Intestinal Lymphoma

My cat Ella had exploratory abdominal surgery last week, and on Friday I got the biopsy results - intestinal lymphoma. She is approx 10 1/2 years old (rescue kitty), I've had her for almost 8 years. I also have one daughter from her litter, "Scat" (7 years old).

She has lost 2 1/2 pounds in the last year and had diarrhea, that is why I brought her in to the vet.

From what i have read, even with chemo and other meds, it will only extend her life for 4-6 months or maybe a year. I'm definitely NOT going to do that, esp if it is going to make her miserable.

ANY advice is greatly appreciated. I am devastated.

Also, has anyone heard of ES Clear? http://www.petwellbeing.com/cat-canc..._utmk=95600540

i am so sorry to hear this news, I lost a cat to intestinal lymphoma earlier in the year, I agree with not doing chemo, I just used steroids on my cat, but I think it was too far advanced. I hope that you can have some good quality time with her

I am sorry to hear your kitty has cancer. I lost 2 cats to cancer this year, fibrosarcoma and squamous cell carcinoma. I also agree with you on chemo. My kitty with fibrosarcoma was on steroids the last few weeks of her life and they did help. My other kitty was on an antibiotic for a few months to help with infection. Both of my kitties were very different but both went very fast. This was a very hard year for me and I sorry you have to go through it.

I'm sorry to hear that Ella was diagnosed with Lymphoma. My heart goes out to you.

My cat was diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma (cancer of the bladder) and I chose to go the chemotherapy route. I have known many cats that survived over one year as a result of chemotherapy. If it hasn't metastasized, I feel that chemo can slow or shrink any further growth.

My cat is on Piroxicam now and he's doing well. He doesn't show any side effects and I don't regret all the money I've spent on his treatment.

I am very sorry that Ella is sick. I know how hard it is to hear the word "cancer".

My Louie also had lymphoma. The vet who diagnosed it wanted to start on chemo, but we went for a second opinion at The Animal Medical Center in NYC (www.amcny.org). There was a tumor in his stomach which needed to be surgically removed before doing chemo. If we'd done chemo alone, Louie would have died quickly. After the surgery, we saw immediate results. It was clear that Louie felt so much better. The combination of surgery and then chemo extended his life almost another year.

When a serious condition such as cancer is diagnosed, it's a good idea to get a second opinion, preferably from a veterinary oncologist.

With Ella, you need to know the specific prognosis and to ask these questions: What is her life expectancy without chemo? How does that change with chemo (and/or surgery if indicated)? An oncologist will be able to answer these and other important questions.

Nine years ago, when Louie was treated with chemo, people thought it was a cruel thing to put him through. When the vets first told me they wanted to do chemo, I felt that way too but they set me straight. Cats tolerate chemo far better than humans, even better than dogs. Louie lost his whiskers and his coat got softer (things the oncologist told me would happen) but he was nauseous only twice during the course of chemo and the nausea didn't last long. The majority of time he tolerated the meds very well. Balanced against the 10 precious months his life was extended, it was well worth it for Louie and for us.

As far as the ES Clear, it sounds similar to another natural product for cancer called Essiac, which has been around a long time. I don't know how helpful either of these truly are, since I don't believe they offer evidence of results through clinical trials.

Some people do believe that a product called Transfer Factor (TF) is helpful. It's not an immune booster (which despite sounding good isn't always a good thing). What it's supposed to do is to balance the immune system, restoring it to normalcy so that it functions the way it should. They offer products for humans and pets. I believe it's the only natural product that is listed in the Merck Veterinary Manual. Some TCS members have tried it with good results, others don't believe it was effective. If you were to try it, I'd give Ella the human TF. www.4life.com Click on the "science" button.

You've got a very tough diagnosis to deal with - but I do believe that a second opinion will help you make important decisions for your girl.

All good thoughts and wishes to you and Ella.

Originally Posted by booktigger

i am so sorry to hear this news, I lost a cat to intestinal lymphoma earlier in the year, I agree with not doing chemo, I just used steroids on my cat, but I think it was too far advanced. I hope that you can have some good quality time with her

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This too was my choice when I blieved that Jordan had intestinal lymphoma. It is unfortunately an aggresive cancer. I decided it was about quality of live over quantity.

That being said I would never tell you what is best for your cat. Jordan HATES!!! the vet & I knew if he had to go weekly to get some sort of treatment, there would be no quality of life for him. I have another cat that would not mind being at the vets office, especially if he was getting lots of attention from the vet techs. It is true that noe one can make the best decision for your cat but you. We can tell you what we did and why. I found that helped me put in perspective how Jordan would deal.

Thank you everyone for your messages. It's comforting to be able to "talk" to other people who have gone through this.

I made an appointment with an oncologist for this Wednesdsay.

