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Feline Lymphoma » Group Forum

Lymphoma and won't eat

  
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Georgia Rae

964578		 
 
Purred: Tue Mar 3, '09 10:27am PST 
Hello everyone thanks for taking the time to read my first post. My name is Shannon I am Georgia Rae's momma. She has been with me since the moment she was born 15 years ago. Her health started to decline in September 2008. She was always a big fat cat 16-18 pounds so eating was her pass time. When she started turning up her nose to food I though it was because my mom snuck her some wet food while I was away...... I gave up trying to get her back on dry food I figured she's 15 she's been crunching long enough. She kept dropping weight. I kind of thought well she is older maybe this is how it is...she's starting to slow down. Well eventually she gave up food pretty much all together.......she eats very sporadically. While this is happening we've had the vet over and we think it may be her thyroid so we put her on meds for that......no help she lost more weight.
Last week we found a walnut sized mass in her belly. My vet is fairly sure it's Lymphoma. We both agreed that at her age and current health that a biopsy is too invasive. I've decided to try and slow things down with Prendisone. I can't afford Chemo.........
I want to keep her as comfortable as possible but she won't eat. I've tried everything.......Hand feeding, people food, peas, boiled chicken, boiled chicken livers, dog food, gravy, milk supplement...... she just has a few licks and that's it. She is mobile and vocal she has spark in her eyes she rolled around in some cat nip a little while ago and played with a mouse.........I just can't get her to eat.
Does anyone know a tried and true thing that she will gobble up???? I love her so much and don't want her to suffer or be hungry.......Thanks for your time....
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Miss Mittens- (Angel DG- #14)

I'm a soft,- gentle summer- breeze
 
 
Purred: Tue Mar 3, '09 8:18pm PST 
Hi Shannon.

Georgia Rae is a beautiful cat and I’m so sorry she has a tumor which may be cancerous. I'm assuming she had an ultrasound done?

I don’t really know what to tell you but wish I did. She does need to eat and may want to eat but simply can’t. Perhaps the food makes her sick to her stomach. If you’ve started giving her prednisone, that will hopefully help her tummy and appetite once it starts to *kick in.* Some cats with cancer respond well to prednisone and survive for quite awhile.

My cat Abby was a little bit similar to your Georgia Rae. She was diagnosed with mass tumors in almost all her internal organs and her cancer metastasized very quickly. She couldn't eat or swallow. We started giving her prednisolone (a stronger and more rapidly absorbed form of prednisone) and she was able to eat and swallow for a short time. I tried all kinds of foods with her -- anything and everything! What she wanted and would eat were cat treats, so that’s what I gave her! She literally feasted on several brands and flavors of cat treats for almost two weeks and ate very little cat food. At least she was happy during her last few weeks!

Keep trying to get Georgia Rae to eat and try all kinds of foods -- does she like turkey or tuna or salmon (the people versions), cheese, cooked eggs, baby food meats like lamb, beef, turkey or chicken (ones without onions)? Cut the food up into small pieces. If she likes tuna, pour tuna water on the food to give it a strong smell. Try giving her fluids like water from a can of tuna so she gets some fluids into her. If you have to, get canned cat food and make a watery mush and feed it to her with a syringe or give her fluids with a syringe. Her appetite needs to be stimulated and she needs the nourishment and fluids. The longer she goes without eating, the less likely it is that she'll ever start to eat on her own.

Have you tried cat treats? Are there any cat treats she particularly loves? Try anything and everything! If she can’t eat, her organs will start to shut down and cease to function. Hopefully the prednisone will start to work and her appetite will come back. I sincerely hope she starts eating again soon and will keep her in my prayers.
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Georgia Rae

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Purred: Wed Mar 4, '09 4:58am PST 
Hello Mittens Mom,
Your so kind to respond, I truely appreciate it. She actually ate a jar of beef & gravy baby food last evening and a bit of lamb and gravy this morning. I also spoke with Dr. Vinny (our Vet) he gave us this powder called Carnivor Care you mix it with water and get high protein high calorie baby food type mix. Georgia turned her nose up to it this morning so we went with the baby food. I'm going to try and mix the carnivor care with the baby food and see if she'll eat that.

Yes she does enjoy treats, she loves her canine brothers Bil Jack treats but after one she looses intrest. Same with any other kind of threat she'll eat one or two then she walks away.

I feel so bad for her I don't want her to suffer in any way. She appears to be in no pain and doesn't appear to be miserable.....she's still mobile. She's been such a wonderful companion I want to make her as comfortable as possible....ya know? I just love her soooooo!

I am truely greatful for the idea I read here about the baby food I was so excited when she started licking it off my finger!! I'm going to keep going with it as long as she'll keep eating it. Dr. Vinny said at this point any food we can get her to eat is important.

