My senior cat has mammary cancer. What to expect in her final months?

Question

My 15-yr.-old cat has mammary tumors; one is ulcerated. The vet gave her 3 months to live. She shows no other signs of illness or pain. What can I expect over her brief remaining time? Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 15 years and 8 months old | 11.375 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

I'm sorry to hear this. This must be very shocking news. Without knowing the extent of the cancer, it's difficult to know for sure what to expect, but it will likely be a range of complications when the time comes near. One thing that is common is for the patient to lose a considerable amount of weight and muscle mass as time goes on. Pain is definitely a factor as the cancer grows, but cats will usually not show signs of pain until it gets moderate to severe. Luckily there are medications that will help to alleviate the pain and your veterinarian will help to ensure the pain is controlled. Generally, signs of pain are a decrease in activity, decreased appetite and possible increase in aggression. The cancer eventually causes organ failure, which can lead to many different problems. For now, it's good to monitor Twig for any changes and bring these to the attention of your vet when they occur; so they can alleviate pain when possible. I hope that helps and all goes as well as possible with Twig.

My senior cat has mammary cancer. What to expect in her final months?

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