Small Cell Gi Lymphoma, Or Ibd + Polycystic Kidney Disease?

[alzycat]

Hi everyone, my 11 year old domestic long hair Yoshi was just diagnosed last night with either having small cell GI lymphoma (75% probability) or IBD + polycystic kidney disease (25% probability). I was hoping that someone could tell me their experiences with IBD and lymphoma, and if anyone could give me hope that she has IBD and not lymphoma.

Yoshi has been sick for about 2-3 months now. What started with diarrhea progressed to vomiting constantly and not eating. She had multiple blood tests, urinalysis, and ultrasounds done but nothing showed up being abnormal. I started treating her as if it was a dietary issue but no food helped change her diarrhea.

A few days ago the vomiting got even worse and she refused to eat anything. I took her to the vet yesterday to get fluids and gave them permission to run more tests. They did another urinalysis (came back normal), another blood test (came back normal), checked her kidney enzymes (came back normal), and finally did another ultrasound and took some x-rays. The ultrasound showed that her kidneys were abnormally shaped (this was noted before as well with her previous ultrasound, but since her kidney enzymes are normal the vets didn't look much into it), and one big change since the last ultrasound: her intestinal wall had thickened significantly. They thought that maybe they had missed this in the last ultrasound, or it just developed very fast.

So this leaves two diagnoses really: lymphoma, or IBD + polycystic kidney disease. Her abnormally shaped kidneys could be because of the lymphoma attacking her kidneys and changing their structure, or from the polycystic kidney disease. I know that the only way to get a firm diagnosis is with a biopsy, but the vets really don't want to do that with her because it's invasive, she's an older cat, and they believe her kidney issues would cause complications. Even with a proper diagnosis, she wouldn't be able to undergo chemotherapy because the damage to her kidneys will be rapid, and the chemo wouldn't really give her a better chance of surviving for a long time. It's also a very stressful and expensive process, and I don't want to have her last months (if it's lymphoma) with that much stress.

So the vet believes it is more likely to be lymphoma, based on the structure of her kidneys and her symptoms. BUT there is still the chance that it is IBD. What we're doing now is giving her anti-nausea medication, an appetite stimulant, and Prednisone. Basically the plan is to continue to try to get her to eat, give her the meds, and hope we can extend her life for as long as possible, as long as she is still happy.

Obviously I'm hoping that it is IBD and not lymphoma. Does anyone have any thoughts? I know that the chance of it being lymphoma is much higher, but I can still hope that she has years left with us. She's still at the vet getting fluids, but she ate a little bit and hasn't thrown up since yesterday afternoon (a big improvement). I got to visit her and she seemed very lively, cuddling, purring, meowing at everyone for attention. She did not look like a dying cat.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully someone can give me some insight about her condition. Even if you just have to be honest and reassure me that it is lymphoma, I would just like to hear some people's stories and opinions.

 

[alzycat]

Bump..

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm going to ask one of our members who knows as much about IBD as anyone I know to chime in here. artiemom , can you give her some pointers, just in case this is IBD, and NOT lymphoma?

Meanwhile, a candle is certainly lit for the two of you!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH...she is just outside Boston, and in danger of losing her power, so it may take her a day or two to get back with you.

 

[alzycat]

Okay, thank you! Hopefully others with any insight will respond as well.

 

[artiemom]

Hi alzycat
My guy has IBD and Megacolon.. perhaps I can help you with the IBD.

The thickened intestinal wall, the vomiting, diarrhea are all indicative of IBD or even Small Cell Lymphoma. Without a biopsy, it is impossible to tell exactly what it is. The treatment is essentially the same.

It sounds as if your Vet is prescribing the right dose of medicines.

Are you doing anything for the diarrhea? besides the steroid? My guy started a Probiotic. It is over the counter, can be found from Chewy.com. It is named Proviable. I am not prescribing, just telling you about my experiences.

