Our cat Huxley is only six years old, but she's not doing well. A week ago she was playful and active and eating normally. But over the course of a few days we noticed she was breathing really heavily, and not eating much. She seemed more tired and out of it.
We took her to the vet on Tuesday, and x-rays showed she has fluid in her chest. The vet believes she has a tumor. We didn't opt for an ultrasound (partly for financial reasons, but mostly because even if they found a tumor, there's nothing they can really do to help her.)
The other option would be to drain the fluid, which has risks, and I'm not sure it would help in the long run.
Huxley was diagnosed with feline leukemia when she was a kitten, but hasn't been tested since then, so it's hard to know if that's a factor in all this.
Because the outlook isn't good at all, we'll most likely have to put her to sleep. Is there any other course of action we should take first? A second opinion, some kind of treatment our vet missed? I'd hate to lose her too soon if there's a chance she could get better.
fluid in chest / possible tumor
Re: fluid in chest / possible tumor
I just wanted to let you know that I pray something can be found to help Huxley....maybe Traci or davet can give some other ideas...but it would not hurt to get a second opinion....Richmond is pretty big...is there a feline only vet in the area?
What is your vet telling you? Other than the fluid, did your vet see any evidence of a tumor? If not, yes, get a second opinion TODAY, from a qualified feline-only vet. Do NOT wait on this, fluid in the chest or abdomen is nothing to take lightly, it is uncomfortable for the cat, may contain harmful bacteria that may spread to other organs, and if in the lungs, can cause fatal pneumonia.
Did your vet offer to drain the fluid? It is riskier to NOT drain chest fluid than it is to actually drain it. This isn't a complicated procedure, but the vet must have experience with it, and know where to insert the needle so that it does not go in too far. Most often, a small butterfly catheter and needle is inserted in the chest wall (near a rib) and fluid is drawn out slowly. When the fluid is drained, the cat breathes much easier and is much more comfortable. Ultimately, the drawn fluid should be evaluated with cytology to determine what kind of fluid it is (i.e., heart fluid, chyle--which is a bacteria that leaks from the abdomen--, fungal disease, etc. Depending on the fluid type and cause, antibiotics and diuretics are very helpful, the diuretics help prevent further accumulation of fluid.
Did your vet suggest to retest for FELV? Did he suggest to test for heartworm? How many FELV tests did she recieve when she was a kitten? You must know that testing in kittens is specific, you cannot rely on only one test, and repeat tests should be done within 4-6 weeks of each other, or, the best option would have been to send a blood sample off to an outside lab for an FELV-ELISA specific test. This is the most confirmative method.
If you're not willing to explore diagnostics and treatment, then how are you going to know what this fluid is, and where it's coming from? Diagnostics are essential to determine what treatment is going to be effective. If chylelothorax, for example, draining the fluid and specific antibiotic therapy is helpful, and sometimes will resolve the condition. A cytology on the fluid that is drawn is critical to determine what treatment is the best for the condition.
Talk to the vet immediately, and ask about draining the fluid, cytology on the fluid and any additional testing necessary. Doesn't your kitty deserve the best diagnostics and treatment plan? If your vet is inexperienced or not sure what's going on, then waste NO time seeking a second opinion TODAY!....chest fluid needs to be identified and addressed ASAP!
Did your vet offer to drain the fluid? It is riskier to NOT drain chest fluid than it is to actually drain it. This isn't a complicated procedure, but the vet must have experience with it, and know where to insert the needle so that it does not go in too far. Most often, a small butterfly catheter and needle is inserted in the chest wall (near a rib) and fluid is drawn out slowly. When the fluid is drained, the cat breathes much easier and is much more comfortable. Ultimately, the drawn fluid should be evaluated with cytology to determine what kind of fluid it is (i.e., heart fluid, chyle--which is a bacteria that leaks from the abdomen--, fungal disease, etc. Depending on the fluid type and cause, antibiotics and diuretics are very helpful, the diuretics help prevent further accumulation of fluid.
Did your vet suggest to retest for FELV? Did he suggest to test for heartworm? How many FELV tests did she recieve when she was a kitten? You must know that testing in kittens is specific, you cannot rely on only one test, and repeat tests should be done within 4-6 weeks of each other, or, the best option would have been to send a blood sample off to an outside lab for an FELV-ELISA specific test. This is the most confirmative method.
If you're not willing to explore diagnostics and treatment, then how are you going to know what this fluid is, and where it's coming from? Diagnostics are essential to determine what treatment is going to be effective. If chylelothorax, for example, draining the fluid and specific antibiotic therapy is helpful, and sometimes will resolve the condition. A cytology on the fluid that is drawn is critical to determine what treatment is the best for the condition.
Talk to the vet immediately, and ask about draining the fluid, cytology on the fluid and any additional testing necessary. Doesn't your kitty deserve the best diagnostics and treatment plan? If your vet is inexperienced or not sure what's going on, then waste NO time seeking a second opinion TODAY!....chest fluid needs to be identified and addressed ASAP!
..........Traci