Suggested Lymphoma 11 yr old male

[kmbishop111]

Just looking for experiences similar to what Im going thru w my Roo as of 2 weeks ago.​

Background - Finicky eater but has gradually been losing over the past 2 years. From 11 lbs to 7.2 at Vet today. Some of that has been in the last 2 weeks.

Two Weeks Ago -He became severely dehydrated, showed no interest in water. started cooking him boiled chicken / turkey and rice. He mantained a bit of appetite w tiny meals and would drink only the broth.

Vomitting and diarrhea on and off for 2 weeks. Lethargic, and once I thought his breath had an ammonia smell. Temp normal at 101.5 until vet visit today, 102.8. Rehydrated w subq fluids here and there until could get in w Vet

Feluke / FIV /HW Negative

Diagnosed - UTI and current TX of Veraflox. Metacam, and Gabapentin for Arthritis.

Labs -
WBC 28.63 (2.87 - 17.02),
Neutrophils 24.98 (2.3 - 10.9),
MONO .86 (.05 - .67)
SDMA at 15 (0 - 14)
PHOS 2.9 (3.1 - 7.5)
His T4 was normal at 2.0.
Painful when Vet palpated bladder.

His appetite is picking up bit by bit and she suggested switching him to Fancy Feast.

Question - Does any of this point to Gastro Lymphoma in your opinion? Next option is either Ultrasound or Exploratory Surgery as she suggested after the UTI cleared up if still having problems.

TIA

 

[di and bob]

The UTI could be causing all of it. Definitely clear that up and go from there. I know in elderly humans it can cause all kinds of weird symptoms, including psychosis. It IS concerning about the weight loss and his loss of appetite, were his teeth checked? When my cats stop eating I give them Hartz Delectable Lickables in the stew flavors and Purrfectly Chicken by Whiskas. They always manage to eat more of those. I give all their meds in the Lickables too. you might try them. they are online at Target and Amazon, and the Lickables are in-store at Walmart, and both at Dollar General.

 

[fionasmom]

It does, but it could also be the UTI or even another issue. The stand out symptoms are weight loss and diarrhea which is what Chelsea exhibited for the most part with GI lymphoma. There is a renal lymphoma in cats, not to make this discussion any more cheerful though, and that makes me wonder. Ultrasounds are sometimes inconclusive with GI lymphoma and you might have to proceed to the next step if that is what your vet wants to do. Your vet must suspect GI lymphoma though to have brought it up to you.

 

[daftcat75]

The weight loss certainly suggests lymphoma. Especially if he continues to lose weight despite eating a normal or more than normal amount of food.

I definitely recommend the ultrasound regardless of whether you intend to consent to the biopsy.

If there's a mass, that's a rather obvious sign of lymphoma. You can proceed to consult with an oncologist.

If, however, his ultrasound findings are similar to most who go down this path ("intestinal wall thickening consistent with either IBD or lymphoma"), that doesn't let him off the hook for lymphoma. It just means it's possibly a different kind of lymphoma that is indistinguishable from IBD on an ultrasound. In this case, since he's already lost so much weight, I would consider skipping the biopsy and proceeding to steroids. Discuss with your vet how long to give steroids (maybe no more than a month) before adding chemotherapy to his medicine.

Cats tolerate chemo very well. Please don't make any chemo decisions based on your assumptions or experience with chemo in humans. Most cats experience very mild side effects, if any at all. My Krista was a little lazier on dosing days. Not so much lethargic. She just slept a little more on dosing days. She still had bounce and spunk and showed up for her meals. Aside from extra sleep on the dosing day only, I never noticed any other side effects from her chemo.

You will want to get the UTI resolved before he starts steroids and/or chemo because both are immune-suppressing drugs.

 

[stephanietx]

I recently lost my girl to gastro lymphoma. She stopped eating and started throwing up. It was very quick. I would suggest an ultrasound.

 

[kmbishop111]

Hi all!! Thanks for all the feedback!!

Roo is eating the Fancy Feast like he hasn't eaten in years! He's still not showing an interest whatsoever in drinking water. He has been by me in bed sleeping most of the day.

The Vet is actually a close friend of mine and told me this "off the record". She said if she had to guess Lymphoma, in stomach or heart.

She does want to wait til UTI clears completely up to check bloodwork and Urinalysis before proceeding w Ultrasound of course.

Im just trying to prepare myself for the uncertainty of it all and spend as much time w my precious Roo.

 

[kmbishop111]

I recently lost my girl to gastro lymphoma. She stopped eating and started throwing up. It was very quick. I would suggest an ultrasound.

I'm so very sorry for your loss!! Yes, the Ultrasound will be happening.

 

[daftcat75]

Roo is eating the Fancy Feast like he hasn't eaten in years! He's still not showing an interest whatsoever in drinking water.

If he’s eating only wet food, as long as he is eating enough of it, he will get all the moisture he needs from his food alone.