Also, Your guy could have an allergy to something in his food. My guy is allergic to chicken. He vomits almost immediately after eating anything with chicken in it.
You may want to keep a log of what he eats and his vomiting. Or he could be allergic to an additive in the food. With my guy, we tried a novel protein. You could try rabbit or lamb. Nature's Variety is a good brand and does not contain chicken in it's novel protein.

I am thinking that since your baby is hospitalized, the Vet would be feeding him a novel protein food.. rabbit, venison, lamb, pork... it is prescription food.

For emergencies, You do need to try to get your kitty to eat.. Gerber or Beech-nut baby food: Meat ONLY..Beef, turkey, ham.. are good to try.. make sure there is no veggies in it.. no onion or garlic.. only the small jars of pure food..

Also, hydration is important. Currently, I am giving my guy sub-q's daily. This does not mean your baby needs it daily, but you would be surprised how much it helps them..
You can easily learn how to do this at home.. even every other day would be good.

It sounds scary, but really is not bad. My trick is to wait until my guy is quiet and then give it to him.

As far as the Polycystic Kidneys: Why does your Vet feel this is a possibility? Is it just because they are an abnormal shape? Are they enlarged or small??
As far as I know, even if it is polycystic kidney disease, With a NORMAL Kidney function and urinating... then I would question why the Vet is considering it.
Polycystic disease usually enlarges kidneys.. non-functioning kidneys are shrunken
at least in humans..

I am glad your baby is feeling a bit better.. Now that all this treatment has begun, you cannot even think about doing a biopsy. Your baby would have to be off of the steroids for a while, before the biopsy can be done.. so you would have to make your baby sick, again, before the biopsy.

I would like to say, that I know you have faith in your Vet.. things sound good, but I am going to strongly suggest a second opinion with an Internal Medicine Vet. You would be surprised at how much they can help..

I hope I did not confuse you.. I was trying to explain what I have gone through.. If you have any other questions, just ask...

 

[alzycat]

artiemom

I have been giving her FortiFlora for a long time now, but my research and the helpful people on this site have told me that it isn't all that helpful and is really just useful for getting them to eat. I did start giving her S. Boulardii last week, but I was only able to give it to her for 3 days before she refused to eat, thus not allowing me to get it into her (I mix it into her food). It hadn't helped yet, but maybe with more time it would. Do you recommend resuming it once she is home & has an appetite? Since she is on antibiotics I'm not sure what other probiotics would work. S. Boulardii is a yeast, so antibiotics don't affect it.

I did maybe think that she is allergic to something, but I've tried everything I can think of & haven't had much luck. She was on Nutro dry food (chicken) for almost her whole life, then when this all started I switched her to wet food (she has had some teeth removed so the vet recommended it to be easier for her to eat, & hopefully get more calories into her). The diarrhea continued, so the vet prescribed her Royal Canin GI High Energy wet food. I know that this food isn't the best ingredient wise, but it was the first thing she would actually eat a lot of and she gained 2 pounds while on it. The diarrhea did improve but didn't go away completely. After some suggestions from other members on this site, I decided to try raw food for her to see if a thickener or something like that in the canned food was hurting her. The raw food was the first thing that improved her diarrhea- it went from a water-like consistency to more like pudding. Unfortunately after a few days on this food, she refused to eat it. I don't think she liked it very much; it took a lot of convincing for her to try it in the first place. I then thought that she may be allergic to chicken, so I got her a duck grain-free canned food (I believe the brand was called Go!). She did eat this but then threw it up a few hours later.

I'm hoping that the vets will be able to get some food into her today, and later today I'm going to go pick up a variety of things at the pet store. I'll also see about getting baby food- thank you for that suggestion!

For the sub q fluids, my vet never mentioned it.. she said that as long as she gets back to eating her canned food, she should be fine. Should I ask her about this?

Finally, for the polycystic kidneys, yes they are enlarged. We initially thought this was only a kidney issue because her thirst began to increase and she was urinating on the rugs and not in her litterbox. Her enzyme levels and urinalysis, however, came back normal. The ultrasounds revealed that they are abnormal in shape ("lumpy" as the vet put it), have a bit of fluid in them, and are enlarged.

