that I could not force her to undergo any more pain just for my own selfish desire to have her with me. I had a very long discussion with the vet, and it was clear that she would probably not benefit. He told me that even a cat 10 years younger could probably not be helped. So, I made the decision to have her put to sleep and avoid any further pain. Actually, I avoided any further pain for *her.* The pain for myself was devastating, but I still consider that procedure to be the final act of love in situations like that. I sat in the examining room with her for some time, and then I held her and talked to her when the final injection was administered. I cried the entire time. Now, as to your question: I really cannot answer this for you because circumstances vary. One important difference is that Holly was 18.5 years old, and your cat is only 5 years old. I think you should have a long and open conversation with your vet. Ask what the probabilities are that you could gain more than a few months by continuing with chemo and other procedures. If possible, contact other vets and ask for a frank opinion about her case. You have my sincere concern, no matter what you decide. I really do understand the pain we face when we have to make this type of decision. The important thing is to do what is best for our beloved pets, and sometimes (as shown in your message) that is a very difficult thing to do. MaryL |
#6
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Feline Breast Cancer (Post-surgery)
On Tuesday, October 1, 2013 5:50:45 PM UTC-4, Karece Lopez wrote:
Does anyone have experience with low white blood cell counts and chemotherapy? Did WBC fall then rise? Do you think chemotherapy was worth it (health and happiness of the cat, financial and emotional for you)? So, our 5 year old spayed female has breast cancer. In July she had a radical mastectomy to remove the right mammary chain. Four weeks ago she had her first chemotherapy injection. Initially we were going to do a treatment every two-three weeks with blood work in between the early treatments to check for side effects. The problem is that her white blood cell count remains too low for further chemotherapy after four weeks. The oncologist says this is unusual but I should bring her back next week for blood work again. When I started I felt that chemo was the way to go but I don't want to drag her to the vet every week for blood work. Why don't you just have the poor old thing put to sleep? That's what we should do with people when they end up suffering like that. With kats though, at least you have that option legally... IBen Getiner |
#7
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In or Out
I think I was beaten down a year or so ago when I said that it was cruel to let your cat roam outside. Now here is a letter, and an answer from a vet: Q: Our family just adopted a cat, and my husband and I are debating whether she should stay indoors all the time or go out during the day. What are your thoughts? A: Asking a vet if your cat should be kept inside is like asking a dentist if you should brush your teeth. My office is currently caring for eight felines that are sick or injured as a result of their open-air adventures. Statistics vary, but house cats live, on average, nine years longer than their outdoor counterparts. Makes sense—have you ever heard of a pet being hit by a car while snoozing on a recliner? And traffic is just one hazard. Kitties who roam outside risk exposure to potentially fatal diseases, including feline leukemia, feline AIDS, and rabies, as well as less dangerous but still unpleasant parasites and infections (fleas, ticks, ringworm). Then there are predators, like coyotes, raccoons, dogs, even humans with guns. http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/p...BkQsA7#image=2 -- |
#8
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In or Out
Mack A. Damia writes:
I think I was beaten down a year or so ago when I said that it was cruel to let your cat roam outside. It's definitely one of those questions for which there is a massive cultural difference between countries. For instance, for the UK, http://www.yourcat.co.uk/General-cat...door-cats.html has, "In the USA, most cat welfare people recommend an indoor-only life, while in the UK many would recommend cats have access to the outdoors." http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/docum...tdoor_cats.pdf says, "Ideally all cats would be allowed access to outdoors to express their natural behaviour." Now here is a letter, and an answer from a vet: I'm guessing an American one? Statistics vary, but house cats live, on average, nine years longer than their outdoor counterparts. Individual circumstances vary greatly though. For instance, do you live right next to fast roads, or out on a rural farm? Secondly, there's quality of life: even given a shorter lifespan, are those years much happier for a cat that may explore and hunt as it pleases? I don't know if you thought that one American vet's opinion is somehow going to definitively end the debate, but their analysis seems so simplistic, and expert advice is so diverse, that I suspect you're just opening it up again. -- Mark |
#9
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In or Out
On Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:31:39 +0100, Mark Carroll
wrote: Mack A. Damia writes: I think I was beaten down a year or so ago when I said that it was cruel to let your cat roam outside. It's definitely one of those questions for which there is a massive cultural difference between countries. For instance, for the UK, http://www.yourcat.co.uk/General-cat...door-cats.html has, "In the USA, most cat welfare people recommend an indoor-only life, while in the UK many would recommend cats have access to the outdoors." http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/docum...tdoor_cats.pdf says, "Ideally all cats would be allowed access to outdoors to express their natural behaviour." Now here is a letter, and an answer from a vet: I'm guessing an American one? Statistics vary, but house cats live, on average, nine years longer than their outdoor counterparts. Individual circumstances vary greatly though. For instance, do you live right next to fast roads, or out on a rural farm? Secondly, there's quality of life: even given a shorter lifespan, are those years much happier for a cat that may explore and hunt as it pleases? I don't know if you thought that one American vet's opinion is somehow going to definitively end the debate, but their analysis seems so simplistic, and expert advice is so diverse, that I suspect you're just opening it up again. No, I don't care, M8. I am merely posting it to support my previously stated views, and I stand by them. Hey, if you let your cat outside, it's your cat, not mine. -- |
#10
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In or Out
"Mark Carroll" wrote in message ... Mack A. Damia writes: I think I was beaten down a year or so ago when I said that it was cruel to let your cat roam outside. It's definitely one of those questions for which there is a massive cultural difference between countries. For instance, for the UK, http://www.yourcat.co.uk/General-cat...door-cats.html has, "In the USA, most cat welfare people recommend an indoor-only life, while in the UK many would recommend cats have access to the outdoors." http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/docum...tdoor_cats.pdf says, "Ideally all cats would be allowed access to outdoors to express their natural behaviour." Now here is a letter, and an answer from a vet: I'm guessing an American one? Statistics vary, but house cats live, on average, nine years longer than their outdoor counterparts. Individual circumstances vary greatly though. For instance, do you live right next to fast roads, or out on a rural farm? Secondly, there's quality of life: even given a shorter lifespan, are those years much happier for a cat that may explore and hunt as it pleases? I don't know if you thought that one American vet's opinion is somehow going to definitively end the debate, but their analysis seems so simplistic, and expert advice is so diverse, that I suspect you're just opening it up again. -- Mark I won't do in/out arguments versus USA/UK. I am in the UK and my cat is safe to go out, but I know it's very different. The worst thing my cat could encounter is a fox and given that he has all his claws, the fox might come off second best. |
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