 

[cocoanlace]

My boy, Yogi, succumbed to intestinal lymphoma in 2018. Started with vomiting and diarrhea. He got the usual meds for diarrhea which did not help. Pepcid was advised for the vomiting but it usually made him vomit immediately. I was never told about or offered Cerenia tablets. We did a steroid injection, but did not see improvement. His ultrasound showed a thickening of his intestines or a mass. His weight went from 7 lbs to 4lbs, and getting him to eat anything at all was the most difficult part. What I did get in him, came out as diarrhea. The last month, he was getting fluids three times a week with vitamins added. I thought Yogi ingested a ribbon, but the vet said he did not see anything like that. Rather than exploratory surgery, my vet did a needle biopsy, and the lab results came back "probable lymphoma." Yogi was 14, so I decided not to pursue chemo in his case. The vet was suggesting palliative care anyway. Hope you get to the bottom of your kitty's issues. By the way. I take all my cats to an internist an hour away now because she is more knowledgeable than the local vets here.

 

[stephanietx]

I like to add water to wet food to make it the consistency of thin oatmeal, slightly above soupy. It gets extra water in them and helps with hydration.

 

[daftcat75]

I like to add water to wet food to make it the consistency of thin oatmeal, slightly above soupy. It gets extra water in them and helps with hydration.

If they'll eat it that way...

My Krista wasn't a huge fan of that.

She didn't care much for fountains. But she would climb onto my nightstand to drink from my glass. I guess she figured I change my own water more frequently than hers.

So I got her a nightstand and a glass of her own.

This worked some of the time....

 

[kmbishop111]

Yes, my Roo will not even eat anything w broth in it now. He seems to LOVE the Fancy Feast tho. I will try to add a little water at a time, to see if I can "trick" him. lol

He was drinking from the filter of one of my fish tanks as it flows out. I leave the bathroom sink trickling for him as well. Will look into getting him a fountain.

He's still just staying in bed cuddling.

 

[kmbishop111]

PS I told my boss of Roos condition at the moment. She was less than sympathetic, not an animal person. Soooo, I found myself at the Dr w a mysterious ailment. Drs note for 3 days off. Am I wrong? lol

 

[fionasmom]

I am a situation ethics kind of gal and have done the exact same thing. Some people do not understand animals as family or even that there might be an isolated situation or two where you do need time off to care for them. Probably you should fly under the radar with this now that you know.

I remember one HR director at work (his daughter was a vet though) who said that if someone had a sick animal and they were upset about what was going on that was a good enough reason to use a day of sick leave.

 

[cocoanlace]

Where I worked, retired now, we had personal days off as well. So you could take a personal day and it counted towards your sick time and you didn't have to feel guilty or pretend to be sick.

 

[kmbishop111]

Well, last night I decided to add some unflavored Pedialyte to his Fancy Frast. His little stomach jjst gjrgled and was making the most awful sounds for an hour. He even left the bed and went into the bathroom ab 2 am and sat by the sink for an hour. Next thing I know, he's vomitting everywhere. I had also given him his meds right after eating.

He had a bowel movement, which I'll just attach the pic. Sorry, I know y'all are used to these kinds of pics tho. lol

I decided not to give the last dose of Metacam as mixed reviews on dangers of it w cats.

Fast forward to tonight, no tummy noises. Small meals still of Fancy Feast. I just got in from feeding my feral colonies and picking him up a water fountain and he had vomited again.

He is still looking good as far as hydration goes and grooming himself more, more alert, Im just worried ab the vomiting.

Maybe the sudden change in diet? Or....

 

[daftcat75]

Possibly the pedialyte if he wasn’t vomiting before that addition. Was this prescribed by the vet? I would say if the vet didn’t recommend it, skip it.

Something that can irritate his butt and gut like that, it stands to reason he may need an extra day to feel better.

 

[kmbishop111]

Just a pic of Roo a few years back vs last week.

Also some lab work.

 

[kmbishop111]

Possibly the pedialyte if he wasn’t vomiting before that addition. Was this prescribed by the vet? I would say if the vet didn’t recommend it, skip it.

Something that can irritate his butt and gut like that, it stands to reason he may need an extra day to feel better.

Agreed, things we're looking better up until the addition of Pedialyte. And it was not recommended by his Vet so I'm throwing the bottle out. See if the vomitting subsides again. Thank you!

 

[daftcat75]

Agreed, things we're looking better up until the addition of Pedialyte. And it was not recommended by his Vet so I'm throwing the bottle out. See if the vomitting subsides again. Thank you!

Cats are meant to get moisture from their food. They are prey animals (also predators) descended from desert cats. The watering hole is a buffet line for predators. It is normal and healthy for a cat eating only wet food to rarely or never drink additional water. The Fancy Feast has all the moisture he needs. Also all the vitamins and minerals he needs. Pedialyte threw that off. Poor guy!