Constipated Cat????

[LoriC]

Hi Traci, Just wanted to let you know that we took Casey to the vet and they found a fairly large abdominal mass/tumor. She is scheduled for
surgery on Tues.

Thanks again for all your help.

[LisaLisa]

Lori,

I'm sorry to hear Casey has a mass..but thanks for taking Traci's advice and getting Casey to the vet so soon..My prayers are with you Casey and your family..

Please keep us posted...and praying for the best...

[jason]

they found a fairly large abdominal mass/tumor. She is scheduled for surgery on Tues.

hoping and praying for a successful surgery, thanks for taking such good care of Casey and continue to keep all of us informed.

probably already know, but...be sure you are well informed by your vet about what is going on and what (if any) precautions and procedures you should follow post-surgery.

[Traci]

Oh Lori, I'm so sorry to hear this. I second Jason here, please discuss the surgery and post-op care in thorough detail, and DO be sure to get a pre-surgical screen done as well as an ECG to monitor her heart function prior to anesthesia, regardless of the recent bloodwork done. Also ask about surgical monitoring equipment they use to monitor her under anesthesia (blood pressure, heart function, set up of IV fluids, etc)

Our thoughts and prayers are with Casey and you, hang in there and know we're here for you.....(((HUGS)))

[LoriC]

Thanks to all for your prayers. Obviously, the news we got yesterday was
not what we had hoped for or even expected since she has been acting
fairly normally. The vet said an ultrasound may or may not tell them the
exact source/location of the tumor and that surgery may eventually be indicated anyway so we opted to go for that off the bat. I am very concerned about her and hope I am making the right decision. Her
cardiac problem was caught in the very, very early stages and she has
responded well to the atenolol. She was first diagnosed with it in Sept. of 2001. The vet detected a murmur and an ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis. She was put on the atenolol and rechecked with another ultra- sound 6 months later. The murmur was gone. She was just rechecked
this past July and the ultrasound showed that the progression of the disease was basically halted and the drug was producing the desired result. She also had a complete blood work-up done in July and we were told everything was normal so this tumor has hit me like a ton of bricks.
Since being at the vet, I have all kinds of concerns about whether or not I'm doing the right thing since she doesn't appear to be in any pain or discomfort right now and I know she will definitely be in pain come Tues.
I can't help but think that my kitty may not be coming home after this.

[kate & kobi]

Hi LoriC, I second the concerns and well-wishes of everyone on this board for Casey. I totally understand your worries about whether or not you're doing the right thing. The best way to make the decision is to talk everything out with your vet. If you don't feel like you're getting a straight recommendation either way, ask your vet what they would do if it were their kitty. You may also want to consult with another vet who has more experience with this type of surgery, if you don't feel confident about it.

Also keep in mind that cats can hide pain extremely well, often sick cats "seem" perfectly fine right up until the last moments. So Casey may have seemed fine, but it's likely that she was already in pain. So hang in there, you are doing the right thing - it's so good that you got Casey to the vet when you did. Please keep us posted!

(((hugs)))
-kate

[LoriC]

Kate and Kobe,

Thanks for your concern. I did ask the vet that exact question ("what would you do if this were your cat?") and she said she would opt for the surgery. I have alot of confidence in both vets in this office and their staff. They have always been very compassionate and professional. The practice is limited to cats and I consider that to be a plus. They have always taken the time the explain everything and answer all of our questions. The office is impeccably clean and appears to be "state of the art". I know that Casey needs to have the surgery, but I am still worried sick about her.

[Traci]

She also had a complete blood work-up done in July and we were told everything was normal so this tumor has hit me like a ton of bricks.

Lori, unfortunately, most types of tumors do not show up on bloodwork alone, unless there is a condition secondary or that bone marrow is affected, etc. It is usualy not until late stage disease that most tumors can be detected. You couldn't have known at what point of progression this could have been.

Since being at the vet, I have all kinds of concerns about whether or not I'm doing the right thing since she doesn't appear to be in any pain or discomfort right now and I know she will definitely be in pain come Tues.
I can't help but think that my kitty may not be coming home after this.

I can truly understand your concerns. However, without an ultrasound, you truly do not know the location or to what extent of progression, or even the type of mass your dealing with. When conservative diagnostics are approached, most cases end up in exploratory surgery anyway, and it can be a safegaurd to ensure that nothing is left undetected. While any exploratory surgery carries risks as with any other surgery, it doesn't appear you have much of a choice at this point.

If your vet is saying surgery is necessary, I would heed the advice and proceed. It may not be cancer or lymphoma at all, may not be malignant, but you will not truly know until your vet proceeds and finds the cause of the problem. If for example, intestinal lymphoma, a possible resection on the intestines can be done, with other treatment following to help prevent the spread of progression. I don't want to give false hope, but it's impossible to say what the problem is until your vet proceeds with surgery.

Talk with him at length, get your questions answered, find out how he plans to proceed, find out about her post-op care (and of course, make sure the facility is a 24-hour facility), so that you are fully aware of what to expect. Not knowing the nature of the problem, without surgery, it may only progress.....with surgery, at least you have the option you're giving it your all.

My thoughts and prayers continue to be with Casey and you, be strong for her, she needs your positive thinking/attitude right now.....and when you think positively, you'll feel better too. I know it's scary, you're not alone in those thoughts......(((HUGS)))

[LoriC]

Traci, I just called the vet and they are not a 24 hour facility. Now I'm even more concerned. They said it would be possible to send her to the local emergency vet for overnight observation. I don't want to delay
her surgery but now I don't know what to do.

[Traci]

Lori, apparently the vets in your area refer after hours, emergencies and critical care patients to the emergency care facility, which in most areas, is preferrable simply because there will be a vet on call or a staff member or tech on the premises to monitor the patients overnight.

In that event, I would simply visit the emergency care facility beforehand and get a feel for the clinic, who will be on hand to answer your questions, find out about visitation hours, and if there is actually going to be a vet on the premises overnight (or at least a tech, in which she would of course be in contact with the vet on call). Your primary vet will of course probably review Casey's records and surgery procedure including further treatment instructions for the emergency clinic for her overnight stay. Call your vet and make sure these arrangements are understood by you and so that your concerns are met in advance.