cat cancer treatment

[jllangham]

Hi and thank you for the welcome. This is my first time joining a cat forum. I have 4 wonderful cats who I adore. My oldest (15) recently feel ill (13 days ago), he was perfectly fine one day and the next became lethargic and stopped eating. We thought he might just have a virus but after he didn't recover in a couple of days we rushed him to the vet. His bloodwork was fine according to the vet and we were sent home with subcutaneous fluids and an appetite stimulant. For a couple days he seemed to be getting a little better and eating a bit more. Then he completely stopped eating again and just sleeps. He is normally a very happy, active cat with a big appetite. We got very concerned that perhaps he went into the fatty liver disease so we took him to another vet (our other vet was out) and he did another CBC blood test which showed his immune markers (monocytes, neutrophils, WBC) so he though he might have an infection so gave him an antibiotic shot and said to wait for a couple of days and force feed with a syringe which we have been doing. We have another appt with our original vet tomorrow as he isn't any better. But the vet said he might have cancer so I am trying to do research to see what options we have if that ends up being the diagnosis so I can make a more informed decision. I would like to find out from the community what experience they have with cancer and what success they might have had with natural/alternative as well as chemotherapy?

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry that you are facing this with your cat. You have to be able to narrow down the type of cancer that you might be dealing with in order to make any informed decisions. Your cat is not eating and is lethargic but no diarrhea or vomiting? Very high neutrophils or the like? This is very vague....and I do not mean that you are not trying to give as much information as you have....and the vet needs to give you some idea of what you might be looking at before you can take the next step. People on TCS certainly have treated their cats for cancers of all sorts and there is a lot of advice that you can get here. Generally, animals respond to chemo with less stress than people do, if that is any help. Natural alternatives are really only supplemental and are not able to attack the main disease and cure it, but might provide support in other ways.

Please let us know what the vet says.

 

[jllangham]

Thank you so much for the reply fionasmom. Yes, I see what you are saying about getting more definitive information from the vet which I am hoping we will get from the follow up visit tomorrow. He has not vomited or had diarrhea. I will post what I find out tomorrow. Thanks again.

 

[daftcat75]

If there isn't an obvious mass, e.g. you feel his body and there's something that doesn't feel right, then it's going to be difficult to confirm cancer. You'll probably need to start with an ultrasound. You should probably ask for an ultrasound anyway as the blood work isn't pointing to anything conclusive yet. And yes, as fionasmom said, it really all depends on the kind of cancer and the location. Small cell lymphoma, for example, is one that's very treatable and chemo can add a year or more to his life. Large cell lymphoma has a more grim prognosis. But your guy doesn't seem to be showing any GI disturbances. So it's not likely to be one of the intestinal cancers. An ultrasound could reveal if there is a mass or inflammation in other organs. While there may be a blood test for cancer, it can suffer from false negatives, e.g. even if the test comes back normal, that doesn't mean he doesn't have cancer.

One thing I worry about is dehydration. Cats who don't eat can become dehydrated very quickly. It's good that you were sent home with subcutaneous fluids. Subq fluids was usually the first thing I asked for when Krista wouldn't eat while they also took blood and checked her teeth.

How's his teeth? When was the last time he had a dental exam with oral x-rays? If his teeth are bothering him, he could stop eating from that. Then the anorexia (not eating) could make him nauseated and lethargic.

A couple things that can buy you some time while you're trying to figure out what's going on:

- A feeding tube. This takes the pressure off him to eat if he's not feeling up to it and it gives you an active hand in his nutrition. A feeding tube insertion is a rather simple procedure and you'll be able to get more food (and medicine!) into him than syringe-feeding by mouth.

- IV fluids. This is where your costs will really add up. For IV fluids to really be effective, you'll have to do them for a few days. That's a few days of in-patient care plus whatever meds they want to put into his line. But the benefit is that you get to flush out his liver and kidneys while giving his pancreas and gut a rest.

Speaking of pancreas, has he been tested for pancreatitis? That's not a standard blood test. It was overlooked in two different vets of my last kitty before the third vet I took her to ordered that test. Sure enough, that's what she had. It's a challenging recovery for both the cat and the guardians, but not an impossible one.

