Veterinary report

Varia — a black British Longhair cat

Varia

Cat British Longhair 12 years

Date of birth
25.08.2014
Microchip
968000011873589
Owner
Karina Grakova

Summary for the vet

24.06.2025 – 16.10.2026

Current

Key points as of 16.10.2026

Female spayed British Longhair, 12 years, 3.90 kg on 12.10 (4.19 kg on 05.10, 4.78 kg on 14.09, 5.2 kg in July). Metastatic high-grade mammary carcinoma. After 5 doses of doxorubicin, on Palladia since 28.09. Main problems: pleural effusion needing thoracocentesis every few days, weight loss, nausea and constipation, urea 23.7 mmol/l with normal creatinine, haemoglobin at the lower limit.

  • 17–18.10, per the owners: RR 34 after the tap on 16.10; on 17.10, after furosemide and Palladia, 26 and 28 even while awake; on 18.10 she is eating, drinking, urinating and defecating. Palladia given on 17.10; in the owners' observation, it is the only part of the treatment that works. Furosemide — back to 3/4 tablet.
  • 16.10, TENVET 24h (evening): RR up to 40 at home, 44–46 at 18:40. About an hour in an oxygen cage, then thoracocentesis — ~140 ml of haemorrhagic fluid (60 ml right, 80 ml left); discharged home.
  • 16.10, LoVet (morning): weakness, nausea, difficulty swallowing; RR 32–34 at home, thoracic breathing; 38.2 °C; constipation — hard faeces in the rectum; small dry lesion on the nose. Creatinine 156 (normal), urea 23.7↑, Hb 98 g/l, PLT 840↑, Neu 11.86↑. Furosemide reduced to 1/2 tablet twice daily (if breathing speeds up — back to 3/4 tablet and an ultrasound); Palladia dose on 16.10 skipped, next on 18.10; metoclopramide SC; Dicopeg, Dulcobis.
  • 15.10, Retina: sutures removed. Corneas clearer, IOP 13 / 14 mmHg, no squinting, menace and dazzle present OU. Simplified drop regimen; recheck within 14 days.
  • 12.10, LoVet (oncologist): a little better, RR up to 30; has lost weight — 3.90 kg; eats a little (tuna, liver, chicken), drinks on her own twice daily; Zofran twice daily helps. Ultrasound: fluid 1.6–2 cm. Furosemide 3/4 tablet twice daily, Palladia continued. Recheck in a week — decide whether to repeat Convenia.
  • 10.10, TENVET 24h: night in an oxygen cage, thoracocentesis 120 ml; signs of dehydration (RBC 13.31↑, Hb 16.2↑).
  • 07.10, LoVet: tap of 100 ml from the right; creatinine 250↑, urea 16.5↑; SC fluids. 05.10: ultrasound — "worse", right lung collapse, 0.78 × 0.65 cm liver lesion.
  • Previous taps: 26.09 — 128 ml, 28.09 — 50 ml (right).

1Oncology

Diagnosis Mammary carcinoma. 08.08.2025 — solid carcinoma, Mills grade III, margin ~0.2 mm. 29.12.2025 — high grade, lymphovascular invasion. 20.03.2026 — poorly differentiated tumour, margins multifocally involved; IHC (pancytokeratin/vimentin) recommended, not performed
Surgery 4 operations, ALVET: 08.08.2025, 04.11.2025 (benign), 29.12.2025, 20.03.2026
Stage Clinically metastatic since 13.04.2026 (lungs on TFAST, not confirmed cytologically). 14.09 — proliferative changes in the thoracic wall; 21.09 — 0.46 cm subcutaneous abdominal nodule (recurrence in the differential); 26.09 — ~1 × 1.5 cm mass in the thorax; 26.08 — 0.9×0.7 cm mass at the heart apex/mediastinum (whether this is the same lesion as on 26.09 is unknown); 05.10 — 0.78 × 0.65 cm liver lesion, possible metastasis
Systemic therapy Palladia 13.04–08.06.2026. Carboplatin 200 mg/m² on 18.05.2026, followed by severe neutropenia (Neu 0.45). Doxorubicin 1 mg/kg every 21 days: 15.06, 06.07, 27.07, 17.08, 07.09.2026; dose VI not given. Palladia 10 mg since 28.09.2026, every other day since 05.10; paused for 1 day on 07.10; dose skipped on 16.10 (weakness, nausea), given on 17.10

