Bengal cat lymphoma

Ted1066

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Sep 9, 2021
Messages
1
Purraise
0
Hi our Bengal cat is 10 she wasn’t eating or going to the toilet for a few days and vomiting white foam and was hiding away in another room
We took her to the vets they checked her bloods and took her temperature 🤒 🙀everything seemed normal we were given a paste to add to her food in case she had a blocked hair ball
The next few days she got worse crouching and gasping for air similar to when she was bringing up a hair ball
We brought her back to the vets for tests she had an exray and ultrasound
The ultrasound showed fluid build up around her lungs 🫁
The vet drained the fluid and it is being sent for analysis
The vet had a look under the microscope and it looks like lymphoma
She was put on a drip overnight and given a b12 shot and steroid shot and 1 tablet to be given at night with food
She is home now sleeping in her favourite spot loving her strokes
She still hasn’t eaten but hopefully she will tonight
Has anyone ever experienced this in there kitty 🐈⬛
Thanks
 

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,358
Location
Los Angeles
Welcome to The Cat Site. I am sorry that your cat's illness is what brought you here. While I am not a vet, it is unfortunately correct that lymphoma can result in what is called "pleural effusion" which is what your vet has probably found. Draining it was necessary.

There are three types of lymphoma in cats, and I am assuming that your cat is suspected of having the form which presents in the chest area. I could be wrong though. The gastrointestinal form is much more common and probably more discussed in general.

Depending on your plan of action, I would talk to the vet about treatment options. If she mentions using chemotherapy, do not panic. Animals seem to tolerate chemotherapeutic medications much better than humans and without the same side effects, so don't jump to a comparison with those who you might have know who were given chemo for a human cancer.
 

HeckYesHess

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
4
Purraise
2
Hi our Bengal cat is 10 she wasn’t eating or going to the toilet for a few days and vomiting white foam and was hiding away in another room
We took her to the vets they checked her bloods and took her temperature 🤒 🙀everything seemed normal we were given a paste to add to her food in case she had a blocked hair ball
The next few days she got worse crouching and gasping for air similar to when she was bringing up a hair ball
We brought her back to the vets for tests she had an exray and ultrasound
The ultrasound showed fluid build up around her lungs 🫁
The vet drained the fluid and it is being sent for analysis
The vet had a look under the microscope and it looks like lymphoma
She was put on a drip overnight and given a b12 shot and steroid shot and 1 tablet to be given at night with food
She is home now sleeping in her favourite spot loving her strokes
She still hasn’t eaten but hopefully she will tonight
Has anyone ever experienced this in there kitty 🐈⬛
Thanks
I lost my 8 year old bengal last year to lymphoma. This year a month to the year my other bengal and her sister who is now 9 is sick and as we speak are waiting on the lab results in which the vet us leaning towards lymphoma. This go around everything is normal except swollen lymph nodes and high white blood cell counts. Im praying that its not lymphoma as going through this a second time so close to the 1 year of her sisters death might just kill me. I know there are options as ive obsessed over it the last year thinking had we caught it sooner we could have saved her, but watching her lay on the bed so lifeless and hurting is breaking my soul.
 

HeckYesHess

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
4
Purraise
2
I am sorry to read this H HeckYesHess . Please let us know what you find out.
So its been a few weeks, she was diagnosed with Large Cell Lymphoma. They went in to take a biopsy for the exact diagnosis because the oncologist wouldnt start chemo without it. While inside they found a hole in her colon, likely caused by the lymphoma. They closed her colon, but colons do not like to be cut and put back together. She struggled to eat. A week after surgery she lost her battle. She passed last Sunday 9/26/2021, a day before my birthday and 11 months after her sister passed which was on 10/27/2020. The hardest thing i have had to deal with. We tried everything and her last few hours she had multiple seizures the vet attributes to the cancer, her body temp dropped to 97° and she began panting. Attached are my two girls, both lost to lymphoma and now back together again. I wish i had better news.
 