 

[jllangham]

If there isn't an obvious mass, e.g. you feel his body and there's something that doesn't feel right, then it's going to be difficult to confirm cancer. You'll probably need to start with an ultrasound. You should probably ask for an ultrasound anyway as the blood work isn't pointing to anything conclusive yet. And yes, as fionasmom said, it really all depends on the kind of cancer and the location. Small cell lymphoma, for example, is one that's very treatable and chemo can add a year or more to his life. Large cell lymphoma has a more grim prognosis. But your guy doesn't seem to be showing any GI disturbances. So it's not likely to be one of the intestinal cancers. An ultrasound could reveal if there is a mass or inflammation in other organs. While there may be a blood test for cancer, it can suffer from false negatives, e.g. even if the test comes back normal, that doesn't mean he doesn't have cancer.

One thing I worry about is dehydration. Cats who don't eat can become dehydrated very quickly. It's good that you were sent home with subcutaneous fluids. Subq fluids was usually the first thing I asked for when Krista wouldn't eat while they also took blood and checked her teeth.

How's his teeth? When was the last time he had a dental exam with oral x-rays? If his teeth are bothering him, he could stop eating from that. Then the anorexia (not eating) could make him nauseated and lethargic.

A couple things that can buy you some time while you're trying to figure out what's going on:

- A feeding tube. This takes the pressure off him to eat if he's not feeling up to it and it gives you an active hand in his nutrition. A feeding tube insertion is a rather simple procedure and you'll be able to get more food (and medicine!) into him than syringe-feeding by mouth.

- IV fluids. This is where your costs will really add up. For IV fluids to really be effective, you'll have to do them for a few days. That's a few days of in-patient care plus whatever meds they want to put into his line. But the benefit is that you get to flush out his liver and kidneys while giving his pancreas and gut a rest.

Speaking of pancreas, has he been tested for pancreatitis? That's not a standard blood test. It was overlooked in two different vets of my last kitty before the third vet I took her to ordered that test. Sure enough, that's what she had. It's a challenging recovery for both the cat and the guardians, but not an impossible one.

Thank you daftcat75 so much for this information. I will ask the vet to check his teeth today as I am not sure if the other vet checked them. He has never had dental xrays recommended. And I will ask about pancreatitis again. That's what the original vet thought it might be and thought it would pass in a couple of days.

My husband and I were just talking about the feeding tube because we read about it on line so I am glad you mentioned it. Doc is such a trooper and has been letting us syringe feed him but it is difficult.

So, the IV fluids are better then the subcutaneous fluids?

Thank you so much again. I am really out of my element here with this and trying to catch up to make the best decisions.

 

[daftcat75]

Pancreatitis doesn’t clear up on its own or in a couple days. If you search the forums, it’s actually one of the more challenging and intensive recoveries. It is fortunately the easiest of everything I mentioned to test for. It’s a blood test. But it’s not in the standard panels. It often gets overlooked. The test is called Snap or Spec fPLI. Snap is easier. I believe it can be done in-house e.g at the vet office with near instant turnaround. But it doesn’t catch less severe cases. Spec is more accurate but it has to be sent to a lab. Results in two or three days.

The feeding tube is something that can be done today regardless of what they suspect is going on or any other tests or diagnostics they want to perform. And if he starts eating tomorrow, you can leave the tube in for a couple weeks to make sure he doesn’t stop again. Then the tube removal and recovery is straightforward and quick. If you go the feeding tube route, and I recommend it, also get a Kitty Kollar (search Google for this) and ask that they leave enough tube length for it to fold down into the Kollar. The Kitty Kollar website also has valuable information on feeding tubes. It’s a good one to look over. Your kitty will mind the feeding tube far less than you will. The only time my Krista was ever bothered by it was if I fed food too cold or too fast. You get instant feedback on either. Learn and adjust. Other than that, I made sure I had all my food syringes loaded and ready to go, a cup of water for flushing the line, and a spare cap for the tube. Everything on a plate or tray ready to go. I would bring it all to a nice place in front of a window so Krista had something to occupy herself with. I gently squished her down into a comfortable laying position and once we began, she was very calm and compliant through the whole thing. It was so much easier than trying to syringe food into her mouth.

