Mega massive vibes for Lazlo urgent

We're. On way home from vet. He has massive growth in at least his spleen. He is at vet waiting for radiologist to do advanced ultrasound to determine if he can have surgery. Don't know if hematoma type thing or hemasomething sarcoma. His hematocrit was 27%, up from 24% but he only gained an ounce in past two weeks. Will write more when home.

Thank you everyone so much. Gary cannot stop crying. I am trying to think positive and keep it together. I knew he wasn't responding to treatment the way he should be if it was IMHA, so I suspected, but Gary was NOT prepared for this.

Violet, thank you. Everything was buzzing when I was at the vet, so I couldn't remember the name of the sarcoma. In the xray it looked like a sponge, and he's anemic because the little bubbles fill with blood.

But here's what we do know. The vet felt a growth in his abdomen, so did xray. Found a massive growth in Lazlo's spleen. Don't know if it is spread to liver, though from xray it looks like it might have. Don't know if cancer or hematoma. Looked like big sponge. Anemic because the "pockets" are filled with blood. Not detected earlier either because it was fast-growing, or because with either cancerous or non-cancerous forms, the blood pockets "pop," so wouldn't feel mass - or combo of both.

But today it was so large everything - stomach, kidneys, intestines - all pushed out of place. Tummy seemed "upset" probably when going through large blood-filled phase. Not eating much because stomach so squished he doesn't think he's hungry.

Needs ultrasound. Were able to get radiologist to come today (3rd party service provided for advanced radiologics instead of basic wand ultrasound), so we had to leave him there. Will be done between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, they will call when we can go pick him up. Should help identify whether hematoma (non-cancerous) or hemangiosarcoma (one has smooth edges, the other has bumpy, though not definitive. Only biopsy definitive, and if in spleen, don't risk biopsy).

Ultrasound will indicate whether spread to liver or not. If spread to liver, not operable. If contained in spleen, he may be able to have spleenectomy. Question is if he's strong enough to survive the surgery. Everything being sent to feline surgeon specialist. If operable, it will be next Wednesday. If not... we have no idea what happens. He's not in pain now. Might be able to keep him going with depo and chinese herbs. Have one cat with same thing, has survived two years so far. But if spread to liver, probably have to put him to sleep sooner rather than later as have no quality of life.

Thank you so much for the vibes. I'm terrified.

Lazlo was our first indoor-only rescue baby.

Here is info about hemangiosarcoma. Sadly, the info fits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemangiosarcoma

"rare, rapidly growing, highly invasive variety of cancer..."
"The tumor most often appears on the spleen"
"HSAs usually cause a wide variety of meatologic and hemostatic abnormalities, including anemia.." and is associated with low platelete count.

"Treatment includes chemotherapy and, where practical removal of the tumor with the affected organ, such as with a splenectomy. Splenectomy alone gives an average survival time of 1-3 months. The addition of chemotherapy, primarily consisting of the drub doxorubin, alone or in combination with other drugs, can increase average survival time to 5-7 months."



Ok - that's not good news.

It also says it is most commonly associated with toxic exposure to thorium dioxide, vinyl chloride, and arsenic. Strange. Have to go look those up. I don't think that's the issue though.

How am I going to tell Gary this?

OMG, the risk is that the thing ruptures and he bleeds to death. I am so so so so so so so scared now that we're going to be saying good bye to Lazlo tonight. I am not prepared for this.

Thorium dioxide is a byproduct of uranium production. We're not mining uranium here, so that's not it.

OMG. Vinyl chloride is used in plastic bag manufacturing. Lazlo's pica - the reason we thought it was more than an upset tummy - was because I caught him eating a plastic bag we stored bird seed in.

But eating about a 3" square piece of plastic bag wouldn't be enough to cause this, would it?

I can't believe I might have killed Lazlo.

First of all, thank you. Obviously my first nature is to research, but this did me/us/Lazlo no service.

The good news is that it is not his spleen. It is his stomach. It is more likely lymphoma, but they were able to take a biopsy, we may have results as soon as two/three days.

Next step is feline oncologist. They can treat stuff like this herbally, but the growth is so massive, she doesn't recommend it.

He has an ulcer, thus the bleeding. I didn't see it in stool because he's digesting it.

We're leaving to go pick him up.