Enlarged lymph nodes on Belly

[rescuecatladylady]

Hello everyone you've provided great insight and help the last time i posted here so I decided to come back for some more insight.
My baby Kylo was born to my first rescue, we kept him and another kitty that died at 1 month due to an undiagnosed genetic disorder.
Kylo started having diarrhea as soon as he started solids. We took him to the vet many, many times until I took matters into my own hands and started experimenting with different foods. Vets would tell me everything was fine and make me buy fancy foods.
I started feeding hypoallergenic grain free (no cereal, no grain) kibble and wet food and his diarrhea got much better and he gained weight. Other than that he also eats meat, liver, kidney... All cooked just for him. It was later confirmed that he does have IBD and food intolerances when my dad very stupidly decided to feed him the cheapest food he could find which was filled with corn (after I told him Multiple times he cannot have that) which trigged an episode of bloody diarrhea and just blood seeping from his bumhole. It stopped when I started feeding him his usual.
I left him with my parents because I had to leave the country in a rush to visit a sick family member and I couldn't bring him with me. Came home to find out he'd been feeding the worst wet food he could find to my cat behinds my mum's back. After I told him NO FEEDING HIM ANYTHING outside of his usual diet. I left his hypoallergenic grain free food for them to use and still he didn't listen to me. Either way, yesterday I noticed 2 lymph nodes on each side of his belly (close to the legs, but on his belly) they're oval shaped but too big I think. I also felt something in the middle of his belly. I've already scheduled an appointment with my vet but I'm TERRIFIED to say the least. If i had to guess the lymph nodes measure close to 1,5cm. Does anyone have any insight? You cannot see them you have to place your fingers on his belly but very easy to find. It's possible they were there before I just hadn't noticed. Could this possibly be from his IBD? Am I being dramatic for thinking the worst? He's 3 years old... All help appreciated

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. You need to get him to a vet. Preferably one who specializes in ultrasound. Such as a board certified internal medicine veterinarian. There are some feline only veterinarians that have had additional schooling in ultrasounds as well. How is your cat feeling now? Was your cat on any medications for his IBD?
Sometimes you can feel fecal matter in the colon by palpating the abdomen. If it is indeed enlarged lymph nodes, then it is in response to inflammation at the area where they are enlarged.

You can check under his jaw bones and see if the lymph nodes are enlarged there as well. Dogs usually get lymphoma that manifests in enlarged lymph nodes you can feel. Cats not much. That is pretty rare in cats. But, I have seen it before.

Intestinal lymphoma is very common in cats, and although it isn’t curable, it is manageable. Often IBD progresses to lymphoma in cats due to the chronic inflammation.

3 years old is young for it to be intestinal lymphoma, so it could be due to the IBD or something unrelated.

I understand being angry with your Dad, but there is no point to it.Some people just don’t understand

 

[rescuecatladylady]

Hi, thank you for your reply.
Unfortunately I don't think I can find any of that around here. Only general (??) Hospitals. When my dad's dog broke her femur he had to drive her to the next country over because it was a very complex break (this a few years back as well). He's had an ultrasound before for his IBD and was on steroids but my vet told me to stop when he got better (no symptoms). I will research and see if I can find any of the specialists you mentioned!
I can feel a few bits of poop in his colon; these are lymph nodes (too superficial to be poo) and I've gotten quite good at feeling lymph nodes. I felt around his belly and what I said felt like something in the middle was actually 2 lymph nodes. I can also feel 2 in the back of his legs, so in total, 6. But the ones one the back of his legs are tiny. I can feel jaw lymph nodes on all of my 3 cats, none of them appear to be sick. Kylo's nodes are all moveable (is that good??).
I'm trying to manage the inflammation with diet, and I've seen improvements regarding appetite and bowel movements - prior to this he was doing solid poos for months! But is there anyway to prevent intestinal lymphoma in cats with IBD?
I know... It's just that he's seen how much damage the cheaper foods can do and he keeps at it. The first time he pooped pure blood I about passed out. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply

 

[rescuecatladylady]

Hi. You need to get him to a vet. Preferably one who specializes in ultrasound. Such as a board certified internal medicine veterinarian. There are some feline only veterinarians that have had additional schooling in ultrasounds as well. How is your cat feeling now? Was your cat on any medications for his IBD?
Sometimes you can feel fecal matter in the colon by palpating the abdomen. If it is indeed enlarged lymph nodes, then it is in response to inflammation at the area where they are enlarged.

You can check under his jaw bones and see if the lymph nodes are enlarged there as well. Dogs usually get lymphoma that manifests in enlarged lymph nodes you can feel. Cats not much. That is pretty rare in cats. But, I have seen it before.

Intestinal lymphoma is very common in cats, and although it isn’t curable, it is manageable. Often IBD progresses to lymphoma in cats due to the chronic inflammation.

3 years old is young for it to be intestinal lymphoma, so it could be due to the IBD or something unrelated.

I understand being angry with your Dad, but there is no point to it.Some people just don’t understand

Forgot to mention the nodes slide under his skin, and he seems to be uncomfortable when I touch them. So there's definitely some tenderness. As far as hardness, they aren't "hard" per se. They're very well defined, they aren't oddly shaped. He's doing well - he ate boiled fish, liver, kidney and eggs (salmonella isn't a concern around here, but I still cook everything) for lunch. Do you recommend any tests besides the ultrasound? X-ray? GI panel? Inflammatory markers? I'm asking because I'm afraid the vet might dismiss my concerns and I just want my baby to be okay. My soul dog died of a terminal illness because the symptoms were practically non existent until he was almost dead (end stage kidney failure caused by parasitic disease) so I'm always wary of catching things early

 

[silent meowlook]

I am sorry about your dog.
Honestly, if you feel that way about your vet, maybe you need another. Of course, I don’t know what the vet situation is like near you, maybe it isn’t an option.

if it was my kitty and I was financially able to do it, I would immediately ask for a referral to a specialist, provided your vet thinks the lymph nodes are abnormal.

How is your cat doing now?

If you have to stick with the current vet, bloodwork, ultrasound and GI panel. Also make sure they add on an FPLI to check for pancreatitis.