KTLynn, did you like amcny? I've heard mixed opinions. I'm taking Ella to NYC Veterinary Specialists. This was where my vet suggested I go.

I had signed up for pet insurance (PetCare) a month before I took her in, but I have a feeling they're going to reject her and say it was "pre-existing." Is there such a thing as pet insurance for pre-existing conditions?

Thank you. I'll let you know how Wednesday goes.
Jami

Good luck for Wed, I hope you can have some positive news. Hopefully they wont treat it as a pre-exisiting condition - I had insured Mabel the week before I got her (she was reserved for me), and she became ill 3 weeks after getting her, our insurance works on a 'anything in the first 14 days is excluded' basis, and they paid, I only had her for 5 weeks, so hopefully your insurance will be as good

JamiDNYC, I did like AMC very much when we took Louie there. Everyone from the techs to the surgeon was terrific and they worked hard to extend Louie's life.

A couple of years later, I went again with my youngest cat for what was apparently a stomach virus. I wasn't as impressed this time, but they did resolve his medical issue which was the most important thing.

Here's what's great about AMC: it's filled with board-certified specialists in every area of veterinary medicine. AMC is on the cutting edge of the latest technology, therapies and research. If your cat suffers from a life-threatening disease, you can't do better than to take him to AMC.

But because AMC is so large and deals with such a volume of animals, it can feel impersonal at times. What's true for small vet practices is true for AMC - some of the vets are phenomenal, some have no "bedside manner".

I'm unfamiliar with NYC Vet Specialists, but if you can see a board-certified oncologist there that's great.

I'm very glad you're getting another opinion. I hope you like the vet and that you'll get your questions answered.

I don't know about the pet insurance, but it's worth a try, of course, to see if they'll accept it.

I'll be thinking of you and Ella on Wednesday... lots of good wishes to you and your sweet girl.

Hello Jami,

I'm very sorry to hear the news

I am familiar w/ ES Clear as I've been giving it to my cat Taco for about 5-6 weeks now. He has Osteosarcoma of the soft tissue (a large lump to his scruff area, as well as 2 new lumps elsewhere).....he had surgery twice in the spring to remove the lumps but due to the very aggressive nature of them, they did return.

I'm also giving him Transfer Factor Plus Tri-Factor; it's basically bovine colostrum, a supplement for humans that helps to boost the immune system but in my search for non surgical (and non-chemo or radiation) ways to at least slow down the progression of his tumor, I came across several sites that promoted the use of Transfer Factor supplements in cats who have cancer. 2 Holistic vets I've consulted with also encouraged it. Not a cure but could hopefully keep the immune system built up enough to help slow the progression or fight things off better.

I also give Taco Coenzyme Q10 daily.

I can't say any of these things have done a lot in terms of shrinking his tumors but if anything I believe they've caused him to feel good. He's not lost any weight, his appetite is amazing (as it's always been), his fur is shiny and sleek and though the tumor to his scruff area is about the size of a shelled walnut, he doesn't seem to be in any pain and if you didn't know he had cancer, you just wouldn't be able to tell.

So does ES Clear help? when I read all of the testimonials that sing the praises of it, I took them all with a grain of salt (afterall, you have no idea who's really writing them?!) but I decided I had nothing to lose and I'd try it.

I belong to a great Yahoo Group for cat owners whose kitties have the type of tumor mine does, so I just checked to see if there was such a group for cat owners of kitties w/ Lymphoma and I see there is one, here is the link to it, I encourage you to join it and gain the support and info you will no doubt receive, from the many owners who have dealt with feline lymphoma, or who are dealing with it presently:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline_lymphoma/

Sending hugs,

Originally Posted by JamiDNYC

My cat Ella had exploratory abdominal surgery last week, and on Friday I got the biopsy results - intestinal lymphoma. She is approx 10 1/2 years old (rescue kitty), I've had her for almost 8 years. I also have one daughter from her litter, "Scat" (7 years old).

She has lost 2 1/2 pounds in the last year and had diarrhea, that is why I brought her in to the vet.

From what i have read, even with chemo and other meds, it will only extend her life for 4-6 months or maybe a year. I'm definitely NOT going to do that, esp if it is going to make her miserable.

ANY advice is greatly appreciated. I am devastated.

Also, has anyone heard of ES Clear? http://www.petwellbeing.com/cat-canc..._utmk=95600540

Click to expand...

Good luck with the oncology appointment tomorrow! My Buster had his first chemotherapy session today (Carboplatin) and he handled it well. He is not vomiting and acting normally. His appetite is slightly reduced but he did eat some dinner. I also have anti-nausea pills to administer. In general, the oncologist told me that animals tolerate chemotherapy better than humans because the dose is considerably lower.

Wow, thank you for all the wonderful information.

I decided to cancel the appointment with the oncologist. The type of lymphoma Ella has (intestinal) is extensive, throughout her lymph nodes, and I just feel like I should go the holistic route.