Ask about teeth.

Ask about ultrasound.

IV fluids can be very beneficial. But also very expensive. Besides the daily in-patient care fees, the vet will take advantage of having a direct line into him and inject whatever meds they think are appropriate into the line (antibiotics, anti nausea, maybe pain relief, etc) It adds up quickly. Several hundred dollars a day. But it is sometimes the best course for severe illness. You can ask about IV fluids too. But don’t be surprised if you literally see dollar signs flash in his eyes. I’m not saying it’s not worth it when it’s needed. But it may be a lot more than you want to spend. And without something in the blood work to monitor, it may be hard to tell if it’s needed and for how long.

Pictures!

Krista with her feeding tube. This is the wrap the vet used. Fortunately I had the Kitty Kollar overnighted to the vet office so I never had to change that dressing. Krista hated those stretch gauze wrappings. Violently hated them.

With her stylish Kitty Kollar and not enough tube length for the tube to lay flat.

And just enough length for it to lay flat under the Velcro strap on the collar.

The cap on the tube also kept flying off when she shook her head. I learned how to secure the cap with a piece of masking tape and prepare extra caps ahead of time with a piece of tape attached and mostly ready to go. Get extra caps so you aren’t searching for a lost cap with your cat’s stomach open to the world. Cap the cat with a spare first. Then go looking for the other cap.

At her worst. She had severely elevated liver numbers, multiple tooth extractions (hence the drool), and a ruptured eardrum all at the same time.

And full recovery. The shaved arms and ultrasound belly take a long time to grow back.

“If you want a neck tattoo, now is the time to get one.” Punk rock Krista with her shaved neck from the tube insertion.

 

[di and bob]

You might research the site Homeoanimal.com, they have a lot of supplements and treatments for cancer. You do have to know what kind though. I have had cats do very well on Prednisone for two years or so, the steroid shrinks tumors and makes them feel much better. My cats have Leukemia and I give them DMG and LifeGold I get on amazon. One was supposed to have died 15 months ago he was so bad, we had even dug his grave. He is fat and sassy now after looking like a walking skeleton. Of course, we keep them strictly inside now to avoid picking anything up because of their compromised immune systems. I give all their meds in Hartz Delectable Lickables in the stew, they don't like the other kids, and keep some around for when they stop eating. They ALWAYS take a few licks of that and it is enough to keep them going. You can get it on Amazon, Target, Walmart, and dollar general in the treat section. Don't give up, you'll know when that beautiful boy has had enough. Cats have a lot more strength in them than you think. I'll pray for your little one......

 

[fionasmom]

My dog was not doing well about a year ago....going on 15 and the survivor of a lot of medical issues....and as the vet did not find any clear answer she did the canine pancreatitis test which verified that was what was wrong with him. I do encourage you to ask for that test.

SubQ fluids are usually doe for kidney issues or to manage things like dehydration. The dog is doing those right now, speaking off. IV can do the same thing, but they are inserted into the vein which is why the set up is different. As daftcat75 said, other meds can be given that way as well.

 

[jllangham]

Pancreatitis doesn’t clear up on its own or in a couple days. If you search the forums, it’s actually one of the more challenging and intensive recoveries. It is fortunately the easiest of everything I mentioned to test for. It’s a blood test. But it’s not in the standard panels. It often gets overlooked. The test is called Snap or Spec fPLI. Snap is easier. I believe it can be done in-house e.g at the vet office with near instant turnaround. But it doesn’t catch less severe cases. Spec is more accurate but it has to be sent to a lab. Results in two or three days.

