Bone cancer in leg.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am so sorry to hear about Begittsy. This is a very difficult situation.

If the surgeon feels that there is cancer in the leg then this really is likely an accurate diagnosis. There aren't many things that look like bone cancer on xrays.

Unfortunately, bone cancer is a very painful thing. Now, cats will do all they can to hide pain. You mentioned that Begittsy is not moving around much and that is usually a sign of pain in cats. Where dogs will still limp around when they have pain, cats will stay as still as possible and only move as necessary (usually in order to get food.)

I think the trial of pain medicine is a good idea. If he really really perks up on this medicine then I would say to talk to your vet about continuing to give it.

However, if you haven't seen much improvement then there are some hard decisions to be made.

Truly, the best thing to help you make those decisions is your vet. I know this is hard to hear, but if your vet has suggested that euthanasia is the best option, then they are likely right. The only reason for them to make that suggestion is in the interest of the cat.

With my own animals, when they have a condition that I know is eventually fatal, I always err on the side of euthanasia. Even if it means a week or more shorter life, I would rather that there is as little painful time as possible.

One other thought - if you are not willing to let go just yet would be to talk to your vet about doing an amputation. If there is no obvious spread of cancer to other parts of the body then this could be a cure. However, at 13 years of age it's hard to say how many years the poor little guy has left.

I hope this has somehow helped with your decision making. Please let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


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