I don't plan on doing the biopsy at all- the vet really recommended against it and I trust her. The vets at the clinic actually paid for my puppy's hip surgery 4 years ago- a $10,000 surgery- because we couldn't afford it and were going to have her put down as a last resort. They couldn't stand to see an innocent puppy die because of money, so they came together and raised the money. They really are amazing people.

There is an internal medicine clinic about 30 minutes from me, and my vet has suggested contacting them if I want to seek more options.. I'm hesitant though because they do charge more, & I've spent about $1500 so far trying to figure out Yoshi's issues (not including the bill I'll get today when I pick her up...).

You definitely did not confuse me at all! Thank you so much for taking the time to help me & others with our kitties. I've seen you reply to a lot of threads and it is an amazing thing you do. Hopefully Yoshi has IBD and not lymphoma!

 

[artiemom]

You are so sweet, and kind..

You have been through so much with Yoshi. I understand it all.. our love for our babies make us do incredible things..

Ok.. so possibly she has Polycystic Kidneys.. as long as the kidney levels are normal, that is great.

I know a lot of people use the S Boulardi for diarrhea.

As far as I know: I was using Forti-Flora until I recognized the chicken allergy in my guy. It was then pointed out to me that FF contains, Animal Digest... and who knows what that means and where it comes from. Proviable is a better probiotic..

If Yoshi responds well to raw feeding, then you may want to contact someone from the Raw Feeding thread on here.. Mamanyt1953 help me page someone..

There is also a group on Facebook, IBD Kitties.. Amazing people. You have to ask to be included in the group, as it is private..

Also, the website: IBDKitties.com is a fountain of information. It was started by a couple of former members of this forum. So much information.

If I were in your position; I think I would ask what food the Vet is trying to feed Yoshi, and ask about a novel protein prescription food. You do not want to change or try too many foods at once. Yoshi's GI system is inflamed as it is, right now.. she kind of needs consistency.. and investigation as to what works and does not work.. You could make a log, and refer back to it, to see if and any trends occurring..

Vets are afraid of raw feeding.. Because of my own shakiness about it, I am not using it for my guy. But try it...

The most important thing right now is to get her under control.. I also forgot to mention that my guy had an antibiotic prescribed initially..

The sub-q fluids do not have to be done if she is eating ok.. she will have enough hydration from that.. Glad she is in good hands..

I would ask your Vet about how he feels about the Internal Vet, second opinion. If you Vet feels comfortable in handling this, and take it from there..

Secondly, Can you apply for a CareCredit Card for Yoshi? It has deferred interest, as long as pay off the bill within a certain period of time..

 

[Kxng7233]

Have you try Slipper Elm powder? It is supposed to smooth the GI system and reduce vomit/diarrhea. It is safe for cats.

 

[artiemom]

I think alzycat needs to be aware that Slippery Elm Bark has to be given 2 hours before or after any other medication.. yes, it may help, but it is complicated when ton of other meds are also in the mix..

 

[alzycat]

artiemom
Thank you so much for all the info. I figured out what food they were giving her and the vets gave me some, and since being home, she has been eating and drinking plenty (thank goodness!). I gave her all her meds this morning & she took it very well; she didn't even notice the pill (i mixed it with some wet food) & the liquid antibiotic was a bit harder, but we managed to do it.

She has not thrown up now since Wednesday afternoon (yay!!) & hasnt gone #2 yet since she has been home. She has gone pee once though.

She is still very cuddly & loving, but yesterday evening she just wanted to hide. Im assuming shes just upset from being at the vets for almost 2 days- she seems a bit more social today

Kxng7233 , thank you for the suggestion! And artiemom , thank you for clarifying how to use it. I think im going to stay away from all that for right now, at least until im sure that she's feeling better. Then I'll start adding in probiotics and other supplements gradually.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Neo_23 , do you have some gentle advice for this lovely. fairly new member and her sensitive-tummied kitty? She may be dealing with IBD or lymphoma, so read carefully! @lavishsqualor, how about you? I know you guys know a lot about nutrition in general, and raw feeding in particular.

