chest fluid --- lymphoma?

Hi all,

I have a 15-1/2 female kitty named "Linda" that was diagnosed 2
months ago with early renal failure. Her creatinine is 2.9 and urine
specific gravity is 1.016. It was also revealed that she has high
blood pressure and is slightly anemic. And suddenly things have
gotten even more serious.

Linda's appetite went downhill 2 weeks ago and she became very
lethargic and was breathing fairly hard. So I had an ultra sound and
x-rays done. It turns out that her chest and abdomen were full of
fluid! The heart function was perfectly normal - pumping nicely. But
the radiologist said that the ultra sound revealed "changes" in the
liver and intestinal wall (and other places) that is indicative of a
systemic cancer (probably lymphoma). The lymph nodes in her abdomen
were also swollen.

My vet was concered about using Lasix to remove the fluid due to my
cat's CRF. So she gave Linda some gas and extracted the fluid
manually (via a needle I guess). My vet got 150ml off her chest. We
sent a sample of the fluid to a lab for analysis. The lab didn't
happen to find actual cancer cells in the fluid sample, but they found
certain kinds of lymphocytes and lymphoblasts that they said pointed
toward lymphoma. My vet doesn't want to do a biopsy because of the
delicate shape Linda is in. Plus, she thinks that the evidence
pointing toward a systemic cancer is very strong.

Linda felt so much better once that fluid was removed. I took her
home that night and she was affectionate, bright-eyed and she ate.
Yes!! So that fluid was causing much of her problems for the past 2
weeks. But just 48 hours later, the fluid was back!! She was
lethargic, not eating, not affectionate. So my vet manually withdrew
*another 150ml of fluid* tonight. And sure enough, Linda (for now) is
feeling so much better. She's eating, wanting affection, bright eyed.

But, clearly, I can't do this to her every 3 days. I can't afford
it, and it can't be good for her. And, yet, knowing that she feels so
much better if I can simply get that fluid off her chest, I don't want
to give up on her yet. I'm sure Linda will start filling up with
fluid and breathing hard in a day or two, so time is of the essence.
My vet is discussing this case with a local Dallas oncologist to see
if there's something we can do.

Have any of you heard of systemic cancers causing fluid to build up
around the lungs like this?

I may have to try using Lasix on Linda even if it hurts her weak
kidneys. Perhaps some Lasix will let her go a few weeks in between
having the fluid manually released.

Thanks for any advice or information,
Brad

"brad" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have a 15-1/2 female kitty named "Linda" that was diagnosed 2
months ago with early renal failure. Her creatinine is 2.9 and urine
specific gravity is 1.016. It was also revealed that she has high
blood pressure and is slightly anemic. And suddenly things have
gotten even more serious.

Linda's appetite went downhill 2 weeks ago and she became very
lethargic and was breathing fairly hard. So I had an ultra sound and
x-rays done. It turns out that her chest and abdomen were full of
fluid! The heart function was perfectly normal - pumping nicely. But
the radiologist said that the ultra sound revealed "changes" in the
liver and intestinal wall (and other places) that is indicative of a
systemic cancer (probably lymphoma). The lymph nodes in her abdomen
were also swollen.

My vet was concered about using Lasix to remove the fluid due to my
cat's CRF. So she gave Linda some gas and extracted the fluid
manually (via a needle I guess). My vet got 150ml off her chest. We
sent a sample of the fluid to a lab for analysis. The lab didn't
happen to find actual cancer cells in the fluid sample, but they found
certain kinds of lymphocytes and lymphoblasts that they said pointed
toward lymphoma. My vet doesn't want to do a biopsy because of the
delicate shape Linda is in. Plus, she thinks that the evidence
pointing toward a systemic cancer is very strong.

Linda felt so much better once that fluid was removed. I took her
home that night and she was affectionate, bright-eyed and she ate.
Yes!! So that fluid was causing much of her problems for the past 2
weeks. But just 48 hours later, the fluid was back!! She was
lethargic, not eating, not affectionate. So my vet manually withdrew
*another 150ml of fluid* tonight. And sure enough, Linda (for now) is
feeling so much better. She's eating, wanting affection, bright eyed.