The feeding tube is something that can be done today regardless of what they suspect is going on or any other tests or diagnostics they want to perform. And if he starts eating tomorrow, you can leave the tube in for a couple weeks to make sure he doesn’t stop again. Then the tube removal and recovery is straightforward and quick. If you go the feeding tube route, and I recommend it, also get a Kitty Kollar (search Google for this) and ask that they leave enough tube length for it to fold down into the Kollar. The Kitty Kollar website also has valuable information on feeding tubes. It’s a good one to look over. Your kitty will mind the feeding tube far less than you will. The only time my Krista was ever bothered by it was if I fed food too cold or too fast. You get instant feedback on either. Learn and adjust. Other than that, I made sure I had all my food syringes loaded and ready to go, a cup of water for flushing the line, and a spare cap for the tube. Everything on a plate or tray ready to go. I would bring it all to a nice place in front of a window so Krista had something to occupy herself with. I gently squished her down into a comfortable laying position and once we began, she was very calm and compliant through the whole thing. It was so much easier than trying to syringe food into her mouth.

Ask about teeth.

Ask about ultrasound.

IV fluids can be very beneficial. But also very expensive. Besides the daily in-patient care fees, the vet will take advantage of having a direct line into him and inject whatever meds they think are appropriate into the line (antibiotics, anti nausea, maybe pain relief, etc) It adds up quickly. Several hundred dollars a day. But it is sometimes the best course for severe illness. You can ask about IV fluids too. But don’t be surprised if you literally see dollar signs flash in his eyes. I’m not saying it’s not worth it when it’s needed. But it may be a lot more than you want to spend. And without something in the blood work to monitor, it may be hard to tell if it’s needed and for how long.

Pictures!

Krista with her feeding tube. This is the wrap the vet used. Fortunately I had the Kitty Kollar overnighted to the vet office so I never had to change that dressing. Krista hated those stretch gauze wrappings. Violently hated them.
View attachment 368359
With her stylish Kitty Kollar and not enough tube length for the tube to lay flat.
View attachment 368360
And just enough length for it to lay flat under the Velcro strap on the collar.
View attachment 368361
The cap on the tube also kept flying off when she shook her head. I learned how to secure the cap with a piece of masking tape and prepare extra caps ahead of time with a piece of tape attached and mostly ready to go. Get extra caps so you aren’t searching for a lost cap with your cat’s stomach open to the world. Cap the cat with a spare first. Then go looking for the other cap.

At her worst. She had severely elevated liver numbers, multiple tooth extractions (hence the drool), and a ruptured eardrum all at the same time.
View attachment 368363
And full recovery. The shaved arms and ultrasound belly take a long time to grow back.
View attachment 368365
“If you want a neck tattoo, now is the time to get one.” Punk rock Krista with her shaved neck from the tube insertion.
View attachment 368366

Hi daftcat75,

Thank you for all the info and I love the pictures! They helped a lot. And what a beautiful girl you have. So, we spent all day at the vets yesterday, well Doc did and I sat out in the car anxiously waiting.

He got the test for pancreatitis and it was negative. The vet detected a heart murmur so ran an EKG and said it detected VPCs =ventricular premature complexes which she said was basically the heart beating off rhythm if I am remembering right. The vet was awesome but it was a lot of information to try and understand and I was very tired because of lack of sleep. She also took xrays but didn't seen anything on them. She is recommending that we do an echocardiogram ultrasound and also an ultrasound of his abdomen. She doesn't do those so is referring us downstate (we live in northern MI) to the university (MSU) small animal clinic because she says they are experts in doing those.

So, at this point she feels he has a heart condition which is possibly caused by a bowel disease such as intestinal lymphoma. She is trying to get us into MSU on a critical basis.

I talked to her about putting the feeding tube in and she didn't feel it was safe putting him under anesthesia until she knows more about the heart situation. She also checked his teeth and said they were fine. She gave him sub q fluids and didn't think he needed an IV at this point.

We will continue to syringe feed him and hope we can get into MSU soon. She also gave him some anti-nausea medication. Doc has been so good at handling all this but it breaks my heart to see him suffer.

