Lymphoma is spreading...time to euthanize?

[mollyblue]

Hope you and kitty have lot of good days. 

 

[spencer11]

Thank you for all the info! I will look up the yahoo group. Also others have said good things about Forti Flora, so will give it a try. It's so helpful to hear from others who have experienced this with their kitties. So far I have no regrets either (other than the lymphoma in the first place). Maybe wished we had started chemo sooner, but he was febrile, not eating and had a high white count. So will be holding my breath for sure when he takes the first pill. I've been told more nausea and vomiting is possible, seizures, and he could also have liver and kidney issues. Fingers crossed for few side effects. Thanks again...

 

[spencer11]

Thank you! Each day is a gift. Someone said "don't count the days....make the days count". So true!

 

[Tracey Stahl]

There's a feline lymphona yahoo group, I recommend. It's for small cell lymphoma, so there are people there in very similar situations to yours. There is a vet who posts there regularly, and a whole lot of support and information. Sometimes I was intimidated by how technical the discussion could get, but there's no need to be, people just want to help. If you search Yahoo Feline Lymphoma Group , you'll find it. The first round of treatment for my baby was rough because he had always LOVED to eat, and I hated to see him not wanting to eat. It was one of his very favorite activities ! I considered stopping treatment, but I'm really glad I continued. Chlorambucil WAS one of the drugs that made him nauseous, but the diarrhea meds was the biggest culprit. I also gave him water with a syringe every 15 minutes up for about an hour at a time until I was sure i got 4 oz. in him. He also had sub Q fluids with every in office treatment. I figured out the nausea because I gave him his meds in advance of a treatment and he suddenly lost his appetite. When I looked up the drug, nausea was one of the side effects. After that, I only gave him that if he had really bad diarrhea. If it was a little loose, not too frequent, and lasted a day, I gave him extra water. I also crumbled up treats and sprinkled them on top of his food to get him to eat, poured water from a can of tuna on his food, and sprinkled Forti-Flora on his food to help his appetite. Forti-Flora is a probiotic in a base of animal digest which cats and dogs love. I got it on Amazon for cheap.It smells like Bullion. The probiotic part of it was basically expired, but the flavor was there. I sprinkled a little on his food and he would eat it. He would also sometimes get B-12 injections at the vet's and those also helped. Some of the people on the Lymphoma group had cats with the small cell variety that were living 6-8 years. Every case is different, but I just wanted to share my experience. I have no regrets and I am so glad that I continued treatment. At one point, he got a a little too fat! The vet was very happy to have tell me that he needed to lose a little weight. You can google any of the meds and find out what side effects they could have. Hang in there! If you do suspect a drug interaction, don't be afraid to ask for a different one. The Chemo protocol is pretty set, but the other drugs all have alternatives. Chlorambucil was one of the only drugs that caused nausea for Foggy. I mentioned it to the vet and he slightly lowered the dose and it was much better after that. I think he changed it from 7mg to 5mg. A lot of people stick to organic or raw diets. I didn't do that, I let him eat whatever he would eat. Sometimes he really liked the cheap stuff like Friskies or Sheba. That was fine with me. Best of luck to you and your kitty !

Thank you for the share

 

[jaollier]

The vet thinks that my cat has this firm of lymphoma. Can anyone give me any idea how much chemotherepy costs? My vet hasn't confirmed the diagnosis yet. Thanks

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

The vet thinks that my cat has this firm of lymphoma. Can anyone give me any idea how much chemotherepy costs? My vet hasn't confirmed the diagnosis yet. Thanks

I'm so sorry your little one is sick and possibly has Lymphoma. I think the best thing to do is call around and ask different Vets, starting with your own. We have learned that the cost varies VASTLY, even within the same city, at least for certain things done at the Vet. And, of course, if you live somewhere like NYC, I believe the costs would be higher than if you live elsewhere, at least that seems to be fairly common.

 

[babiesmom5]

IF it is Small Cell Lymphoma, the standard protocol is Chlorambucil (Leukeran) which must be compounded by the pharmacy according to Vet's prescription.

For example 12 capsules of 2.2 mg Chlorambucil run me approximately $50. Some pharmacies are now going to pills, which are cheaper, but I prefer the capsule form.

Along with Chlorambucil, Prednisolone is also given for SCL, but is cheaper.

IF it is Large Cell Lymphoma, that is treated with inject able chemo and varies with the agent, dose and amount, so I do not want to speculate. I can tell you however that Chlorambucil is infinitely cheaper, and milder, than the infusions.

 

[meowmylexi]

I had to make the heartbreaking decision of saying goodbye to my 22-month old Tommy after sudden drastic weight loss, no appetite and waning energy. My Vet hadn't ever seen such widespread and rapid growths around almost all vital organs, which lead to such a fast deterioration. I couldn't put him through any of the oncologist's treatments as it wouldn't prolong his life, only his suffering. That was the difference maker in my case. That was three years ago and it still brings me to tears like it was yesterday. Looking back, I'm pretty sure Tommy told me he was ready and I made sure to be with him until the very end. I don't believe anybody goes in wanting to think about euthanizing, but I do believe you will know when it's time, and yet it still won't be 'easy' then. I hope it was okay to share my story here with you. Sending many hugs your way!

 

[Kenwoodjens1]

Start him on chemo and give him a chance, the sooner the better. My cat is on chemo right now, and when she started she was in horrible shape. She started feeling a bit better within 48 hours of starting. I am not sure about the protocol for gastrointestinal lymphoma, but chemo is tolerated very well by cats (mine has had very few side effects, she sometimes vomits her breakfast the following day but is fine later in the day). Chemo has given me quality time back with my cat. Good Luck!

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