Does my kitty have leukemia...?

As you may or may not know, my kitty was diagnosed with CRF on 12/14/04. However...

Today, I started looking at her last three bloodwork numbers. I'm beginning to think that she has either chronic lymphocytic leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Check out her last three bloodwork numbers (I put them in excel spreadsheet): http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iwon/pics/bloodwork.xls

Here's what jumped out at me after I put them in a spreadsheet: anemia progressing, increasing WBC, anisocytosis, poikilocytosis, increasing absolute neutrophil, increasing absolute lymphocyte, decreasing platelet.

She's certainly showing some CRF numbers as well...but what about the CBC numbers? Do they not point towards leukemia?

Thanks for any input you can provide.

-JW

I would be leery of self-diagnosing your cat by relying on information found on the internet. Just because you see it on a website, does not make it relevant or true. Instead, I would talk to your vet about your concerns and have him tell you whether or not your cat might have leukemia. He can test her for this, if she hasn't been tested before.

There is nothing even remotely suggesting leukemia of any sort to me on your cat's labs. The blood dyscrasias are slight and really don't suggest anything and to have leukemia the WBC would be over 100,000, your kitty's are totally within normal limits, not suggestive of an infection of any kind. You need to go over these results with your vet to set your mind at ease. Relax, the numbers look good. and the kidney function is improving. Talk to your vet, don't make yourself crazy. Becky

Originally Posted by hissy

I would be leery of self-diagnosing your cat by relying on information found on the internet. Just because you see it on a website, does not make it relevant or true. Instead, I would talk to your vet about your concerns and have him tell you whether or not your cat might have leukemia. He can test her for this, if she hasn't been tested before.

Click to expand...

It's not quite that simple...

My mom was over today to see my kitty, Angel...see how she's doing. She looked at the bloodwork numbers cuz they were laying on the table. She says, "You know...if Angel were a person, I'd really be suspicious of leukemia. But she's a cat...guess we'll just have to trust the vet." She mentioned the numbers are normal...but that there MIGHT be a trend and she'd be on the lookout...

My mom's a doctor, radiologist...

So I didn't take her words lightly. So after she left, I started looking at the bloodwork numbers...put them in a spreadsheet...looked for trends. Founds some trends. Then went googling. Was led to vetmedcenter.com...from what I have been able to gather, they are a VERY reputable site.

Guess what...I think my mom was right. Her trends point to leukemia...

So I'm freaked out...

Originally Posted by zanniesmom

There is nothing even remotely suggesting leukemia of any sort to me on your cat's labs. The blood dyscrasias are slight and really don't suggest anything and to have leukemia the WBC would be over 100,000, your kitty's are totally within normal limits, not suggestive of an infection of any kind. You need to go over these results with your vet to set your mind at ease. Relax, the numbers look good. and the kidney function is improving. Talk to your vet, don't make yourself crazy. Becky

Click to expand...

Maybe you're right...I don't know...my mom freaked me out. And then looking at the numbers freaked me out...

Why does my kitty have to be sick?!?!? I'm so :censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor: paranoid...

She is just a radiologist...it's not like she's a oncologist or endocrinologist or hematologist. Stupid mom! What the heck does she know about bloodwork numbers?!?! She's making me lose my mind over these stupid numbers!

Maybe having a copy of all these numbers is not a good thing...

Well, I am just a nurse But I really don't think radiologists are famous for knowing their labs. They look at xrays. Your vet is really your best resource. Different animals have very different normals. For instance, the slight anisocytosis would be perfectly normal in cattle. Here, I will give you the text from my feline diagnostic book:
Clinical signs: These vary widely but often include dyspnea, lethargy, anorexia, fever, gingivitis, stomatitis, and nonhealing abscesses. Physical examination: Findings often include evidence of pleural effusion, pale muscous membranes, intraocular abnormalities, palpable intra-abdominal massis, and organomegaly. CBC and chemistry profile: Common findings include nonregenerative anemia, azotemia, increased liver enzymes, and increased serum bilirubin. A reticulocyte count is requird to identify a regenerative response in anemic cats.
See, your kitty's labs don't show any of that, other than the very slight anemia which is much more likely related to the renal failure. Tell Mom to stick to people. Becky

Hey
Am i missing something or shouldn't the cat just take a Leukemia test?

Feline Leukemia Virus causes one type of leukemia in cats, the most common type, but they can also have other leukemias. Becky