Devastated Need Help On Lymphoma Diagnosis

[twiggylove]

Hello
My baby Twiggy was throwing up like every other day and I took her into the vet in April. They gave me proposed and special diet just wet ID food no dry. The proposed seemed to help until a week ago when the vomiting came back. Took her to get on Thursday and she had bloodwork which was all good and stay on her abdomen. It showed inflammation and swelling of intestines and a mass.
I had to go back yesterday for a ultrasound and showed mass in lymph node and vet said possibly spread to other lymph nodes. The vet mentioned before the ultrasound surgery n chemo. After the tests she gave me prednisone to be given twice a day. At 5 mg each time for 3 weeks. After that once a day at 5 mg.
Twiggy has lost two pounds since April. I'm going to make an appointment for a specialist. Ive been reading about the natural supplements from vitality science. Does anyone have any experience with the natural supplements? My kitty is 9 years old and I'm devastated with this diagnosis.

 

[twiggylove]

Prednisone not proposed

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I'm so sorry to hear about your furbaby!!

natural supplements from vitality science.

are these probiotics? If so, there is also tummyworks, and animal essentials plant enzymes and probiotic.

Regarding food, see if the specialist and your vet will allow something here that might help;
Sometimes finger feeding is the only thing that works, either sitting on the floor with them and literally scooping a little food onto your finger, or gently tucking a little bit of food into their cheeks.

Try making this;
tent test for dehydration and home-made pedialyte recipe - The Daily Kitten

Also, try making one of these;
Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines. --This website has a number of kitten glop recipes, with ingredients that you may very well have in your house.

These can be used on their own or combined with food. Also, if you heat the food a little - stir it so there aren't any hot spots from the microwave. Or you could heat some water, about a tablespoon, and add that to canned food. A small glass works to stir it all up.

• Chicken, beef or ham flavored baby food such as Gerber Stage 2 - make sure there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice, a low mercury/low/no sodium brand is called SafeCatch

• Salmon, mackerel

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food any brand - it's usually smelly. See if it's eaten on its own, then maybe mix it in or put on top

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet or store bought

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat 'gravy' poured over the food

• kitten glop (recipes in website link above)
• Bonito flakes
• fortiflora
• fish oil
• green beans, asparagus mushed up

• goat milk, or no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (the white must always be cooked) or raw egg yolk now and then
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is a brand that can work well as a topper
  
• Some good treats would be freeze dried Purebites, Orijen, Meowtinis, Meowables

• There are also Lickimats that you could spread types of soft food onto, even plain unflavored yogurt, and even freeze it. Licking something can help a cat to feel better emotionally The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats
• shredded cheddar cheese
• chamomile tea, made from the little bags only, a couple cooled teaspoons a couple times a day in water or food, can help calm a stressed cat

 

[twiggylove]

Thank you for all these helpful hints! At the time she is eating and has healthy appetite. She was on ID digestive wet food now vet switched to ZD skin food sensitivities. She does not like pate in which the ZD is. So mixing with the ID digestive. Definitely want to look into the probiotics.
I definitely am taking her to a specialist and will be sending her tests to a holistic vet on Monday when the tests come back. Just not happy with the vet that has seen her recently. Started her prednisone this morning. Ten mg a day is that high?

 

[Furballsmom]

If any of the things in that list I posted are allowed, along with the probiotics maybe increased nutrients will help offset the weight loss, or maybe you can increase the amount you're feeding.

I found this site - it doesn't get into a specific dosage though...
Prednisone for Cats

This group might be able to help, they're a feline lymphoma support group;
Yahoo! Groups

 

[daftcat75]

I have experience with Vitality Science products for IBD, not lymphoma. Though there is probably some overlap. The customer service is great. Send them an email ([email protected]) and they’ll get back to you usually within a day or two. They can answer more questions about their products.

My Krista used the TRDV protocol plus the Pet Flora and Super Pet Enzymes to get her IBD and panc. under control along with B-12 shots. If Twiggy is losing weight, she’s almost certainly becoming deficicient or already depleted of this very important vitamin. Ask the vet about B-12 shots. It couldn’t hurt as any exceess is harmlessly excreted in urine but it should make her feel better if she needs it.

 

[twiggylove]

I have experience with Vitality Science products for IBD, not lymphoma. Though there is probably some overlap. The customer service is great. Send them an email ([email protected]) and they’ll get back to you usually within a day or two. They can answer more questions about their products.

My Krista used the TRDV protocol plus the Pet Flora and Super Pet Enzymes to get her IBD and panc. under control along with B-12 shots. If Twiggy is losing weight, she’s almost certainly becoming deficicient or already depleted of this very important vitamin. Ask the vet about B-12 shots. It couldn’t hurt as any exceess is harmlessly excreted in urine but it should make her feel better if she needs it.

 

[Twiggybaby]

Thank you. Will look into the probiotics. She ate this morning n is now on b12. But has not eaten the rest of today. Have tried everything n still has to get pred tonight. Hate to give it to her without food. Not sure what to do. She has been on the pred since Saturday

 

[Furballsmom]

Try finger feeding, and take a look at my post number 3 above, maybe there's something she'll go for.

 

[daftcat75]

Try Fancy Feast Classic or treat tuna (tuna in water, supplemental feeding only) if you need her eating something.

It’s better to eat at McDonalds than starve at Whole Foods.

That said, my Krista finally had enough of her Tiki and I rebooted her on Rawz and RadCat. If you can switch your cat to raw, the difference only two days has made already is unbelievable.