Lymphoma in 18 year old

My nearly 18 yr old cat "Bo" has small cell lymphoma, the vet is giving him steroids to make him more comfy & help him eat because he has lost weight in the last few months. He takes meds daily for hyperthyroidism. He seems ok most of the time but is declining. Has anyone dealt with this? I am wondering how long I may have left with him? He seems to still have his will to live, but he requires a lot of TLC which I gladly give. It also stinks that my other male cat has become aggressive toward him at times, but the vet said if I intervene too much it may make it worse for my poor Bo. Any advice?

My Jason had lymphoma and he was also a diabetic. Once we found out the diagnosis we decided to treat him with non invasive measures. He had a X-ray of his abdomen and it was cloudy - nex step was the needle guided biopsy ultrasound. No tissue taken only cells. Jason became very thin and we started him on oral chemo every 5 days. Unfortunately he lived for six months after diagnosis - needless to say there is a big void in my life some cats do very well from what I was told as long as 18 months - is he active and is the prednisone making him hungry? My Jason was eating 5 -3ounce cans a day + snacks of whatever we were eating.good luck and if you need any moral support - you're more Han welcome to private message me. Hugs to you!!

I am sorry you are going through this.  The steroid will help.  There is no way of knowing how long, the problem you will have as time goes on is to keep him eating.  I have read and heard from various sources that the aggression happens.  Your other cat probably has known for some time that something is wrong.  I could never really figure out which cat is dominant but I have read that it is more common when the dominant cat is sick.  

Also my vet had told me at the time to give him whatever he wanted to eat. Chicken, salmon, tuna fish, steak, pot roast along with his canned cat food. Love him, hug him and kiss him constantly.

There are more than a few cases on this board of cats with small cell lymphoma for you to read as a comparison.  Just try the "Search Discussions, Reviews, Articles & More!" with search terms like "small cell" or "Leukeran" (the small cell chemo medicine) and you will be surprised how many matches you find.

Best wishes to you. 

18 months would be awesome but I doubt it he has lost from 18lbs down to 8lbs. The steroids make him hungry but he eats like 2 bites. I guess I'm lucky though, we have had a lot of time together..lived in 3 states, survived 4 other pets. Bo is a fighter!

Awww he looks like he is really trying to stay with you! I lost my 12 yr old boy Toby this past May from large cell lymphoma, he had chemo but ultimately lost the battle, so I know what you are going through with food. I'm sure you have tried everything, but I will make my suggestions- royal canin baby cat instinctive, first stage, early start- it is very palatable and easy to lick. It is sold at PetCo.Make sure to get the loaf version, not minced or sliced. Also my Toby ate the Hills A/D wet food, it is another very easy to lick wet food. You probably already add a little water to your boy's food, but if not that helps, as does primping the food up into little mountains, repositioning it so it is more lickable. My boy also liked sushi, we would bring him home salmon and tuna from the restaurant and wash them off, then cut them up. He loved the texture. He also liked portillo's, I don't know where you live, but it is a burger that tastes like the ones from in and out burger lol.

Yes I would do what your vet says, just make sure to set special time aside for your other cat in a proactive way, like every day  first thing in the morning get the other cat's food so that one is settled, and then go to Bo. If the other cat starts to mess with Bo, you should not give the other cat any positive reinforcement right then or it will teach him that messing with Bo is rewarded with affection. I am so sorry you are going through this with your two cats bc that is all you need on top of your sick boy :-(.

With him eating so little, you could take him back to the vet and have the vet feel around just to make sure he isn't in kidney failure etc. But you would know from your cat's fur texture, if it feels really dry. Also you can pinch the fur around his neck, if it stays rigid, he is dehydrated.

My Toby also lost half his weight, he was around 18-20 lbs and was around 11lbs when he died, maybe less :-(. Your Bo has had 18 wonderful years. I am so sorry he is sick :-(.

There is a thread called what to feed my Muffin Boy in his final days, there may be some good suggestions on there as Blue eyed girl has posted some similar questions re: how will she know and how to keep him interested in food :-(. 

Thank you for all the great advice. I've been picking up the other cat to get him away from Bo and he starts purring! The vet said the same as you that it's not a good idea that he feels rewarded! OMG all this time, all my years of cats and I still have a lot to learn!!