Need advice from anyone using prednicare with chemo tablets

Hi All,

6 months ago my fluff ball was diagnosed with leukaemia (Not FeLV). She was put on a low dose of Chorambucil (chemo) and Prednicare tablets but her bloods didn't change so the dose was increased.

6 months on and her latest bloods have come back really good, no leukaemic cells were detected, however.... she has lost a lot of weight and isn't eating or drinking much.

My initial reaction is to take her off the treatment, but I know she can never come off the chemo, and I've just found out that she also cannot come straight off the Pred either, but I want to reduce her dose as ive read a lot of bad side-effects.

I'm interested in how others have dealt with this, how long it went on for, if these symptoms occurred and the best thing to do.

She's 15 now and I want to give her the best quality of life, so any advice would be really appreciated.

Jodie x

I've never been faced with your dilemma but I do have a few observations.  That's wonderful news about your girl's leukemia going into remission. You must be so relieved over that.    

About the Prednicare - you're absolutely right that long-term use of steroids can have nasty side effects, including causing diabetes which is a problem older cats often face anyway.  You'll have to discuss the best way to taper her off it with your vet, but it is certainly possible to do so.  If there will be no adverse effect on the cancer treatment, it seems to me that tapering her off is the right thing to do and the sooner the better.

Is the vet giving her any appetite stimulants or anti-nausea treatments?  Two of the side effects of Chlorambucil in cats are loss of appetite and nausea so these may be a problem as long as your kitty is taking it.  You mentioned that she was on a lower dose before - is it possible to reduce her current dosage now that she is taking it for preventative reasons?

There are ways to make her food more appealing to her.  Consider warming it up slightly before feeding it to her.  This releases the aromas and does a better job of attracting cats than offering room temperature food.  You can also try sprinkling tasty items on top of her food to get her to start the process.  Some of these are bonito flakes, crumbled cheese, fortiflora (which is also a probiotic), scrambled eggs, tuna juice,  bits of warmed ham....basically anything that she especially likes.   You can also offer her chicken or turkey babyfood (no spices) as many cats can not resist these.  They are not suitable for a long term diet but can be used to fill the gap until you can get her eating again.

To entice her to drink more water, the easiest thing to do is just add a bit to her food.  You might also consider getting a fountain for her.  Many cats have been encouraged to drink more by making the process more fun and  interesting.

Hopefully, someone will come along who has been in your situation - these are just a few ideas to think about.

.