 

[jllangham]

You might research the site Homeoanimal.com, they have a lot of supplements and treatments for cancer. You do have to know what kind though. I have had cats do very well on Prednisone for two years or so, the steroid shrinks tumors and makes them feel much better. My cats have Leukemia and I give them DMG and LifeGold I get on amazon. One was supposed to have died 15 months ago he was so bad, we had even dug his grave. He is fat and sassy now after looking like a walking skeleton. Of course, we keep them strictly inside now to avoid picking anything up because of their compromised immune systems. I give all their meds in Hartz Delectable Lickables in the stew, they don't like the other kids, and keep some around for when they stop eating. They ALWAYS take a few licks of that and it is enough to keep them going. You can get it on Amazon, Target, Walmart, and dollar general in the treat section. Don't give up, you'll know when that beautiful boy has had enough. Cats have a lot more strength in them than you think. I'll pray for your little one......

Hi di and bob,
Thank you so much for the information and kind words. )))) I am so glad to hear one of your cats has been doing so much better.

I will check the website you suggested. I am very interested in pursuing natural means as well. And I already purchased Life Gold and have started him on that. Also, one of his holistic vets suggested immune supporting mushrooms so I got some by the same brand - Pet Wellbeing. It seems like a reputable brand.

Thanks again, any info is appreciated.

 

[jllangham]

My dog was not doing well about a year ago....going on 15 and the survivor of a lot of medical issues....and as the vet did not find any clear answer she did the canine pancreatitis test which verified that was what was wrong with him. I do encourage you to ask for that test.

SubQ fluids are usually doe for kidney issues or to manage things like dehydration. The dog is doing those right now, speaking off. IV can do the same thing, but they are inserted into the vein which is why the set up is different. As daftcat75 said, other meds can be given that way as well.

Thank you, all of the replies I have received have really encouraged me. Doc tested negative for pancreatitis. The did give him sub q fluids yesterday and we have them also to give him at home but he doesn't love sitting still for them right now. We still have to figure out what is wrong so he is going to get an ultrasound next.

 

[daftcat75]

Sorry to hear about the heart. I hope it’s nothing. Let’s see what the ultrasound says. Good news on the panc test and the visual exam of his teeth.

See if he might like something like Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse. It’s a great lickable texture in case there’s something happening in his mouth below the gum line. But for the doc to check that, she’d have to put him under and that’s a potential risk at the moment with his heart. Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse is rich in calories and it is a nutritionally complete food unlike meat-only baby food which is something else you could try. But since the baby food isn’t formulated for cats, you can only feed this for a short period of time. There’s just one caveat about the Velvet Mousse. Some cats are sensitive to xanthan gum. My Krista was one. It makes smooth foods smooth and for those cats sensitive to it, it also makes their poops smooth. Mousse in, mousse out. The two days we tried that with her, I lovingly refer to as The Moussening. You can also try highly appealing “junk” brands like Friskies and Sheba. At this point it’s better he eats well at McDonalds than starves in Whole Foods. Whatever you can get him to eat on his own is that much less you have to force in him with a syringe. You don’t have to worry about food transitions at this point. Just take it slow like the old food was still on the plate. So if you started a transition with 25% new food and 75% old food. You will leave the old food off the plate since he’s not eating it anyway and just serve a quarter portion of the new food. I call this the naked transition. I used this often when Krista wasn’t eating and needed to see if I could find a new temporary food for her until we found and resolved the underlying problem. Watch the poops. If they are liquid, that’s not a good food for him. If they are soft, give it another day. Good poops and you can progress to bigger portions. The first day or two may be dicey if he hasn’t been eating in awhile. He may not poop for a few days as he needs to eat to poop. You may also try any of the Tiki Cat fish flavors. I normally don’t recommend fish for cats. But this is the exception. Very few cats tolerate syringe feeding by mouth to get sufficient amounts of food in them that way. Keep trying. But also keep trying to get him to eat by mouth. Whatever he wants to eat that agrees with him.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jllangham]

Sorry to hear about the heart. I hope it’s nothing. Let’s see what the ultrasound says. Good news on the panc test and the visual exam of his teeth.

