Our cat was diagnosed with lymphoma July 28 by one of our vets. We work with several vets at different vet practices. Initially we thought the problem was an ongoing issue with hairballs. When the local vet ran out of options, we took him to our holistic vet - this is a person that is a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) and is additionally trained in numerous holistic practices and alternative medicines.
When a large mass was discovered in his stomach and it was subsequently diagnosed as large cell lymphoma, she referred us to a feline oncology specialist. She said that if it was determined his cancer was not treatable by conventional route, we would pursue alternatives.
We were fortunate and were able to take our cat, Lazlo, to the specialist the next day. The information provided by the oncologist was that:
1) Lymphoma is the most common form of cancer in cats.
2) There are two types of lymphoma. One is small cell. This is slower growing and almost always treatable. About 15% of cats have small cell lymphosarcoma. Large cell lymphosarcoma is aggressive, and only about 50% of cats respond to chemotherapy.
3) Most cats tolerate chemotherapy well. Even relative to their body size, if proper dosages are used, cats require less medication than people do, thus toxicity is essentially a non-issue in cats. About 15% of cats experience side-effects from the chemo treatments themselves.
The specialist oncologist pursues a very individualized treatment for each situation. We take our cat weekly for treatments. It is done in cycles of four weeks on, one week off, and can take up to six cycles, though usually only 3 or 4 if they're responding to the treatment. We just had treatment #3 in the first cycle yesterday. The specialist oncologist rotates the chemotherapy treatments each week, using different medications, and dosages are precise to the weight of the animal.
Our cat was immediately prescribed an appetite stimulant, Mirtazapine. Though this helped, more importantly he was also prescribed an anti-nausea medication, Cerenia. This helped with his gaining weight more than anything else. He is also on 5mg of prednisone daily.
His holistic vet prescribed iron (because of his blood profile), a chinese herbal (because of the location of the cancer), pepcid a/c because of his ulcers from the cancer, and another chinese herbal also because of his blood profile and his internal bleeding from the ulcers. She also suggested we start him on tumeric: it is a powerful antioxidant. She said we should tell the oncologist about all of the medications.
The oncologist was fine with the two chinese herbals (one of which we were able to stop using after week one), but told us NOT to use the tumeric, as powerful antioxidants interfere with the effectiveness of the chemotherapy.
My recommendation to you is this. Talk to your vet to see if there is a small animal or even feline specialist oncologist anywhere in your area. The drive for us (depending upon traffic) is anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours one way to see the specialist at one of his offices (we alternative offices because he does. The closer one is 1 hour to 1.5 hours away). We thought Lazlo would freak at the visits, but unlike a normal trip to the vet, he seems to understand he needs this. Obviously if your cat completely stresses for the drive, it's not worth it. But it's at least worth asking about.
Is your cat eating enough and keeping it down? Because even though Lazlo is eating well, I supplement what he eats on his own with syringe feeding of a/d or other healthier food processed in a blender. Since beginning treatment, he's gained over an ounce a day, and is now just 1/2 a pound away from his starting weight. Just getting the nutrition in him seemed to make a real difference, and his coat looks good again, he's grooming... he's "brighter" and clearly happier. So take a step back, and consider that maybe the problem isn't the chemo so much as it is that she needs her strength back.
Discuss with your vet the herbal options you are using. If they don't know anything about them, ask them to do some work with you on them. I know Burdock Root and Slippery Elm are antioxidants - they may interfere with the chemotherapy, if you want to continue with it.
The other thing you may want to consider is searching the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association to see if there is a holistic vet near you. We found one only 35 - 45 minutes away.
http://www.ahvma.org Someone trained in the use of alternatives would be able to guide you through real options. Our holistic vet mentioned the use of Neoplasene. In my thread in this forum, another member of TCS mentioned that they went the holistic route rather than using chemotherapy, and Neoplasene helped significantly. It is not something you can buy without a prescription, and administering it can be difficult. It is a liquid that tastes very bitter is my understanding. I also understand they're in the process of coming out with a transdermal patch - don't know if it's out already or if it will be soon. I got the impression it's in the works though.
What herbal treatments should be used will depend upon your cat's blood profile, the location of the cancer, and I highly recommend, if possible, finding a vet trained in Chinese Medicine (at AHVMA it would use the designation for being trained in Chinese Herbals).
Herbal treatments one undertakes on their own can be really hit or miss: they can interfere with traditional medicines; they can do as much harm as good. If possible, find someone trained in their use to help guide you through the process.
It seems they can be very effective where western medicine fails us. But it also seems that your cat is receiving a "protocol" cancer treatment, not an individualized treatment. While the level of veterinary care we have available to us here is something we really appreciate, I do understand it's not available many places. But it sure is worth looking into it.
We don't know if the chemo is sending the cancer in Lazlo back into remission or not. We won't find out where things stand until the ultrasound the week of Aug 29th. But his quality of life has improved 100%, and he's basically back to his happy, bouncy, alpha self. I think the anti-nausea med, the chinese herbals, getting the bleeding ulcers under control (if not healed), and his required daily nutrition (based on his original weight, not his then-current weight) into him were what made the difference.
Right now, we view each day with Lazlo as a gift, and we do whatever we can to make him happy. Some people, when their pets are diagnosed with a terminal illness, opt not to treat them at all, but concentrate on making kitty happy and loving on them. One member described their process as "Love and Cheese Danish." Here is a link to a description:
Love and Cheese Danish
Lazlo's "cheese danish" is beef liver and brushes in the bathroom. He's getting both, though for now, he's also receiving traditional treatment overseen by a specialist, and complimentary herbal treatment under supervision of his holistic vet and with the knowledge of the oncologist.