Attachments

fionasmom

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
13,125
Purraise
17,358
Location
Los Angeles
H HeckYesHess I am so sorry to read this. You clearly did everything that you could to try to help your baby. She had fought as hard as she could along with you and the kindest and hardest thing to do for her was to release her back to her sister, whole and well again. They are beautiful girls, easy to see how well loved they are and how much they love you.
 

savedbycat9

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
10
Purraise
2
H HeckYesHess I am so sorry to read this. You clearly did everything that you could to try to help your baby. She had fought as hard as she could along with you and the kindest and hardest thing to do for her was to release her back to her sister, whole and well again. They are beautiful girls, easy to see how well loved they are and how much they love you.
H HeckYesHess I'm so sorry that you had to go through this twice. You mentioned your baby had swollen lymph nodes. Was it one lymph node? If so which side? Was it multiple lymph nodes?
 

HeckYesHess

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
4
Purraise
2
H HeckYesHess I'm so sorry that you had to go through this twice. You mentioned your baby had swollen lymph nodes. Was it one lymph node? If so which side? Was it multiple lymph nodes?
Hello, it was two lymph-nodes right next to the colon, kinda in the midsection. They were swollen and necrotic meaning they were dead. Large cell lymphoma is the most aggressive. They knew something was different once they saw the swollen lymph nodes they did an aspirate test and could hear something crunching when they put the needle. It turned out because the tissue they went through was dead. I hope this information helps. If you have anymore questions please ask. If i cant do anything else for my baby i hope to help others with her story. I hope your baby is alright.
 

savedbycat9

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
10
Purraise
2
Hello, it was two lymph-nodes right next to the colon, kinda in the midsection. They were swollen and necrotic meaning they were dead. Large cell lymphoma is the most aggressive. They knew something was different once they saw the swollen lymph nodes they did an aspirate test and could hear something crunching when they put the needle. It turned out because the tissue they went through was dead. I hope this information helps. If you have anymore questions please ask. If i cant do anything else for my baby i hope to help others with her story. I hope your baby is alright.
Mine has 1 swollen lymph node below her jaw. It is about the size of a grape but oval shaped. It can be moved around but is solid not super soft. She has no other symptoms. What were both of your kitties symptoms? I'm still waiting on blood and aspirate results.
 

HeckYesHess

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Sep 14, 2021
Messages
4
Purraise
2
Mine has 1 swollen lymph node below her jaw. It is about the size of a grape but oval shaped. It can be moved around but is solid not super soft. She has no other symptoms. What were both of your kitties symptoms? I'm still waiting on blood and aspirate results.
So for Asha, the first she started having bloody stools about 8months prior, she would go through periods of refusing food and back to eating again. Her final symptoms were going outside of the litter pan and vomiting. When her blood was taken it was like water they said and would not clot. Her spleen was enlarged. Unfortunately she was initally misdiagnosed by the vet with a disorder in which the body attacks the blood, upon getting the ER vet they re-diagnosed her as that blood condition primarily only happens in dogs. We immediately left that vet. Aria, her first symptom was going outside of the litter pan. Neither of my girls ever went outside of the litter pan. Her blood work showed increased neutrophils and high white blood cell count. Xrays showed enlarged lymph nodes. Aspirate test showed probably diagnosis of lymphoma but oncology refused to start treatment until a final diagnosis so they did a biopsy and also found a hole in her colon. Once the first symprom of Aria happened, she was lethargic, refused to eat, not grooming as much. Asha passed too quickly for a specific lymphoma diagnosis but based on her symptoms we assume it was GI lymphoma and was small cell. Had she been properly diagnosed she may have made it to chemo and still be here, hence why i left that vet. In both cases, bloodwork done 5-8 months prior was normal. Aria last had bloodwork in January and became very sick by Sept. Asha had blood work in December and first showed signs in March. Aria made it two weeks after her first symptom whereas Asha made it another 7-8 months after first symptom. I get blood work done of my kids often because of this.
 
Top