All malignant tumours should be treated as a terminal illness
The average life expectancy after the final diagnosis of a terminal illness is never longer than three months.
One of the most crucial topics of pet ownership in this century is the early diagnosis of tumours.
- Tumour
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Gastroenterological
disease -
Kidney
disease
Tumours are the No.1 terminal illness for cats
Tumours are currently ranked as the top critical disease of cats. Coming in second are gastroenterological issues such as diabetes and pancreatitis, followed by kidney disease. Some tumours have lower malignancy, such as Feline Injection-Site Sarcoma and Intestinal Lymphoma. With proper intervention, the survival period can be between six to twelve months. With other malignant tumours, however, most cats have about three months.
It is extremely rare to find tumours during regular heath checkups. When symptoms caused by tumours start to become apparent, it is usually too late for treatment. When a cat begins to become ill often and recover slower, the owner should become alarmed as to the possibility of a tumour.
What can be done to prevent late treatment? Tumours themselves are not immediately life threatening, but when side effects begin to affect the cat’s quality of life, whom should the pet owners turn to for related care and support?
Every treatment for terminal illness requires cross-disciplinary collaboration
Other than relying on the clinical experience of clinical veterinarians, the treatment of terminal illnesses also requires understanding of Clinical Pathology as well as cell biology, in addition to the use of advanced imaging equipment such as Ultrasound, X-ray, and CT Scan to assist doctors in making the correct diagnosis. Once the prognosis has been confirmed, a surgical team is required to perform invasive surgery and palliative care. Each of these steps is essential equally importantly, the owner needs to be informed as to how to conduct proper care at home in order to improve the quality of life for cats with a serious illness.
Procedures for cats with serious illnesses
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1
Complete body evaluation and physical exams
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2
Full blood and chemistry exams and electrolyte examination - accurate blood classification and reticulocyte count
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3
Initial stabilisation of the cat’s biological condition
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4
Evaluation of potential heart disease and blood pressure
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5
Hereditary disease evaluation
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6
Thoracic and Abdominal Ultrasound exam
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7
Thoracic and Abdominal Radiology exam
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8
CT scan
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9
Surgical interventional therapy and Clinical Pathology
The purpose of keeping the cat in the hospital
to administer I.V. in order to treat and alleviate dehydration and electrolytical imbalance
to administer pain-relief drugs, alleviate stress, and encourage eating
for observation of other symptoms
to evaluate treatment efficacy and making treatment adjustments according to patient response
advanced ICU equipment in the hospital
Types of Surgical Intervention
Artificial Apparatus Invasive Treatment
- Esophageal and nasal feeding tubes: provide calories to keep up the strength of the cat.
- Chest tube placement (image-guided Intervention): to remove excess fluid from the cat’s thorax.
- Gallbladder catheter: for serious Obstructive jaundice and hepatitis caused by total bile duct obstruction.
- Other Devices: ureteral bypass、Duodenal tube、Stomach catheter, etc.
Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment
- Exploratory laparotomy: conduct sample collection and tumour removal.
- Laser microsurgery: suitable for ear canal malignancy management, dental surgery, etc.
- Endoscopic surgery: Minimal invasive surgery, suitable for gut cavity tumour sample collection.
Dietary Medicine & Functional Food
The primary treatment of many terminal illnesses is through the diet instead of drugs, as in administering quality sustenance with high biological absorbency
Conditions where diet is more important than the use of drugs
They need a quality diet that provides high nutrient bioavailability in order to help them heal or maintain a basic and quality living condition.