My cat had intestinal surgery for a mass. Is it cancer or benign?

I'm sorry you and Oscar are going through this. My honest opinion? In talking to pet parents about cancers, intestinal cancers in cats are one of the instances where I almost always urge people to go for it, and try to treat them. Why? Because they can do so well for so long. I'm assuming your vet is thinking this is either intestinal lymphoma or inflammatory bowel disease. Those two diseases cannot be distinguished from each other on ultrasound, and we often just see thickened intestines, so biopsies are needed. IBD is very treatable, and at 5 years old that is the more likely diagnosis. Some of these guys do great with just a diet change to a hypoallergenic diet. Others need immunosuppressive therapy in addition to diet, but there is an excellent drug called budesonide that has minimal systemic side effects, and works primarily in the gut. I've managed IBD cats well for 10+ years. If it's lymphoma, those cats respond well to prednisolone therapy (another, stronger immunosuppressive drug) and sometimes the addition of a well-tolerated chemotherapeutic called leukeran. I've successfully managed cats with intestinal lymphoma for 3+ years. If it's not lymphoma, and more of an issue with a focal intestinal mass, that's a whole different ballgame, but again, treatable in many cases. And I would have expected that they would have seen a mass on ultrasound, so that seems unlikely. I think the best thing about getting biopsies is having a definitive answer, and knowing what you're dealing with. Best of luck to you and Oscar in getting this figured out.

I am so sorry to say but these x-rays are highly suggestive of an intestinal tumor. I would have an ultrasound done next to confirm and then go forward with treatment for suspected intestinal lymphoma, especially if she is symptomatic (i.e. vomiting, decreased appetite, etc). I wish you all the best moving forward with Fluffy. Best wishes and take care.

The thickening of the jejunum is not likely to be parasite related but, of course, anything is possible. It is more likely to be IBD or lymphoma. I cannot give you a prediction on life span without having more information. Did the vet recommend an intestinal biopsy? That would be needed to get an exact diagnosis. Did the vet give you any medications for her? Here is an article about lymphoma in cats. It may give you more information. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951906 )

His response to the steroid injection may be more indication that he does have lymphoma. Prednisone, a steroid, is commonly used in conjunction with a chemotherapeutic agent to treat lymphoma in cats. The steroid will decrease inflammation which may reduce his symptoms. Consider a consult with a veterinary oncologist to discuss testing for a definitive diagnosis after which treatment, if you choose, can begin.

I am sorry you are frustrated with Pepe's care. Without biopsies of the intestine, lymphoma is difficult to diagnose. I don't suspect this will hurt his chances, but I would recommend talking with an oncologist about your treatment options. Lymphoma can go into remission with aggressive therapy but sometimes the best treatments fail. Good luck and kisses to Pepe!

I'm sorry your cat may have lymphoma. The surgery and biopsies aren't very painful, she will be under anesthesia, and they will give her some pain medication afterwards. The danger of it depends on her health status, and her vet can give you the best estimate of this. Any surgery carries risk, but it can still be safe in a cat this age. Personally I'd do the surgery first. I hope this helps!

So very sorry for you loss of Indy. My condolences. I can see on the x-ray what the vet was thinking may have been an adhesion. I cannot tell you what it is though just by looking at the x-ray. The only way to know what the mass is/was is to have sent it to a laboratory for histopathology. Masses can be any number of things. I can tell you that lymphoma is quite common in cats. Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to help you with this via the internet as we were not there to see what happened. If you wanted a definitive diagnosis then a necropsy (autopsy) would have been needed with tissue samples sent to the lab for analysis.