Thanks again for chatting with me.......

ps Are cats allergic to onions???
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Rufus - In Loving- Memory 12/17

Sweet Angel
 
 
Purred: Wed Mar 4, '09 6:59am PST 
Onions are toxic to cats -- it can cause Heinz body anemia. That's why you should avoid baby food that contains onions or onion powder.

If Georgia is eating just a tiny bit, it might be because she's nauseous. You should ask your vet about giving her Pepcid AC. You usually give 1/4 of a tablet, but I forget the exact dose and you're supposed to use the regular and not the extended release or something. Ask your vet.

Your vet might also prescribe an appetite stimulant. If Georgia seems interested in the food but doesn't eat much, it seems more like nausea to me though. Does she lick her lips a lot? That's one of the signs of nausea.

Purrs for you and your family,
Rufus
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Georgia Rae

964578		 
 
Purred: Wed Mar 4, '09 8:01am PST 
I am very fortunate to have a great relationship with my Vet and I believe if he thought Pepcid would help he would have suggested it. I did educate myself about Feline Heinz and pray that I haven't accidentally subjected her to something else. I'm going on my lunch hour to get her some more baby food I'll be sure to read the ingrediants. I've never noticed her licking her lips but that doesn't mean it's not happening, I'll keep my eyes on it. I'm very thankful I found this forum. I will speak to Dr. Vinny about the Pepcid and see if it's compoundable Georgia gets her meds compounded into a get that I just put on her ear, it's sooooo much simpler then trying to get a pill down her throat. Thanks for your kind words.........
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Miss Mittens- (Angel DG- #14)

I'm a soft,- gentle summer- breeze
 
 
Purred: Sat Mar 7, '09 5:32pm PST 
Georgia Rae, how are you doing? Are you eating?

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Georgia Rae

964578		 
 
Purred: Mon Mar 9, '09 5:42am PST 
She's eating a little here and there. A little baby food a little cat food and treats. She seems to eat more when she's hand fed, so I've been sitting with her and trying to get her to take in as much as possible. I"m going to try and boil uo some chicken livers tonight and put them in the food processor with some of the high calorie Carnivor Care from the Vet. Thanks for asking......
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Wriggley(00-- 09) Loved- Forever

such a bad- girl...and we- miss you
 
 
Purred: Mon Mar 9, '09 11:08am PST 
Hi Georgia Rea and Mommy Shannon:

I am sorry to hear of the news, Shannon. I am the Mommy of a recently passed to the Bridge Lymphoma diagnosed kitty.

All the responses that you have received from the wonderful members of this group are very consistent with what I experienced with my dear Wriggley. Your comments on how she is responding also are very similar to how Wriggley was when we found out that she had a mass in her stomach.

The prednisone does stimulate the appetite to some degree so it should help her to eat things that she enjoys. Our oncologist did recommend the pepcid ac to help with upset stomach. Just a quarter of a pill was all they told us to give her. It did help as she had hardly any vomiting during her illness.

Do what you can to get her to eat. Just when you think she doesn't want it, she will take a little. Maybe she would like something that is cold. Don't know if that makes discomfort go away, but Wriggley liked water with ice cubes and also cool claws which is ice cream for cats.
It takes so much time and patience. But I can see by your posts that you know that already.

God Bless the both of you during this time together. We are thinking of you and keeping you in our thoughts. Please keep us posted on how Georgia Rea is doing.

Mom of Wriggley our Angel
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Miss Mittens- (Angel DG- #14)

I'm a soft,- gentle summer- breeze
 
 
Purred: Sat Mar 14, '09 8:44am PST 
Purrs Georgia Rae & mommy Shannon. I'm very happy that George Rae is eating. Giving her the protein supplement Carnivore Care is a good idea too. Hope she liked it with the liver!
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Pecan

274166		 
 
Purred: Mon Mar 16, '09 2:39pm PST 
Hi Shannon and Georgia Rae,

I was just diagnosed with lymphoma. I'm 15 too...I've always been a super fussy eater and turn my nose up at most treats, but the one treat I just can't resist is Kitty Caviar--it is dried bonita (fish) flakes and it's 75% protein. My dad jokes that it's kitty crack, just the site of that blue can is enough to make me hungry. My mom also suggest microwaving wet food for 15 seconds or so, if you heat it just slightly it's more smelly which can make it more appealling to kitties. I've tried Evanger's Organic Braised chicken wet food--it's one of the few high protein foods that I like, I turn my nose up at most of the fancy stuff. The few other things I like are cheddar cheese and plain yogurt, but just on occasion.

I really hope you feel better Georgia Rae, you have to keep trying to eat. xoxo Pecan
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