See if he might like something like Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse. It’s a great lickable texture in case there’s something happening in his mouth below the gum line. But for the doc to check that, she’d have to put him under and that’s a potential risk at the moment with his heart. Tiki Cat Velvet Mousse is rich in calories and it is a nutritionally complete food unlike meat-only baby food which is something else you could try. But since the baby food isn’t formulated for cats, you can only feed this for a short period of time. There’s just one caveat about the Velvet Mousse. Some cats are sensitive to xanthan gum. My Krista was one. It makes smooth foods smooth and for those cats sensitive to it, it also makes their poops smooth. Mousse in, mousse out. The two days we tried that with her, I lovingly refer to as The Moussening. You can also try highly appealing “junk” brands like Friskies and Sheba. At this point it’s better he eats well at McDonalds than starves in Whole Foods. Whatever you can get him to eat on his own is that much less you have to force in him with a syringe. You don’t have to worry about food transitions at this point. Just take it slow like the old food was still on the plate. So if you started a transition with 25% new food and 75% old food. You will leave the old food off the plate since he’s not eating it anyway and just serve a quarter portion of the new food. I call this the naked transition. I used this often when Krista wasn’t eating and needed to see if I could find a new temporary food for her until we found and resolved the underlying problem. Watch the poops. If they are liquid, that’s not a good food for him. If they are soft, give it another day. Good poops and you can progress to bigger portions. The first day or two may be dicey if he hasn’t been eating in awhile. He may not poop for a few days as he needs to eat to poop. You may also try any of the Tiki Cat fish flavors. I normally don’t recommend fish for cats. But this is the exception. Very few cats tolerate syringe feeding by mouth to get sufficient amounts of food in them that way. Keep trying. But also keep trying to get him to eat by mouth. Whatever he wants to eat that agrees with him.

Good luck and keep us posted.

LOL! You make a very good point here about the food. I also already ordered some ziwi brand venison cat food because I read it is higher in calories so can maybe lessen the number of syringes we are giving him. He did perk up a little the last couple of days which was such a relief but he still won't eat on his own.

We are still waiting to here when they can get him in for the ultrasound.

Thank you again so much! )))))

 

[jllangham]

Hi helpful cat friends,
I am writing to update on Doc. We took him to MSU small animal hospital last week for an abdominal ultrasound and echocardiogram. They also insisted on running his bloodwork and repeating a urine analysis which we had just had done the week before. They also did needle aspiration of his spleen, liver and lymph node. And a Texas GI panel to look for intestinal disease/pancreatitis. Long story short: No heart disease (just a murmur and sinus bradycardia), no pancreatitis, no kidney or liver disease, no thyroid problems. The GI panel looked good. The only finding was some thickening in his small intestine. The vet said she can't rule out or diagnose at this time IBD or beginning lymphoma.

I am both relieved and frustrated. Relieved that we didn't get a scary diagnosis but still scratching my head. He has been to 4 vets in less then 3 weeks and it has cost over $3000.00. More important then the cost is that he was severely stressed the last 2 times he has gone to the vet and we don't want to put him through that again.

The good news is that in the week since his last visit he has been getting better. More energy, improving appetite and he doesn't appear to be in discomfort anymore. )))))) We have been syringe feeding him some immune supplements by Pet Wellbeing: Medicinal mushrooms, Liquid Gold, Spark. We also changed his diet to Ziwi venison cat food which he loves.

The vet suggested that we have a stool test run for parasites because he was eating raw food. Or they can open him up to get biopsy's of intestines which we are not to keen on at this moment. The only treatment recommendation is to try steroids if it flares up again.

I am researching IBD and lymphoma and looking for natural things we can do at home now. Any input in that regard would be appreciated.

I never imagined we could fall down a rabbit hole like this so quickly. I really wish we had gotten pet insurance last year when I was thinking about it and would definitely suggest that to others because those bills add up quickly. And we didn't even get any treatment beyond sub q fluids and a appetite stimulant and anti-nausea med.

Thanks again for all the information and sharing of experiences. Has anyone else experienced this kind of situation; their cat just abruptly stops eating, has a fever and lethargy and then 3 weeks later just starts getting better?

