Varia
Cat British Longhair 12 years
Analysis: key points as of 16.10.2026
13.04.2026 – 16.10.2026
Main conclusions
What the records do and do not support. Numbers are in “Lab trends”, details in the full chronology.
| Topic | What the data show | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Pleural effusion | No taps from July to September. From 26.09 to 16.10 — five: 128, 50, 100, 120 and ~140 ml, 2–9 days apart. Breathing worsened before each one | Fluid reaccumulates quickly and volumes are not decreasing. Volumes and intervals are a reliable measure; ultrasound centimetres from different vets cannot be compared |
| Breathing at home | Before deteriorations the owners counted 34–40 (17–24.09), 46 (04.10) and 44–46 (16.10); after taps — up to 30 (12.10) and 34 (16.10); on 17.10, after furosemide and Palladia, — 26–28 while awake | Counting at home is the best early warning. Threshold for an urgent visit — 40/min or more |
| Furosemide and kidneys | 07.10 — creatinine 250. 16.10 — creatinine 156 (normal), but urea 23.7 — highest on record. On the morning of 16.10 furosemide was reduced to 1/2 tablet twice daily, that evening — a 140 ml tap; now back to 3/4 tablet (per the owners) | Creatinine has recovered, urea has not; the vets have not discussed why. Neoplastic effusion usually responds poorly to diuretics: the calmest period (July–September) was without furosemide |
| Blood | Haemoglobin 121 → 98 g/l (07.10 → 16.10), platelets 840 — highest on record; neutrophils 11.86 | No neutropenia on Palladia. The drop in haemoglobin coincided with two taps of haemorrhagic fluid; the vet described the CBC as “stable” |
| Palladia | No neutropenia on 07.10, 10.10 or 16.10. Every other day; the 16.10 dose was skipped because of weakness and nausea, given on 17.10 | Tolerated as far as the blood counts show. In the owners’ observation, it is the only part of the treatment that works; the records do not show this yet — the effusion reaccumulates just as fast |
| Signs of progression | 26.09 — ~1 × 1.5 cm mass in the thorax; 05.10 — 0.78 × 0.65 cm liver lesion (“possible metastasis”), right lung collapse | Probable progression; none of it has been verified |
| Weight, nutrition, GI | 4.78 → 4.19 → 3.90 kg (14.09 → 05.10 → 12.10), −25% from July. Eats a little home-cooked food; 16.10 — nausea and constipation; 18.10, per the owners, — eating, drinking, urinating and defecating | Weight loss continues — about 0.3 kg per week |
| Eyes | Sutures removed on 15.10: corneas clearer, no discomfort, visual responses preserved | The surgery on 25.09 worked; the drop regimen has been simplified |
Questions for the vet at the next visit
- Thoracocentesis plan: the last three taps were 3–6 days apart. At what respiratory rate, where and by whom should a tap be done — including at night. Is an indwelling drain needed.
- Furosemide: now back to 3/4 tablet (reduced to 1/2 on the morning of 16.10, a 140 ml tap that evening). Confirm the dose and what it achieves.
- Urea 23.7 with normal creatinine: what is causing it and whether anything should change — food, fluids, steroid.
- Haemoglobin 98 and platelets 840: whether to monitor more often; the blood smear IDEXX has recommended since 07.10.
- Palladia: the owners see an effect only from it — how to confirm this when the effusion reaccumulates just as fast; which day the next dose is due (last given on 17.10).
- Nausea and constipation: what to give long-term; Convenia — repeat or not (open since 12.10).