Intestinal lymphoma

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Our beautiful girl has been diagnosed today - she’s absolutely fine in herself, bright as a button, no weight loss, eating well, so this is a huge shock. She’d been a bit pukey on and off and the vet hadn’t been concerned when we’d had her in, but suggested we had tests done when we had her in for her boosters the other week, and here we are.

We’ve had ultrasound and CT at a specialist today and will know more with biopsy results next week, but the prognosis doesn’t look great. I am beyond heartbroken. She’s 10. The vet spoke about chemo and steroids. I don’t know what to do. Has anyone been in this awful position? What did you do?

I may have misunderstood but I think the chemo would be given at the specialist vet place rather than something we could do here. If that was an option I would definitely consider it more.

Oh gosh, that’s so awful - I am hoping we have longer than that but obviously will do the very best by her.

I have just seen your thread, our 10 year old cat was found to have large ball gastrointestinal lymphoma in July 2021, at that point the tumour was 1cm large and we proceeded with cop protocol despite the bleak statistics. Yes for the first 3-4 months the treatment took a toll on his body but he was in remission by 6 months and has been in remission for over a year now! Everyone's case is different and discuss with the vet how they feel about the best course of treatment for you and your cat. It's also very expensive once the insurance runs out, but we're happy to pay for our cat to enjoy life as long as possible

Wishing you all the very best and I hope you have your cat happy and enjoying life as long as possible, there are several treatment options and I hope you find one that works for as long as possible 💐💕

Hi OP, I’m so sorry you are in this position.

The timing of me seeing your post is apt, as we had to have our wonderful Bumble put to sleep literally last night :( he was absolutely fine until a month ago, then suddenly developed a huge swollen tummy and they diagnosed large cell lymphoma. Unfortunately it was an incredibly aggressive kind. They said chemo would buy minimal time and we decided it would be pointless given how it would impact him- but as others have said, in some cases chemo can be very effective. Others even without chemo I think can survive quite a long time - depends on the type of cancer.

Bumble had steroids which perked him up for a week but then he pretty much stopped eating so we couldn’t get them in him. Spent last few days cuddling him as much as I could but suspecting we were running of time. Took him to the vet last night and they said he was so very tired from breathing around the swelling and it was time to let him go😪 it was heartbreaking and I can’t stop thinking about the moment he died, but I know it was peaceful (and very quick) and that ultimately we did him a mercy.

it’s a horrific position to be in and such a shock when it comes out of the blue. I really, really hope the outcome is better for your kitty. If not, please do PM me if you want to chat. It’s so bloody sad :( :(

I'm so sorry @bumblenbean

Oh wow, this is amazing - what a great success story. I think that regime was mentioned to us - a mix of injections and tablets? We’ve pretty much maxed out our insurance this week with all the tests so money is a concern, but I just love her so very much.

Ours is being treated with steroids only - we expected her to have 6 months - that was nearly 2 years ago.

We aren't having any tests or invasive treatments - she's very happy and comfortable for now. We will let her go when that isn't the case.

Oh what a beautiful boy, I am so sorry. S is currently eating well, and behaving completely normally - I just went into the kitchen to find her sat at the window waiting to come in, then demanding Dreamies right off - but I know that could all change.

It is so fucking hard to process and to know the right thing, and I want to be certain it’s the right thing for her, not the right thing for us if that makes sense. I have cried so much today my face is raw. I had a dental checkup this afternoon which I had already rescheduled because I caught Covid, so I catfished myself into a passable human (thanks makeup) and went. As soon as my dentist (who is one of my longest relationships!) asked how I was I started crying. For absolute shame. This week I have been hugged by two vets - one of whom I met about 30 minutes previously - and one dentist, in three different medical settings.