But, clearly, I can't do this to her every 3 days. I can't afford
it, and it can't be good for her. And, yet, knowing that she feels so
much better if I can simply get that fluid off her chest, I don't want
to give up on her yet. I'm sure Linda will start filling up with
fluid and breathing hard in a day or two, so time is of the essence.
My vet is discussing this case with a local Dallas oncologist to see
if there's something we can do.

Have any of you heard of systemic cancers causing fluid to build up
around the lungs like this?

I may have to try using Lasix on Linda even if it hurts her weak
kidneys. Perhaps some Lasix will let her go a few weeks in between
having the fluid manually released.

Thanks for any advice or information,
Brad

With people fluid builds up in the lungs when they are experiencing, "heart
failure". Perhaps this happens in cats too.

On Mon, 8 Feb 2010 20:59:51 -0800 (PST), brad
wrote:

This is very common with a systemic (wide spread) cancer.

As much as I know you want to 'save' your cat, almost nothing can be
done at this point, except removing the fluid every 3 days.

Any kind of chemo and/or radiation would be both expensive, VERY hard on
your elderly cat, and doomed to failure. The cancer has already spread
too much, and your cat is the equivalent of a 70 to 80 year old human.

She won't stand up to any cancer treatment, and it will only make her
very, very sick, at this point.

I hate to have to say it, but it's time to think about letting your
beloved kitty go, before all her 'quality of life' is completely gone.

I'm so very sorry.

Hi all,

I have a 15-1/2 female kitty named "Linda" that was diagnosed 2
months ago with early renal failure. Her creatinine is 2.9 and urine
specific gravity is 1.016. It was also revealed that she has high
blood pressure and is slightly anemic. And suddenly things have
gotten even more serious.

Linda's appetite went downhill 2 weeks ago and she became very
lethargic and was breathing fairly hard. So I had an ultra sound and
x-rays done. It turns out that her chest and abdomen were full of
fluid! The heart function was perfectly normal - pumping nicely. But
the radiologist said that the ultra sound revealed "changes" in the
liver and intestinal wall (and other places) that is indicative of a
systemic cancer (probably lymphoma). The lymph nodes in her abdomen
were also swollen.

My vet was concered about using Lasix to remove the fluid due to my
cat's CRF. So she gave Linda some gas and extracted the fluid
manually (via a needle I guess). My vet got 150ml off her chest. We
sent a sample of the fluid to a lab for analysis. The lab didn't
happen to find actual cancer cells in the fluid sample, but they found
certain kinds of lymphocytes and lymphoblasts that they said pointed
toward lymphoma. My vet doesn't want to do a biopsy because of the
delicate shape Linda is in. Plus, she thinks that the evidence
pointing toward a systemic cancer is very strong.

Linda felt so much better once that fluid was removed. I took her
home that night and she was affectionate, bright-eyed and she ate.
Yes!! So that fluid was causing much of her problems for the past 2
weeks. But just 48 hours later, the fluid was back!! She was
lethargic, not eating, not affectionate. So my vet manually withdrew
*another 150ml of fluid* tonight. And sure enough, Linda (for now) is
feeling so much better. She's eating, wanting affection, bright eyed.

But, clearly, I can't do this to her every 3 days. I can't afford
it, and it can't be good for her. And, yet, knowing that she feels so
much better if I can simply get that fluid off her chest, I don't want
to give up on her yet. I'm sure Linda will start filling up with
fluid and breathing hard in a day or two, so time is of the essence.
My vet is discussing this case with a local Dallas oncologist to see
if there's something we can do.

Have any of you heard of systemic cancers causing fluid to build up
around the lungs like this?

I may have to try using Lasix on Linda even if it hurts her weak
kidneys. Perhaps some Lasix will let her go a few weeks in between
having the fluid manually released.

Thanks for any advice or information,
Brad



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"brad" wrote in message
...
Hi all,



My vet doesn't want to do a biopsy because of the
delicate shape Linda is in. Plus, she thinks that the evidence
pointing toward a systemic cancer is very strong.

