feline fibroid sarcoma in 14 year old cat

[msbass]

my 14 year old cat has a fibroid sacoma (caused by vaccination) on her rear leg.  Medical option is complete amputation of rear leg.  My concern: should I put her through an amputation at this age.  My vet is great, but, understandably, cannot tell me what she would do if it were her cat.  She is scheduled for a series of tests to see if the cancer has invaded any other areas, if her remaining legs are strong enough (without arthritus), x-rays of chest, ultrasound of intestines and a complete blood workup to make sure she is disease free.  If all comes out ok- then amputation would have a 70 to 80 percent chance of giving her two to three more years   My concern- would those remaining years be quality years for the cat, or should I let her be, monitoring her for pain and putting her down when it is too much?  I bounce back and forth on this.  I need some honest opinions out there.  I can handle putting her down, but putting her through such an operation if it can't give her a GOOD two or three more years seems cruel.  Opinions?????

[msbass]

Thank you for your comment.  My vet is reluctant to tell me what she would do.  I'm sure she doesn't want me to lay the decision on her with all its heavy consequences.  It sounds as though you have had a lot of emotional pain in your life and I really appreciate you taking the time to counsel someone else- me!  Thank you again.  Maribass

[Tinabudde]

Hi msbass, that's a hard choice, I'm sorry you have to make it.  I'd wait and see how the tests come out if there's any cancer that may have spread before you do anything.  I would ask the vet, "if this was your cat what would you do?" Get her opinion it's like she is telling you what to do with your own cat, it's just what she would do if her cat was in the same place as yours, from a medical standpoint this would be good to know what the doctor would do in this instance.  With her age, there are anesthesia risks.  The stump will probably hurt too and the average cat lives 15-16 tho some make it alot older.  My cat years ago got the vaccine induced sarcoma, my old vet said that it was just a cyst cats get them, well it wasn't.  She wound up with it spreading to the bones and marrow and I made the choice to put her to sleep after work one day, my father was with her and 7 minutes before I drove in to take her she passed away.  I was glad because it was a hard decision.  I lost people and cats over the years and seen alot of suffering.  My old belief was to try to hang on to every moment.  Since I had cancer and watched my best friend die of it a very long painful death and watching my father suffer a year before he died, my views have changed.  My cats now, I love them to bits but if they were in pain and they were elderly and the outcome wasn't perfect I probably would put them to sleep.  I am not a fan of pain.  I hate to see suffering.  So my opinion for you if I were you would be ask the vet what she would do if it were her cat, and ask about the pain factor after surgery, how long she'd have w/o surgery and then weigh the odds of the less painful and stressful for your cat. hugsss, Tina, let us know what you decide, and if you do decide for putting her down and want to talk, I used to volunteer for Rainbow Bridge as a pet loss grief counselor before my mother had cancer and my father died, so if you'd need to talk you can always contact me on here.