Overview
Finding out your cat has gastrointestinal lymphoma is n’t only scarey , but it may be confusing , too . When you hear “ lymphoma , ” you may think of enlarged lymph node in the neck opening . However , lymphoma in cats is most common in their GI parcel of land , specifically the stomach or small intestine . In fact , 50 to 75 percent of lymphoma cases in cats are GI lymphoma ( 1 ) .
Here ’s everything you call for to know about GI lymphoma in cats , including signs , causal agency , and treatment options .
What Is GI Lymphoma?
Lymphomais a Cancer the Crab of a specific type of white blood cell called a lymphocyte . GI lymphoma in cats refers to lymphoma that develops in the gastrointestinal tract . While this is most often the minor gut , it can also educate in the stomach .
GI lymphoma affects bozo similarly to other enteric diseases . It ’s usual for cat-o'-nine-tails with GI lymphoma to suffer weightiness , have diarrhea , and vomit .
A cat can have small prison cell Gb lymphoma or large cell Gb lymphoma :
lowly cell gastrointestinal lymphomais more vulgar and has a better prognosis when liken with declamatory cell gastrointestinal lymphoma . Small cell gilbert lymphoma in cats is often treated at abode with oral medications and has a longer selection fourth dimension of two to four years .
Large cell GI lymphomain Arabian tea is more malignant and may involve surgery and injectable chemotherapy to treat . Survival time for large mobile phone GI lymphoma with treatment is commonly six to nine calendar month .
Other common locations for cat to develop lymphoma include the kidneys ( nephritic lymphoma ) and within the dresser ( mediastinal lymphoma ) . These forms of lymphoma will have different clinical signs , discourse recommendations , and prognoses .
Causesof GI Lymphoma in Cats
gilbert lymphoma develops when the lymphocytes in the gastrointestinal parcel develop uncontrollably . The accurate causa of GI lymphoma in cats is n’t known , and several cistron could contribute to the ontogeny of this Crab .
One element that has been evoke as chip in to the development of GI lymphoma is continuing inflammation in the GI nerve tract . Inflammatory intestine disease ( IBD)occurs concurrently in up to 60 per centum of GI lymphoma cases in cat ( 2 ) . Over meter , rubor may lead to cancerous changes in the lymphocytes of the GI tract .
Other possible factors being investigated include exposure to secondhand smoke and dietetical factor , though definitive links have not been found . While other type of lymphoma in cats have been linked to thefeline cancer of the blood computer virus ( FeLV)orfeline immunodeficiency computer virus ( FIV ) , most cat that germinate gastrointestinal lymphoma are not positive for FeLV or FIV .
GI Lymphoma in CatsSymptoms
gilbert lymphoma most usually develop in old cats between 9 to 13 years of historic period . Because the signs of GI lymphoma are standardised to the symptom of other gastrointestinal conditions like IBD , pet parent may not initially realize their cat has cancer .
The main signs to watch for include :
Appetite changes are n’t always reproducible in cats with GI lymphoma . Some bozo with GI lymphoma will have a normal appetite , some will have a reduced appetite , and some may seem like voracious eater .
Cat GI LymphomaStages
theatrical production has not been shown to foretell outcome for GI lymphoma , so many veterinary surgeon do not perform complete theatrical production for cats with this kind of Cancer the Crab .
Complete scaffolding could involve :
DiagnosingGI Lymphoma in Cats
GI lymphoma may be suspected based on the clinical signs of weighting loss , vomiting , and/or diarrhoea in an elderly cat . During abdominal palpation , the veterinarian might acknowledge inspissate gut or intestinal masses . Abdominal ultrasonography often shows a thickened intestinal wall or intestinal masses . However , a biopsy is necessary for definitive diagnosis .
For most individual pattern veterinarian , biopsies will postulate to be hoard surgically . The veterinarian will enter the abdomen and take several biopsies from the bowel and/or breadbasket while the pet is under general anaesthesia .
Veterinarians with endoscopy may be able to take biopsy from the stomach or upper small bowel using their endoscope . If a mass is present , an ultrasound auto may be used to guide a phonograph needle into the masses to take a sample of electric cell . Biopsies are usually direct to a special pathology laboratory for rendition .
TreatingGI Lymphoma in Cats
Small cell lymphoma is normally treat at home with an unwritten steroid hormone called prednisolone and an oral chemotherapy drug called Leukeran .
expectant cell GI lymphoma is much more belligerent . If there is a single mass , surgery may be considered to remove the mass . Chemotherapy for big cell GI lymphoma usually follows the CHOP communications protocol , which involves several month of three chemotherapy drugs and prednisolone . This treatment is usually performed by a veterinary oncologist .
Cost to Treat
The cost to treat will depend on the type of GI lymphoma and the treatment pursue .
Chemotherapy can cost over $ 3,000 , often ranging from $ 6,500 to $ 8,500 for the orotund cellular telephone lymphoma CHOP protocol . If surgical operation is pursued for an enteral multitude , the cost could range from $ 1,500 to over $ 3,000 .
discourse for little cadre lymphoma is generally less dear since medication can be purchased through various pharmacies and administer at household . Your cat will still demand to see the veterinarian for regular rechecks and bloodwork .
GI Lymphoma in Cats Prognosis
Small cell GI lymphoma in felines has a undecomposed prognosis of two to four years with intervention . In older cats diagnosed with small cellular telephone GI lymphoma , they may end up pass away from another condition while undergo treatment .
Large cell Gb lymphoma is belligerent and carries a medical prognosis of six to nine months , even with treatment .
How to PreventGI Lymphoma
At this sentence , there is no sure way to prevent GI lymphoma in cats . Consider keep your kat inoculate and indoors to prevent contraction of FeLV or FIV , which could contribute to the exploitation of other lymphomas . You should also cut photograph to secondhand smoke .
If your cat is a frequent vomiter or has loose stools , weigh seeing a veterinarian . Although it ’s not a authoritative link , inveterate inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract may kick in to the development of GI lymphoma . Inflammatory bowel disease should be rule out and , if present , controlled for your true cat ’s overall welfare .