Linda felt so much better once that fluid was removed. I took her
home that night and she was affectionate, bright-eyed and she ate.
Yes!! So that fluid was causing much of her problems for the past 2
weeks. But just 48 hours later, the fluid was back!! She was
lethargic, not eating, not affectionate. So my vet manually withdrew
*another 150ml of fluid* tonight. And sure enough, Linda (for now) is
feeling so much better. She's eating, wanting affection, bright eyed.

But, clearly, I can't do this to her every 3 days. I can't afford
it, and it can't be good for her. And, yet, knowing that she feels so
much better if I can simply get that fluid off her chest, I don't want
to give up on her yet. I'm sure Linda will start filling up with
fluid and breathing hard in a day or two, so time is of the essence.
My vet is discussing this case with a local Dallas oncologist to see
if there's something we can do.


Brad, I can tell you love your dear Linda very much. I know you can't bear
the thought of losing her but I sense that the time is coming when you might
best give her the greatest gift of all--mercy and release from suffering. It
might not be as bad as it could be, but do you really want it to be before
you allow her release from this dreadful condition? I am not making light of
the decision, it is certainly the hardest one to make, and it is hardest of
all on you, not on her. What will be hardest on her is suffering when there
is no hope of recovery. My heart truly goes out to you. We had our beloved
cat euthanized last March due to oral cancer that was not treatable without
removing her lower jaw. We might have kept her longer, but I feared she
would suffer. {hugs}

"brad" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I have a 15-1/2 female kitty named "Linda" that was diagnosed 2
months ago with early renal failure. Her creatinine is 2.9 and urine
specific gravity is 1.016. It was also revealed that she has high
blood pressure and is slightly anemic. And suddenly things have
gotten even more serious.

Linda's appetite went downhill 2 weeks ago and she became very
lethargic and was breathing fairly hard. So I had an ultra sound and
x-rays done. It turns out that her chest and abdomen were full of
fluid! The heart function was perfectly normal - pumping nicely. But
the radiologist said that the ultra sound revealed "changes" in the
liver and intestinal wall (and other places) that is indicative of a
systemic cancer (probably lymphoma). The lymph nodes in her abdomen
were also swollen.

My vet was concered about using Lasix to remove the fluid due to my
cat's CRF. So she gave Linda some gas and extracted the fluid
manually (via a needle I guess). My vet got 150ml off her chest. We
sent a sample of the fluid to a lab for analysis. The lab didn't
happen to find actual cancer cells in the fluid sample, but they found
certain kinds of lymphocytes and lymphoblasts that they said pointed
toward lymphoma. My vet doesn't want to do a biopsy because of the
delicate shape Linda is in. Plus, she thinks that the evidence
pointing toward a systemic cancer is very strong.

Linda felt so much better once that fluid was removed. I took her
home that night and she was affectionate, bright-eyed and she ate.
Yes!! So that fluid was causing much of her problems for the past 2
weeks. But just 48 hours later, the fluid was back!! She was
lethargic, not eating, not affectionate. So my vet manually withdrew
*another 150ml of fluid* tonight. And sure enough, Linda (for now) is
feeling so much better. She's eating, wanting affection, bright eyed.

But, clearly, I can't do this to her every 3 days. I can't afford
it, and it can't be good for her. And, yet, knowing that she feels so
much better if I can simply get that fluid off her chest, I don't want
to give up on her yet. I'm sure Linda will start filling up with
fluid and breathing hard in a day or two, so time is of the essence.
My vet is discussing this case with a local Dallas oncologist to see
if there's something we can do.

Have any of you heard of systemic cancers causing fluid to build up
around the lungs like this?

I may have to try using Lasix on Linda even if it hurts her weak
kidneys. Perhaps some Lasix will let her go a few weeks in between
having the fluid manually released.

Thanks for any advice or information,
Brad

Brad, if you have to let go, and only you can decide that,
remember that you gave a part of yourself to that beloved animal.
It will always be with her.

Start over with a kitten.