 

[fionasmom]

I am glad to hear that you are seeing improvement and that so much has been ruled out. IBD is not something I have dealt with, but Chelsea has intestinal lymphoma and is being treated for that with leukeran/chlorambucil. That is really a separate discussion about dx and treatment for that condition and my betters on TCS like daftcat75 can give you some insights. As for me, I am not one to try to treat any cancers without medical intervention first of all, so I don't know of any supplemental support that I would suggest in the place of that.

But let's hope it is not that.

As for insurance, three of my cats are insured as a result of the rabbit hole that the GSD and I fell into a few years ago due to his Cushing's disease and subsequent melanoma dx. All I can say about that is, as you know, anything that your cat has had already will be an exclusion. A few companies claim to work with preexisting conditions but they are few and far between and I don't know how reliable. If, however, you think that more medical conditions could be around the corner for your baby, a policy that has exclusions still might come in handy. My mistake was not insuring the pooch with the Cushing's exclusions because it still would have paid for the melanoma.

 

[daftcat75]

The tests and the diagnosis and the cost all sound appropriate.

Unfortunately, IBD and small cell lymphoma present very similarly on an ultrasound. The only way to confirm for sure is a biopsy. However, many vets are believing that they are actually two points of progression of the same condition. In other words, IBD can progress to lymphoma. The rule of thumb that many use is that if your cat can maintain or gain weight, it is not likely to be cancer. Yet.

It is possible that the supplements helped cool his inflammation and the diet change stopped fueling the fire.

The recommendations of internet stranger should never replace that of an educated and accredited veterinarian.

That out of the way,

a. I would suggest getting a baby scale off Amazon (about $40 and much more accurate than a bathroom scale) and weighing him no more than once a week. If his weight is stable, you can weigh him once a month until his weight is not stable.
b. If he's asymptomatic (no poop issues, no barfing, no signs of pain or nausea), keep doing what you're doing and monitor his weight. Sometimes the only symptoms of lymphoma is weight loss so you do want to keep an eye on his weight.
c. If he is symptomatic or becomes symptomatic, I would work with a specialist and take the steroids. Supplements can only do so much. If he's losing weight despite eating a normal or more than normal amount of calories, you must consider the possibility of lymphoma. You don't need a biopsy to confirm that. You can ask for a course of steroids. If that doesn't help, ask for chemo. Once his weight loss is uncontrollable, that makes him a poor candidate for a surgical biopsy that can come with a recovery period (e.g. more weight loss.) In this case, the diagnosis is riskier than the drug.
d. Cats tolerate chemo much better than people do and it can extend their life with a high quality of life. Remission is possible. Don't dismiss chemo based on your perceptions of how people react to it.

That's what I have for now. Hopefully a diet change was all he needed. But keep an eye on his weight whether or not he has any other symptoms.

 

[jllangham]

I am glad to hear that you are seeing improvement and that so much has been ruled out. IBD is not something I have dealt with, but Chelsea has intestinal lymphoma and is being treated for that with leukeran/chlorambucil. That is really a separate discussion about dx and treatment for that condition and my betters on TCS like daftcat75 can give you some insights. As for me, I am not one to try to treat any cancers without medical intervention first of all, so I don't know of any supplemental support that I would suggest in the place of that.

But let's hope it is not that.

As for insurance, three of my cats are insured as a result of the rabbit hole that the GSD and I fell into a few years ago due to his Cushing's disease and subsequent melanoma dx. All I can say about that is, as you know, anything that your cat has had already will be an exclusion. A few companies claim to work with preexisting conditions but they are few and far between and I don't know how reliable. If, however, you think that more medical conditions could be around the corner for your baby, a policy that has exclusions still might come in handy. My mistake was not insuring the pooch with the Cushing's exclusions because it still would have paid for the melanoma.

Thank you. Sorry to hear that you fell down that rabbit hole too with your puppy. It was definitely a lesson learned the hard way for us. I went ahead and got insurance for Doc and our 3 other cats. We had an option with Nationwide through my husband's work that seemed reasonable compared to the prices of others. Insuring multiple pets is expensive but I didn't realize how expensive veterinary care can be. And we didn't even get a diagnosis!