Oh don’t be ashamed OP. Easier said than done I know but it’s an awful dilemma to be in and them seeming normal makes it all the harder in a way- when the steroids first kicked in I kept convincing myself he was rallying and making a miraculous recovery even though it was blindingly obvious he wasn’t. Cats are so stoic too - Bumble was still purring at the vets as they put him to sleep :(

Don’t give up hope yet - if you feel chemo is right then go for it. I think the vets are pretty good at being straight with you about prospects etc.

@daffodilfan that’s amazing! It seems to vary so much from cat to cat.

@bumblenbean oh I also forgot - the specialist vet rang me while I was getting my hair cut yesterday, so I cried there too, initially in the chair and then I went out into the street in my gown with my half cut head. My hairdresser is a good friend and I look after the salon’s social media and marketing as a side hustle, but I think he was quite frightened!

I know what you mean about them seeming normal making it tougher, much as you want them to be normal. They break your hearts, these furry menaces.

My beautiful boy had lymphoma, it took a while to get a definite diagnosis, he wasn't poorly but had a big swelling. The biopsy showed lymphoma and the vet suggested chemo. With a cat, chemo is for life not just a few months and finished. Each dose requires a general anaesthetic too. He hated being boxed and was very distressed in the car always. It seemed so cruel to make his last few months miserable so we opted for steroids only. He lived quietly but happily, had all his favourite foods. The clever young vet wanted to put him on a diet because the steroids made him a bit portly. I told the clever man that Dcat was terminally ill and that if he wanted ice cream he would be getting it, he did love ice cream. He had almost a year then started to get frail so the vet did bloods and said that according to the results he should already be gone. The minute his quality of life slipped away we made our last trip, it still beaks me 8 years on, he ws only 6. My one bit of advice would be that when the time comes, make sure that whoever puts the canula in is really good at it, my boys veins were buggered and it wasn't pretty. We changed vets because of that day. We bought a kitten who turned out to have epilepsy and had to have very regular blood tests, our new vet was very proud to have a particular nurse who was very good at canulating and always booked us in when she was available. None of the decisions were easy but we did what we thought was best for our boy, it's all any of us can do really

Oh bless your boy with his ice cream! We’ve been free and easy with the Dreamies the last couple of days.

We were told the chemo wouldn’t need a general as she’s such a good girl with sedation but that puts a totally different spin on it - absolute hard no to that. Thank you.

My cat was 12 when she got lymphoma. She was diagnosed in December , got told she had 6 to 8 weeks on steroids and 4 to 6 months with chemo. We went down the steroid route . She was pts in August wben she stopped eating.

He was such a sweet gentle boy, when we picked him up after his CT scan the bill was a lot less than we had been quoted. Apparently he just sat quietly while she did the scan without any sedation. I was almost tempted to go for the chemo based on that but I was having it myself at the time and I would have happily gone to my maker most days, it was horrible. I think that coloured my judgement a bit. I knew what I was having and why but I still barely tolerated it. I looked just the same in the mirror, no one would have known but I felt dreadful and each cycle got worse. I just couldn't take the risk of him feeling like that and not understanding or not being able to choose

@bruffin these stories of cats doing well on steroids are very encouraging, thank you for posting.

@Notthatcatagain this is the exact conversation I just had with DP - we have an anti sickness medication to give her and she absolutely hates having it syringed into her mouth. She doesn’t understand that it’s helping, just that it’s shit at the time. DP works abroad quite often and I am going to have to get my neighbour to come and help me medicate her.

Please enquire about the chemo in tablet form as it really was the easier option for my boy. I used to wrap the tablet in ham or chicken, he barely noticed it was there and thought it was great as he was getting a treat. There was no way I would have subjected him to visits to the clinic to be hooked up intravenously as he just wouldn't have tolerated it. He was one of those cats that the vet used to have the thick gloves ready for whenever we saw her!

