My cat has a growing eye tumor. How can I improve his quality of life?

Question

Hello, My cat Bugger has had skin cancer 4 years. It is below his left eye and has now covered the eye. His vet would not do a biopsy saying he did not want to disfigure him. He is taking 2 1/2 mg of Prednisolone daily. He gets b12 shots every 2 weeks. His appetite and weight are excellent. What can I do for him? I am very worried. Please advise. Thank you. Linda. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 16 years and 2 months old | 8 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

Hi Linda! I certainly understand your concerns for Bugger and am sorry that he has such a large cancerous mass. The challenge in this situation is that it's difficult to know which treatment options would be best since the type of cancer is unknown. The ideal situation would be to take Bugger to an oncologist, as they would be able to advise you as to whether or not he would be a good candidate for chemotherapy and/or radiation. If that isn't something you're interested in pursuing (which is completely understandable), then unfortunately, there likely isn't anything that can be done to treat the cancer itself aside from gently cleaning the area and making sure that his eye is comfortable. If Bugger's eye is unable to blink normally, it could become dry and ulcerative, which is quite uncomfortable. You can very gently clean the eye area with a sterile eye wash solution (available in most drugstores), and you may want to ask your vet if they have concerns about his eye comfort. It's possible they may recommend eye lubricants and/or oral pain medications. While it sounds as though Bugger is still loving life now, the growth of this tumor is undoubtedly starting to affect his quality of life. This page has some helpful food for thought when it comes to assessing a pet's quality of life at home: https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/import/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf. I'm wishing you and Bugger all the best!

My cat has a growing eye tumor. How can I improve his quality of life?

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