Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 11 year old neutered male was diagnosed with GI tract lymphoma. Otherwise he is in good shape, aside from a significant loss of weight (though he is not underweight at this point). I took him to the oncologist, who prescribed Lukeran and Prednisone, along with Pepcid. He started chemo a few days ago. The second day, he was very lethargic, had diarrhea and not eating, so I took him back---they checked the blood and said he was stable, and adjusted the dosage. Today he is eating heartily and seems a bit more active. All this in the week since the diagnosis.

Any advice on what to expect over time? Good days and bad ones? Are the articles accurate that say chemo, if the cat responds, can keep the disease in remission for a couple of years? Do I need to do anything special because I have two other (healthy) cats in the household? Any advice or information is much appreciated. I am posting this in the leukemia board, too.

Hi There,

I am so sorry that you are going through all this with your kitty. I went through something similar with one of my babies.

Most cats seem to do well on Leukeran, although they usually go through good and bad days. Poor appetite and nausea aren't uncommon, although a change in dose often helps. Cats aren't usually on Leukeran daily, at least for the long term, and that makes it easier on them. Some cats cannot tolerate the drug at all, and they are treated with steroids exclusively. Cats that are extremely difficult or impossible to medicare orally are given injectable steroids.

It's true that cats with intestinal lymphoma can live comfortably for years. My Timothy had it for 3 years and it wasn't until the very end that the steroids no longer helped him. He was one who could not take Leukeran, otherwise I might have had him with me longer.

It's very important at this point to keep your cat eating, even if you have to resort to baby foods (with no onion added) or other people foods. No special diet is required, although I think you should feed as high a quality food as you can afford. Try to avoid foods that contain a lot of additives and carbs if you can, as these are irritating to the GI tract. If your cat has diarrhea, hopefully the steroids will keep it under control. The Pepcid should control nausea, although I'm sure your vet can prescribe something else if it doesn't work well enough.

Take care, and please keep us updated on how your kitty does.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Very helpful and encouraging. Thank you!

You are very welcome!

PHKitkat