At this point I just have explore options on my own since the vets have nothing to offer at this time. I might consult with a integrative/holistic vet to see what they offer. If anyone knows of a good one that does phone consults please let me know.

 

[daftcat75]

Thank you. Sorry to hear that you fell down that rabbit hole too with your puppy. It was definitely a lesson learned the hard way for us. I went ahead and got insurance for Doc and our 3 other cats. We had an option with Nationwide through my husband's work that seemed reasonable compared to the prices of others. Insuring multiple pets is expensive but I didn't realize how expensive veterinary care can be. And we didn't even get a diagnosis!

At this point I just have explore options on my own since the vets have nothing to offer at this time. I might consult with a integrative/holistic vet to see what they offer. If anyone knows of a good one that does phone consults please let me know.

But you did get a diagnosis. Just because they cannot tell the difference between lymphoma and IBD on an ultrasound doesn’t mean you can dismiss the findings. Even if he is no longer symptomatic, you would be wise to monitor his weight. Sometimes weight loss is the only symptom of lymphoma. When you can afford it, I would recommend seeking an internal medicine specialist to review the ultrasound notes and any other tests and records. You may not have to do anything now (except keep an eye on his weight.) But intestinal thickening doesn’t just happen. If he’s good now, stay the course. Do some reading on IBD. If he’s eating any dry food, eliminate that. There’s no good reason for dry food except convenience. Even that can be overcome with timed feeders. Dry food is not appropriate for cats. It is dangerously deficient in moisture and it is loaded with poorly digested ingredients; many that can be irritants and allergens.You may also proactively take him in for another ultrasound in six to twelve months to see if the inflammation (thickening) has gone down, remained the same, or gotten worse. Just because he may seem stable now, I would not ignore those ultrasound findings.

 

[jllangham]

Hi daftcat75,
Thank you so much for the information. Please be assured that I am considering all options and not disregarding medicines. We took him to a Vet who is an internal medicine specialist at MSU veterinarian hospital which is considered to one of the best in the country from what we read. This doctor was the one who said she didn't have a diagnosis for us and didn't recommend any treatment at this time.

But I completely understand what you are saying in that a thickening of colon has to be caused by something and that is why I have been continuing to research IBD and Lymphoma. In no way am I not pursuing this. That is why I reached out to the community to hopeful hear the experiences of other cat parents who have used conventional and alternative treatments or both for these conditions. I have read some stories on line of people who went the conventional route (after diagnosis of lymphoma) and their pets got sicker and then they tried alternative routes and their pet recovered. So, I that is why I am trying to look at both sides.

We took Doc to 4 Vets in less then 3 weeks and put him through hell to get all of these tests done so I am definitely consulting qualified Vets not just listening to peoples stories on line.

I will definitely start weighing him on a weekly basis, thank you for that suggestion.

 

[jllangham]

But you did get a diagnosis. Just because they cannot tell the difference between lymphoma and IBD on an ultrasound doesn’t mean you can dismiss the findings. Even if he is no longer symptomatic, you would be wise to monitor his weight. Sometimes weight loss is the only symptom of lymphoma. When you can afford it, I would recommend seeking an internal medicine specialist to review the ultrasound notes and any other tests and records. You may not have to do anything now (except keep an eye on his weight.) But intestinal thickening doesn’t just happen. If he’s good now, stay the course. Do some reading on IBD. If he’s eating any dry food, eliminate that. There’s no good reason for dry food except convenience. Even that can be overcome with timed feeders. Dry food is not appropriate for cats. It is dangerously deficient in moisture and it is loaded with poorly digested ingredients; many that can be irritants and allergens.You may also proactively take him in for another ultrasound in six to twelve months to see if the inflammation (thickening) has gone down, remained the same, or gotten worse. Just because he may seem stable now, I would not ignore those ultrasound findings.

Thank you. I am not ignoring the ultrasound findings and that is why I asked the community if they had any recommendations for holistic/integrative vets. I haven't fed my cats dry food in years after I found out how unhealthy it was for them.