Liver problem and vomiting - old case

I'm kind of curious about something. Years ago I had a cat that would
vomit several times a year (more than what I thought was normal). It
wasn't a hairball or regurgitation, it was vomit. I told the vet and he
said that was normal and did nothing. The vomiting became more frequent
over the years and after 5-6 years it was so bad I took him to another
vet to get a blood test which revealed liver problems. The liver enzyme
levels ALKP and ALT were very high. AMYL and NA were within the normal
range but low. After awhile he stopped eating and his skin started
turning yellow and he lost weight.

The cat was taken to a specialist and they said he had mildly thick
small intestines with enlarged mesenteric and gastric lymph nodes. He
also had an enlarged spleen, a small amount of fluid in the abdomen
(ascites), and a large grainy liver with hypoechoic texture. They said
it could be lymphoma or cholangiohepatitis but couldn't be sure without
performing a biopsy. Unfortunately, the biopsy couldn't be done because
his blood wouldn't clot. A FIV/Leukemia test came back negative
although I suppose FIP could've been a possibility.

It got to a point where his belly got very big from fluid and he was
only going downhill so he had to be put to sleep. We never did find out
what his problem was.

I've always wanted to know what he had. I know I'll never know for sure
but I'm wondering if anyone had any ideas based on the info I provided?


I'd also like to know if the vomiting he had years earlier could've
been related to whatever illness he had? Could that have been a sign
that something was wrong? If that first vet had payed more attention
could this have been noticed and therefore treated earlier?