10 year old cat with laryngeal hemiplegia

Question
Dear Ellen,
Could you please give me some advice.
I have a 10 year old desexed male Russian blue cat. Who is the love of my life.
About 3 weeks ago he started to gag and cough, he became very depressed and lethargic I treated for a hairball.
I took him to my vet and on the exam they thought he had a tumor in his throat. they gave him an anesthetic and an endescope showed the laryngeal hemiplegia.
They explained the surgery available and the risks of pnemonia if they went ahead.
They gave hime a long lasting anti immflamatory injection and sent hime home. The gagging and coughing stopped and he picked up a little, started to eat. But three days latter back to the same. So I took him back and had another injection. Same again picked up for a few days eating but still lethargic and sad. Went back to the vet and got some Predisone tabs 1tab 5mg per day. They seem to be helping, he is eating very small amounts but still very lethargic.
Monday 11th oct, I had to take him back to the vet as a big abcess under the eye had started.
He also seems to have some rear limb weakness. and cant put much weight on front left leg.
They kept him in overnight and put him on amoxicillan antibiotics  50mg 2 times a day. Overnight the abcesss had gone down. So I bought him home again. He still has the weakness and I carry him outside for a walk in the garden yesterday I took him out and he started to cough and after that was breathing very hard. He hasnt had a poo since saturday the 9th oct. The vet gave me laxatives but I'm worried they will stress him out.  All 3 vets at the practice have looked at him and they have come up with he has a brain tumor.  I lives about a 1000miles from the nearest specalist in a small country town in Australia. The thing is they dont have the diagnostic equiptment to make a precise diagnosis. He also had blood tests all clear with just a slightly elevated glucose level and only had a small temp since the abcess.
The thing is Ellen how can I euthanise my old friend if I don't know what is really wrong.
He spends all his time in the bottom of my cupboard on his sheep skin. He is still eating very small amounts 3 times a day, drinking and peeing. but still very lethargic and has trouble getting from the lying position to the sitting position. But I still see glimpses of him, still loves a cuddle, a brush and purs maddly when he sees me.   It is like he has gone from this big virle male to a little withered old man in a matter of weeks.  Could you please help me with some advice, for my beloved Ash Cat.

Thank you so much
Regards Annie Taylor.  

Answer
I am SO sorry to hear about your baby.

You may want to get another opinon outside of your vets office. Preferably from a cats only vet.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8...

Has your vet taken a sample of this tumor and sent it for pathology? and why have they not done skull xrays on this kitty yet to check the bullae in the ears and jaw for dental abcessing?

If he was MY baby, I'd take him for a second opinon. Do not give up yet. If you have to ask for a PEG tube to be placed so you can stomach feed him. His throat may hurt so bad right now that he does not want to swallow. He may need another route of nourishment until this problem is fixed.

PLUS I would not take a brain tumor as an option yet since they have not given you the option of a MRI.

GOD BLESS!