 

[Neo_23]

I don't know a lot about lymphoma and have limited knowledge of IBD, but you may find these websites useful to you:
Probiotics for Cats - Why and Which Ones
IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time

Is your kitty still on antibiotics? If yes, it wouldn't hurt to add a general cat probiotic supplement to the s.boullardi you are feeding . Something that has multiple strains (not fortiflora). If on antibiotics, the trick is to give the probiotic at a time that is not close to when you give the antibiotic. This will help balance out the gut and restore good bacteria since the antibiotic destroys all bacteria in the tummy.

You could also try using fortiflora as an appetite stimulant if you haven't already, just be careful with overdoing it with the probiotics - you only need to sprinkle the fortiflora on (don't need a whole package) if using it as a stimulant.

It's a little bit pricey, but if you can get your hands on some Rad Cat raw food you might find it helpful. I know people with IBD kitties who have done well on it mainly because it uses eggshell powder instead of bone. And I also hear that most cats really love it.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Thanks, Neo_23

 

[alzycat]

Neo_23
Thank you for the reply! She is eating plenty now & yes, she is still on antibiotics & will be for the next week. I was thinking about adding the S. Boulardii back in to keep the good bacteria there while the antibiotic works its magic.

Id have to look around for the rad cat food; right now she is enjoying the dry food and wet food (prescriptions) that I'm giving her, but once her tummy settles down ill try to find something with better ingredients

The only concern I have right now is that she has not pooped yet since she has been home.. It has been less than 24 hours though. I'm probably just paranoid

 

[Neo_23]

Sounds good -- if using the probiotic to balance out the gut, then you might want to try a probiotic supplement with more strains than just s.boullardi. S.boullardi is great for IBD and diarrhea, but it's only one strain of probiotic, so I wouldn't imagine that it would do much to restore good gut flora.

A lot of independent pet stores sell probiotics with multiple strains. I use one called Rxbiotic that you can get from your vet or from amazon.

Yeah, I think 24 hours isn't too long, I would give it another day and see.

By the way, most of the pet ones don't have s.boullardi, so you could give the s.boullardi and a multi-strain pet probiotic at the same time. Maybe consult with your vet about how much to give of each, or you can check out the website I linked you to above.

 

[artiemom]

alzycat do not worry today about the poop.. she has been through so much and is probably cleaned out.. ((hugs))

I am not posting much because I think I have a virus..and a headache.. but do not be concerned if one day goes by and she does not poop...

 

[alzycat]

Neo_23 Thank you so much! I don't know much about probiotics so that link & your information is very helpful

artiemom Okay, I wont worry it is nice to have her not going #2 every couple hours like she was before. Hopefully the next one that comes out will be a "good" one. And no worries for not posting much! I feel like there is not much else I can say anymore except for keeping everyone updated and asking questions as they come. But for now I feel at ease knowing that she is eating & happy, and we'll just take each day one at a time, & be thankful for every day in the future that she is happy. Get lots of rest & feel better soon!

 

[alzycat]

Hi everyone, I just have a quick question about feeding Yoshi. She is still doing great, but her appetite is CRAZY. I know this can be a side effect of the medication, but I was wondering if I should limit her food intake or just let her eat what she wants? She weighs arouns 6 pounds & should be around 8-10, so she is quite skinny. She ate 1.25 cans of wet food yesterday & about half a cup of dry food.

 

[artiemom]

Personally, I would let her eat as much as she wants. She lost a ton of weight..
This shows that she has a good appetite; and is feeling good.. You do not want to stop that..

Is Yoshi on an appetite stimulant? It would be kind of mean, not to allow her to eat, if she was on one..

If not, let her go at it.. as long as she is not gorging, or making herself sick.. a little at a time is ok..