2Active problems

Problem Latest findings Course
Pleural effusion 16.10: RR 44–46 at home; thoracocentesis ~140 ml (60 right, 80 left), haemorrhagic Taps on 26.09 (128 ml), 28.09 (50 ml), 07.10 (100 ml), 10.10 (120 ml), 16.10 (~140 ml) — 2–9 days apart, volumes not decreasing. Centimetre values from different vets and machines are not comparable over time. Come in urgently if RR ≥ 40/min, open-mouth breathing or weakness
Kidneys 16.10 (LoVet): creatinine 156 (normal), urea 23.7↑, BUN/CRE 38 Creatinine 152 (28.09) → 250 (07.10) → 156. Urea 12.0 → 16.5 → 23.7 — highest on record; the cause has not been discussed
Blood 16.10 (IDEXX): Hb 98 g/l (lower limit), Hct 0.331, reticulocytes 38.7; PLT 840↑; WBC 13.95, Neu 11.86↑ Hb 121 → 98 in 9 days (two taps of 100 and 120 ml in between). No neutropenia on Palladia. MCH↓, RDW↑ — IDEXX recommends a blood smear
Weight, GI 3.90 kg (12.10); 16.10 — nausea, constipation 4.78 (14.09) → 4.19 (05.10) → 3.90 kg — −25% from July. Eats a little home-cooked food; drinks on her own
Eyes OU 15.10 — sutures removed; corneas clearer, IOP 13 / 14, menace and dazzle present Improvement after the surgery on 25.09. Recheck at Retina by ~29.10. Culture from 21.09 — no result

3Treatment (latest prescriptions)

  • Palladia 10 mg every other day (since 05.10); skipped on 16.10, given on 17.10. In the owners' observation, it is the only thing that works.
  • Furosemide (Furosoral 10 mg): reduced to 1/2 tablet twice daily on 16.10 (if breathing speeds up — 3/4 tablet twice daily and an ultrasound); after the tap on 16.10 back to 3/4 tablet (per the owners, as of 18.10).
  • Convenia SC on 05.10; whether to repeat — to be decided at the recheck.
  • Nefrokrill Gatto (since 07.10) — renal support supplement.
  • Prednisolone 5 mg: 3/4 tablet alternating with 1 tablet, once daily (since 28.09).
  • Cyclonamine (etamsylate): 2 ampoules of the injectable form dispensed on 12.10.
  • Buprenorphine (Bupaq), diluted, low dose, transmucosally.
  • GI: Zofran twice daily; metoclopramide SC on 16.10; Dicopeg, Dulcobis for constipation; sucralfate, omeprazole (Helicid); Mirataz if no appetite.
  • Eyes, both (since 15.10): Vigamox 4× daily until the recheck; after 3 min — Vital Drop 3× daily; after 15 min — serum with Optixcare 4× daily; after 3 min — Optixcare 4× daily long-term. Next, if the eyes stay good — Dexoftyal 3× daily and Optixcare gel 4× daily.

4Latest tests

  • Biochemistry, LoVet, 16.10: creatinine 156 (1–168), urea 23.7↑ (5–11.3), BUN/CRE 38, amylase 2145↑, glucose 8.90↑ (stress-related; fructosamine normal on 14.09), cholesterol 6.73↑, K 4.71, Na 148, Ca 2.80, P 1.20, ALT 16, ALP 24, bilirubin 5.13, bile acids 7.27, albumin 33.6, globulins 45.0.
  • IDEXX, 16.10: RBC 9.00, Hct 0.331, Hb 98 (98–162), MCV 36.8, MCH 10.9↓, RDW 28.9↑, reticulocytes 38.7, WBC 13.95, Neu 11.86↑, Lym 1.30, PLT 840↑, plateletcrit 1.39↑.
  • TENVET, 10.10 (different analyser): creatinine ≈ 159 µmol/l, urea ≈ 11.4 mmol/l, RBC 13.31↑, Hb 16.2↑, Lym 0.44↓, Cl 106.8↓, lactate 2.47↑.
  • LoVet / IDEXX, 07.10: creatinine 250↑, urea 16.5↑, amylase 2158↑; WBC 17.38↑, Neu 15.08↑, Hb 121, PLT 550.
  • Urine, 21.09: UPC 0.164 (normal), no RBCs or crystals, USG 1.027.
  • Pending: fructosamine (ordered for 12.10, not done); eye culture (21.09), fPL; blood smear.

5Decisions needed

  1. Effusion: five taps in three weeks — a plan for thoracocentesis (criteria, where, how often, including at night) or an indwelling drain.
  2. Furosemide: now back to 3/4 tablet (reduced to 1/2 on the morning of 16.10, a 140 ml tap the same evening) — confirm the dose and what it achieves.
  3. Urea 23.7 with creatinine 156: the cause; diet, fluids, steroid.
  4. Blood: Hb 98 and platelets 840 — how often to recheck; blood smear.
  5. Palladia: the owners see an effect only from it — how to confirm this; the day of the next dose (last given on 17.10); nausea and weakness on 16.10.
  6. Nutrition and GI: weight 3.90 kg, nausea, constipation — a standing plan.

About this summary

Compiled by the owner from records of LoVet, Retina, ALVET, ALPHAVET, the university clinic (26.09), TENVET 24h (10.10, 16.10) and the IDEXX, ALAB and Vetlab laboratories. The full chronology with all sources and discrepancies between documents is on the "Full chronology" page.

This document does not replace examination and assessment by a veterinarian.