A lot of cats are fond of sweet flavours, might be worth trying to put a bit of honey on the tip of the syringe

https://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/easy-pill-cat-putty?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwwr6wBhBcEiwAfMEQs3F8aytFaHld7Qi2LAUD1JsJoeJ311RHj6mS0noQfvmRP15uTeGQoxoCGFEQAvD_BwE#646=32392 We found this easy pill brilliant for getting our Rosie to take pills or a tablet grinder and sprinkling on food, our other cat will take anything if its given in a webbox cat lick

@Onthemarket2024 she hates going in the carrier but is generally good at the actual vet, if very vocal. The specialist place is out of town and it would be difficult to get to regularly so I wouldn’t want to be doing that I don’t think. We’ll see how the results come in I guess. I can’t stop crying still.

@Notthatcatagain todsy went better but we will bear that in mind!

@bruffin i’ll order that, thank you. We had to give her Omeprazole the other week and she just kept the tablets in her mouth then spat them out, I kept finding them by her bed!

I'm so sorry OP to read this.
I wanted to share my story as I too unfortunately was in the same position over Christmas.
Our dear girl Luna was only 10 when last October she just stopped eating and over the course of a few days she lost a dramatic amount of weight.
We had hopes it was just IBD but were prepared for Lymohoma.
In the mean time I did a lot of research.
In November she was diagnosed with Large cell intestinal lymphoma and the prognosis was poor, she wasn't eating which was our main concern so the vet put her on Miritqz gel which is an appetite stimulant that you rub on the inside of their ears and it worked a treat! She started eating and even put on a few pounds.
She started taking Prednisone twice a day to decide the inflammation and maker her feel better in herself giving her quality of life.
She lasted her Christmas and had the vest last Christmas with us we spoilt her rotten.
On New Year's Day she had had enough, she hadn't eaten for 3 days and was wasting away in front of us, we made the very heartbreaking but right decision to have her put to sleep and it was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever had to do.
But I knew it was the right thing for our sweet girl.

Some things I learned from researching and speaking with our vet:
Large cell intestinal lymphoma is the most aggressive form and progresses faster than small cell.

Large cell doesn't respond as well to chemo.

It's unfortunately one of the most common cancers in cats 😢

I'm so sorry your going through this and sending you so much strength and love, you will know what the right thing to do is for your cat and the decision will be yours and the right one 🥰 xx

@LiveLifeToTheFull2 thank you for posting and I am so sorry about lovely Luna.

Sadly I think we are on large cell here but we are still waiting on the biopsy results - I hope we get that soon so that we can think ahead and get a bit of a plan going. It’s absolutely breaking my heart as right now she’s completely her normal self. We’re on holiday this week and had some snacks this afternoon, and she was through like a lightening bolt the minute she heard the bag being opened. (Unfortunately nothing for her.) Her wee shaved patch 💔

Aw look at her 🥰
That's so positive that she's her normal self and by looking at the photo she looks well!
And very positive that she is keen for food.
It's truly the most heartbreaking time and you have my sympathy as it affected me more than I realised it would.
They are our family members and we would do anything for them.
Here are some photos of our dear girl before diagnosis and the week before she left us 😢
I miss her so much 🥹

Oh what a beautiful girl! I bet you miss her so, so much.

I’m really glad to be off work as I think I would have had to call in sick - it’s me who’s not eating, and I just roam around crying. I can’t imagine unlocking the front door and not seeing her waiting behind the glass panel of the middle door into the hall, welcoming me home. I’m trying to comfort myself by thinking about what a lovely life she has here, the boss of the house, and with a great garden to play in, but god it just stinks.

Update - Vet rang with the biopsy - confirmed it’s large cell lymphoma which is the worst kind. Three options: IV/oral chemo plus steroids, done in the specialist surgery once a week. Would need sedation each time. Oral (single tablet) chemo plus steroids, can possibly be done by our vet, once every four/six weeks. Steroids only, via our vet, administered by us. Ruled out option one as it would be too stressful for her despite having the best possible outcome but think option two is worth a punt, particularly if our vet is willing to do the chemo tablets?

None of them are going to save/cure her and both vet and us are agreed that quality versus quantity of life is the priority.