Hi There,

I was glad to heat that Sola's blood work is normal. It's possible that his anemia is related to his intestinal issues.

It is a fairly straightforward procedure to do intestinal biopsies on cats. Even though no masses have been detected cancer can still be present, as well as enlarged lymph nodes. One of the types of cancer most often found on biopsies is known as small cell lymphoma, which is very treatable. Cats can often live comfortably for years with steroids and a drug known as Leukeran is sometimes used as well.

Not to scare you, but it is fairly common for cats with IBD to develop lymphoma and for this reason I would have the surgery done. Sola has normal labwork so the surgery should go very well. You would be surprised how quickly cats recover from this type of surgery. They are often eating as early as the next day!

Sometimes during surgery a mass is found that has not been detected by other means, which is another reason to have the surgery done. Plus it's a good thing to know whether you are dealing with just IBD or possibly cancer. The vet would be able to treat your baby according to the surgical findings.

My cat Timothy is strongly suspected of having intestinal lymphoma, but he is older and in poor health so surgery isn't an option for him. In his case, treatment consists of a monthly injection of depo-medrol, which is a long acting steroid. This controls the severe inflammation in his intestines and helps tremendously with his diarrhea. He is still happy, active, and eating well and I am very grateful for that.

Please let us know what you decide and how your baby does. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I understand how scary this all is and want to help as much as I can.

Regards,
PHKitkat

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