My cat has a swollen belly & suspected cancer. Need second opinion?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 13 years and 11 months old
My cat just got diagnosed with cancer. The vet took xrays of her tummy since it is super swollen and he took a sample of the liquid she is full of. It was blood tinged. He said since she is 14, he truly believes its cancer, but I feel like it wasn't texted. I feel like I need a second opinion.
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 8th, 2018
I am so sorry you and Mimi are going through this. It is perfectly acceptable to seek a second opinion from another veterinarian or veterinary office at any point! If you aren’t comfortable with the testing or diagnosis you may want to reach out to Mimi s doctor first to discuss things again (maybe he had concerns based on the x-Ray? Or maybe fluid was actually examined and cancerous cells were seen?) and in more depth. If you are still uncomfortable though at all , there is no reason not to make an appointment with another vet for their opinion. Anytime a cat has a belly full of fluid, something very serious is going on. And It is unfortunately true that abdominal fluid (aka ascites) in an older kitty is often cancer. The more common cancers we see are lymphoma and adenocarcinoma and mast cell disease. However, there are several other causes including heart failure (the veterinarian would likely be able to rule this out based on exam and x-rays) or infection. Fluid cytology (having fluid submitted to lab to be examined under a microscope) and abdominal ultrasound often can help us start sorting out what could be the underlying problem. Again, I’m sorry Mimi is dealing with this.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 14th, 2019
Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am very sorry to hear that Liza has this problem. Unfortunately, this sounds like cancer to me. When cats have bicavitary effusion (fluid in both the chest and the abdominal cavity) the odds are it is cancer and the prognosis is very poor. Have any x-rays been done to check for a tumor? Often there is a tumor in the mediastinal area of the chest if this is cancer. FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) can be a cause of this as well. Has an abdominal ultrasound been done? Any blood testing? A cytology of the fluid? Without more testing I cannot really tell you if anything can be done or not. I suggest you speak to your vet about doing some additional testing. Hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on October 23rd, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Cuddles! If the fluid is still accumulating in his belly then he should be re-checked. I would also recommend taking him to the cardiologist to 100% determine his abdominal effusion is secondary to heart disease, as that isn't a common presentation for cats. The most common reasons for fluid in the abdomen is FIP and cancer. I would ask the Vet to submit the abdominal fluid to the lab for a fluid analysis and cytology to look fro cancer. I wish you the best!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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