Why didn't my cat's lymphoma show in bloodwork? Can it be removed?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Trixie. I am sorry to hear about her recent diagnosis. Unfortunately, gastrointestinal lymphoma can be a longterm consequence of inflammatory bowel disease in cats. I am glad that will consult with an oncologist. There are actually a variety of treatment protocols, some of which can be oral tablets given at home. Cats tend to tolerate chemotherapy really well. They do not usually lose hair like human cancer patients will. There can be some nausea, but this is generally mild and there are good medications to control it. The main side effects tend to be white blood cell suppression. For this reason, her blood work will be monitored carefully. I hope this information helps!

Furbu is an adorable cat! I’m sorry if you are potentially dealing with a diagnosis of lymphoma. Intestinal lymphoma generally cannot be cured. BUT, it can be a disease that can be managed in some cases very effectively. There are multiple subtypes of lymphoma (for example small cell lymphoma vs. large cell lymphoma ). Some respond much more reliably to oral medications for long periods whereas other forms behave much more aggressively and require more intense chemotherapy to manage. Good luck with Furbu and please don’t hesitate to post if you have more specific questions !

Hello. I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. I had a lovely long haired cat with lymphoma years ago. There is lymph tissue throughout the body. Before deciding on any types of surgery, it is beneficial to know just how extensive her cancer is. If she, for example, has a section of intestinal tract with a tumor or a couple of tumors, that area can be removed. However, if it seems that the cancer is already metastasized to liver, spleen, lungs, etc. , her prognosis would change and possibly surgery would not be if much benefit. A treatment plan if surgery/ chemotherapy / both can be arrived at after more information is collected.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That statement is true for the most part. There are more factors that play a role when it comes to ymphoma such as the morphology of the cells and their molecular characteristics. Now it is true that most of the lymphomas affecting the gastrointestinal tract in cats are T-cell. However, we do see T-cell lymphoma affecting other locations. The small cell type of gastrointestinal lymphoma does not tend to affect the kidneys at all while the large cell type can affect the kidney in about a third of the patients. I hope this is useful. To give you more specific information I would need to know more specifics on the case. Feel free to request a consultation with me if you have further questions such as best treatment options and how to manage these cases. I see these cases very commonly as I only see cancer cases. Good luck!

Hello, and thanks for your question. I'm sorry to hear about Trixie's diagnosis! It's great that you're working with an oncologist; I can tell you're wanting to provide the best care for Trixie. Most cats do feel better and perk up on the medication. If her appetite was down, you may see her start eating a bit better, and if you had noticed lethargy you may see her perk up and act more social again. Often we can see an increase in both appetite and thirst, which leads to more urination as well. Generally we don't see too many other side effects from the medications, and your oncologist will want to know if you do have concerns with how Trixie is feeling on the meds, as they may tweak the dose based on how Trixie's responding. I have seen a few animals go into remission, but I would defer to the oncologist on the actual numbers, as they see far more cases than we do in general practice! Hope this helps. Hugs to you and Trixie.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Phoebe! Lymphoma is a diffuse cancer. It usually isn't a solitary mass but is throughout the entire organ. In Phoebe's case all her lung tissue. So Lymphoma is treated with chemotherapy not surgery usually. Since you are willing to treat, ask for a lung aspirate or biopsy. They can biopsy the lung, culture it for bacteria and do a fungal culture. Sometimes you have to be the health advocate for your pet! It's not an easy surgery and aspirates are risky. But if you want to know what is going on then you should try to get an answer. Also since you have been seeing a specialist maybe they can use a scope to get the samples. I hope this helps and I wish you and Phoebe the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If there is lymphoma, it is not going to show on bloodwork in any specific way. There are certainly values that may be abnormal if a patient is affected by lymphoma though they are not specific for lymphoma. Regardless, Artie does not have any of the things I would expect abnormal with lymphoma. This bloodwork is concerning for hyperthyroidism and renal disease. Both of these can cause anorexia and vomiting. It is very important to discuss with your veterinarian further treatment options based on these findings. They have more knowledge on the case and should be able to recommend accordingly. Best of luck!