My cat has a swollen belly & suspected cancer. Need second opinion?

Question

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. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 13 years and 11 months old

Juliana, DVM · Accepted Answer

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.

My cat has a swollen belly & suspected cancer. Need second opinion?

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