My cat has strange disease

[andelin]

Hello. My 10 year old female cat became lethargic & gradually stopped eating and drinking 3 weeks ago. We took her to the vet, and they did a biochemistry blood test which showed everything's normal. They also did barium x-ray which was also ok. We had to force-feed the cat every day. Last week I took her to another vet who did CBC blood test, which showed severe anemia. Now she's receiving rehydration and medication to treat the anemia at the vet clinic. The vet says it may be cancer, but they are not sure. The thing is that my cat has NO other symptoms apart from the above-mentioned. She still has plenty of stamina, and when she's upset, she reacts with full normal force. She hasn't yet shown any signs of either improvement or deterioration. I've read that cats with cancer always have other symptoms as well, like swellings, bleedings, etc. Please advise on what could be the cause, and how it could be treated. I'm very worried, but haven't lost hope. Thanks.

[catdvm]

Sorry to hear the news.  Lyphosarcoma is a bad cancer.  From my experience the cats go from healthy to very ill quickly.  I had a 15 year old diabetic that just as I got him regulated all his lymph nodes enlarged and he stopped eating suddenly.  He got sick so quickly that by Monday we decided to euthanize.  It was hard as I had him since he was 1.  Before that my dad had him but when he remarried he had to find him a new home since my stepmom didn't want any animals in the house.  (However now they have a dog and cats of her chosing so I think she just didn't want my dad's cat because it was from prior to the marriage).  I was in college with one cat of my own but took him in.  He could be kind of an annoying cat (always into trouble) but I loved him none the less.  Sorry for the rambling - just brings back memories.  The thing is to hold onto the memories and enjoy all the years you have had with your cat.  I got one of the kits at Target for making kid handprints and made some paw prints.  You just make the prints and then harden the dough in the oven.  The kit has a place for a photo across from the paw prints.  

[andelin]

Thank you for your kind words. My cat was put on intravenous support last Wednesday and given medicine to treat the anemia. It didn't work, and her face became swollen because the metabolism seems to have gone wrong because of the anemia. The doctor says the likely cause is Lymphosarcoma. She has also received a hormone injection meant to improve the production of blood cells. The cat is getting pale and the doctor says there is no longer any effective treatment that they can offer. The cat is terminally ill. Today we will take our little sweetheart home and give her our love and whatever support we can during her last days in life. Thank you and kind regards.

[catdvm]

First I am sorry to hear you cat is not feeling well.  It is so hard with sick cats since they can't speak and tell us what is going on.  Also it is hard because cats often don't seem as sick as they may be.  Remember cats are still a little preprogrammed as animals to not show they are sick.  This sort of hails back to when they were wild and before we domesticated them so they could live alongside us and amuse us with their antics.

As far as cancer, cancer can be hard to diagnose.  A pet can have cancer and still have normal bloodwork.  The bloodwork can also change from one visit to the next. Whether there is swelling or bleeding with cancer all depends on where the cancer is located in the body  ie what organ or organs it is affecting.  Sometimes the cancer can be felt on a physical exam of the cat and often times it cannot be felt on exam.   Sometimes it can't be found until radiographs and ultrasound are done and you still need a general idea of what to radiograph or ultrasound.

Unfortunately the symptoms that your cat has are not specific to any one disease so it may take a little bit of diagnostics (testing) and time to find the cause.   That can be very frustrating for the owner and for the veterinarian trying to treat your cat. Sometimes we are left with treating the symptoms and not being able to identify the disease.
Either way talk with your veterinarian.  If they aren't able to talk a lot on the phone make an appointment time to go in and talk with them.  Communication with your veterinarian is very helpful so you can work with them to help your cat.  Best of luck and hope your cat starts feeling better each day.