Operation on the family cat ..is it worth it?

Question

The family cat is 16 years old and has lately developed an absolutely insatiable hunger and just wont stop, and cries for hours when hes not eating. Something obviously wrong but the vets say they haven't found anything after numerous tests. But they are willing to do a free exploratory operation to check his organs and see if theres anything they can treat.

Such an operation involves a large cut ( under anesthetic) and makes me squeamish just thinking about it, but i need to know, from anyone who has a similar experience or even a vet, will the cat suffer too much or be caused pain by such an operation?

Answer 1

there's a chance in every kind of surgery that the animal could get hurt, and even if the surgery DOESN'T show anything, isn't it better to do it, in case there IS something wrong? b/c if you don't do it and there is something wrong, it could make your cat a lot more sick, or it could be fatal, idk about you, but i would rather do it and find out nothings wrong than not do anything, and have my cat be very sick

Answer 2

depends on how much you love him

Answer 3

no at his age, he'll pass by natural causes in peace befor anything kills him. the opreation is poinless and will prob shorten his life.... plus it is much more risky to put an older cat under a anesthetic he might not wake up.... enjoy him and make his last few years fun and loving...

hope it all goes well :)

Answer 4

At 16 yrs of age id be more worried about the cat surviving the operation and anaesthesia.  If there isnt anything obviously wrong i personally wouldnt put him under.

Answer 5

This must be hard for you to deside what to do , your cat is old and would he survive the operatin ? and is all the pain worth it ? , i would just let her live out her rest of her life as you are if the vt carnt find any thing wrong he just might have Dementia ! good luck on what you choose xx

Answer 6

I spent 2,500.00 dollars on my older cat once   and I would do it again in a heartbeat! Tiger was part of my family

Answer 7

did your  vet check for diabeties? ask dr. micheal fox, you can find him on the internet. i read in his colum, about the exact same thing, sorry i cant remember what he said, he is very smart.hes an arthur, vet, animal lover,the cat at that age may not wake from the anastia. please ask around first, good luck.

Answer 8

I am not a vet, but just common sense tells me when there is any kind of surgery there WILL be pain and risk.  I hope you cat does well whatever your decision.  

Answer 9

You have a cat who is 16 years old. Your cat's age is a big risk factor in exploratory surgery. I wouldn't just dive right into that.

What are these "numerous tests" that your vet did on him? Blood work and x-rays I'm guessing, right? Did they do an ultrasound? MRI? Endoscopy? No, right? Depending on how much you are willing/able to spend, you really need additional testing and a second opinion.

Is there a veterinary school/teaching hospital within driving distance for you? This is where you will get the most cutting edge treatment for your feline friend. Call them up, make an appointment for a consultation (your vet will have to fill out referral forms), bring all of your cat's medical records from your own vet with you.

I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 10

i would get a second opinion before deciding-any operation has risks especially in older acts so it would be a last resort for me.

Answer 11

They are offering you a free operation that could find out what is wrong with your pet. That should settle the pros and cons right there. There are several different kinds of pain medication they can give your cat for such an operation. These types of operations happen on pets all the time, every day.  You shouldn't feel squeamish about it. If you need reassurance, your vet should be more than happy to sit you down and explain the entire process.

Answer 12

Yikes. An exploratory on a 16 year old cat. Have they checked its thyroid? Eating all the time sounds like a thyroid problem. Any diarrhea? Sometimes eating a lot can be something as easy as worms. Is he gaining weight from the eating? Or maintaining his weight? I would hold off on the exploratory. That surgery is going to probably take at least an hour with a very experienced vet, longer if the vet is not as experienced. I would be concerned about the cat passing under anesthesia, or not recovering afterwords. Unless the cat goes down hill very quickly, I personally would not do the exploratory.

Answer 13

i just had a cat screaming in pain, limping. i had never seen so much pain. and i have seen it all. had a cat with a leg crushed so bad they thought they would have to amputate it. he did not scream this much.

went to the vet expecting to put her to sleep. she was 15, i knew it was bad and i couldnt see putting her through the pain of surgery and recovery.

vet said, infected cut, puss trapped inside, simple surgery to drain the wound.

she caught a mouse her first night back from the vet hospital.

get a second opinion. if both agree on surgery, ask both about pain, cats chances.

it should not be any worse then any other surgery, a little sore maybe, but she should be fine.

my biggest concern is the first vet has made a mistake. you , and the cat ,would not be happy if it turns out to be worms that could have been treated with oral meds.