I had a phone consultation with a woman named Anitra Frazier, who lives in NYC and is truly an expert on cat behavior, health, etc. She wrote a book called "The Natural Cat," which I haven't read but will soon. She gave me several suggestions re food and vitamins, and she also gave me the phone number of what she calls a "classical homeopath" vet named Dr. Michael Dym.

I have a phone appointment with him on Thursday morning, so I will let you all know how that goes.

I can't believe how much I've been crying! And on my 40th birthday of all things.

Thank you for all the support. Once I figure out how to do it, I'll upload some photos.
Jami

please ask for a LOCAL vet who is holistic... yes you have a diagnosis but no vet should give advise over the phone without either physically seeing the animal or having the medical records at hand while talking to you

I'm sorry to hear that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. I also consulted a holistic vet but he told me to stick with chemotherapy because it shows the most promise. However, he wants Buster to use ImmPower as a supplement because it boosts the immune system. I asked him about homeopathy but he said he wouldn't trust it because the "remedies" are made of distilled water and lack scientific data. However, I know someone whose cat has beaten cancer with homeopathy, so maybe it works!

Good luck!

Hope your baby is still doing okay. I have a kitty who has fibrosarcoma and I am trying Pawpaw (herb) on her now.

About the Es Clear-I have never used it, but am seriously considering using it. Basically it is just a potent liquid form of Essiac tea which has been around many years and there are literally hundreds of real testimonials over the years of it curing all types of cancer and some other ailments as well (in humans); there is no reason in my mind not to believe any of the cat testimonials that we have read concerning this product. Another site that truly looks interesting and promising for a natural medicine approach is http://www.holisticanimalmedicines.c...bb5372e915b136 (just copy into your browser) This site does have one product I might try tho called Supa Immuno Support-very impressive ingredients, as I am much into herbals and natural meds.

I would really like to order from this site but do not have the kind of money where I am able to do that.

I'm very sorry for you and your cat. This is a very hard thing to go through.
1 1/2 years ago I lost two of my cats three weeks apart. The first was 16 years old and we suspected carncer but never got confirmation. The day he died we took our 14 year old Bengal, Sparkles to the Vet cause he stopped eating and was loosing weight. After a week at the Vet and exploratory surgery he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and he died two weeks later. A month after that our Calico, Confetti needed dental care. When we brought her in the Vet did blood work and discovered that she had Lymphoma. The dental care was never done and we started Prenisilone and a cancer treatment pill that we gave her every other day. I can't remember the name of the pill but it began with a K. After almost a year and a half she was in total remission but her teeth got so bad we finally had to take care of them. The doctor felt it was very safe for her to do this and he ended up pulling 10 teeth. Well, unfortunately, she would never eat again and two weeks after the dental care she died. He death was not from the Cancer. Very strange the way things happened, I just burried her yesterday. Look at all your options, the pill Confetti took never made her sick and it really worked well. I will call my Vet today and get the name of it for you.

Sincerely, Michael

My cat was treated with: Chlorambucil (Leukeran)

No K but at least I found it.

HTH, Michael

I am so sorry -prayers for your and your baby.

I know I'm replying to an OLD thread but I feel it's worth it, if I can get thru to just one person that has a cat with this problem, that happens to read this!
Trying a homeopathic cure for your cat is a death sentence!
I just can't believe the ignorance of some of the posts I've read! Intestinal Lymphoma is NOT an aggressive cancer! It's the complete opposite!
My cat Ozzy was diagnosed with it 16 months ago. He had lost 5 pounds (from 20 pounds to 15). He was vomiting every day and had no appetite, which for him was unusual! He was also very lethargic!
I took him to a oncologist in Columbia SC. He put him on Leukeran (chemo) pills, 3 times a week and Prednisone (10mg 1 1/2 pills per day).
He started showing improvement in about 4 months. He had NO side-effects from the drugs. I just took him back to his oncologist for the 1st time since he was diagnosed with it. He is now 18 pounds. 2 days ago, he vomited for the 1st time in 2 months! He's a very active and happy cat! I was told that he is in complete remission and could stay that way for many years!
PLEASE don't think that you're torturing your cat with this treatment! I can't speak for others but my cat is doing great! Also, he never lost his whiskers and his coat is fine, along with a great appetite!
Be a responsible owner and do what you can to help them! If you aren't ready to take this step, then you shouldn't have got a cat to begin with! The cost of the Leukeran is high. It cost me $57.00 for 15 pills (5 week supply) but as long as I can come up with the money, I have no problem paying it!
I also forgot to mention that Ozzy is a diabetic, getting 3 units, 2 shots a day. The cancer meds never interfered with his diabetes
Do the RIGHT thing, if you and your cat has to go thru this!
I know for a fact that my cat would have suffered bad and would be dead right now. He just turned 13 and I expect him to be around much longer!