Kitty Gus - July 1996 - April 1, 2011

[Patty]

Re: Kitty Gus IBD / Early Lymphoma (?) Thinking not now

Oh Natalie, I so sorry to hear it. I'm sure his digestive track/back end is so inflammed too. Poor guy.

[pgcor]

Re: Kitty Gus IBD / Early Lymphoma (?) Thinking not now

I'm sorry to read this Natalie....I'm also hoping it's just temporary. Hopefully Gus is still drinking water. He's such a beautiful cat, it's hard to believe he's sick.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Kitty Gus IBD / Early Lymphoma (?) Thinking not now

Gus had a very thorough workup today because he has basically been refusing to eat for a few days. He had an ultrasound, x-rays because of an odd breathing pattern, and blood and urine samples sent to the lab for the regular panel plus a full GI spec blood panel sent.

The news is not good but I don't know yet how bad it is.

He has a mass encircling part of his colon that is undoubtedly making it difficult for stools to pass and is probably the source of the blood on his stools last week. The vet said it was highly focal... I think that means that it may not be malignant or maybe hasn't metastisized.

He also had some fluid in the abdominal cavity - not a good sign. And some kind of internal lipoma that was causing the odd breathing pattern - I think the vet said it's pressing against his diaphragm. And his IBD / lymphoma condition is back full force.

The semi-retired vet... I love that man so much... did all of the exams.

He has sent an aspirate of the mass and a sample of the fluid in the abdominal cavity for cytology to determine what the mass is and whether there are cancer cells in the fluid. As I recall from Winky's cancer, if there are cancer cells in the fluid then the cancer has presumably spread. In Winky's case, she had massive amounts of fluid building up so perhaps Gus' mass is not so advanced as hers was when it was discovered.

He's not especially worried about the IBD - the mass is much more concerning.

They did the main blood panel in case the cancer is contained to the mass on the colon and could be removed surgically. If it is fully contained to that local tumor, that might be worth trying.

Gus really doesn't look all that bad... but neither did Winky until the fluid started building up so quickly.

I have gotten him to eat a little bit of Fancy Feast beef with gravy - will get some more of that tomorrow. And then we wait for the results of his tests.

I don't think his chances are very good. I was as prepared as one can be for this news. I'm going with "expect the worst" and will be happy to be wrong.

Natalie

[CarolW]

Re: Kitty Gus

So glad you were able to get your semi-retired vet to do this work, Natalie.

Holding you in our hearts and arms, wishing you and Gus the best. I agree, not looking promising. Gus is a lucky kitty, though, to have you! I just can't emphasize that enough!

Love and hugs,
Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:26:35 (PDT)

[buddingartist]

Re: Kitty Gus

I so feel for you Natalie.

Gus looks beautiful and so healthy and it is hard that he is going through all that.

I can sure empathize with <expect the worst and hope for the best<.

Take good care
Louise

[pgcor]

Re: Kitty Gus

I'm with Carol and Louise Natalie. I'm sorry to read this, but am hoping for the best outcome. Just so you know, if I were on life support, I would trust you completely to know when to "pull the plug". You are an excellent advocate for man and beast. Don't forget that as you go through this, okay?

Love and hugs,

Pam and Pip

[Margaret Boyle]

Re: Kitty Gus

Natalie,

Sorry to hear this about Gus just to let you know you and Gus are in my thoughts and prayers.

I will be following your thread Natalie.

Hugs

Margaret

[k9diabetes]

Re: Kitty Gus

Some of Gus' test results are back. Mostly, they don't look all that bad. The kidney numbers are normal and there's no elevation in the liver enzymes. The ALT is significantly low and I haven't sorted out exactly what that might mean yet.

His blood count has the worst values. RBCs are slightly low. Hemoglobin, HCT and MCV are more seriously low. Neutrophils are very high. Lymphocytes are very low.

RBC - 5.61 LOW Normal Range 6.0 - 10.0
HGB - 5.3 LOW Normal Range 9.5-15
HCT - 21.5 LOW Normal Range 29-45%
MCV - 38 LOW Normal Range 41-58
Neutrophil Seg - 93 HIGH Normal Range 35-75%
Lymphocytes - 4 LOW Normal Range 20-55%
Absolute Lymphocytes - 508 LOW Normal Range 1,500-7,000

The Fluid Analysis didn't find any cancerous cells. Instead it contained blood and a clot.

Interpretation of the Fluid Analysis

Moderate mixed neutrophilic histiocytic, mild lymphocytic inflammation; no organisms, inclusions, or exfoliated neoplastic cells noted.

Comment: Considerations include penetrating trauma, migrating foreign body, pancreatitis, ruptured internal abscess, torsed, perforated or ischemic viscera, and erosive enteropathic disorders. No overtly neoplastic cells are noted, but underlying erosive occult neoplasia is not ruled out. Culture should be considered.

The vet's ultrasound analysis was that the mass is obstructing the bowel so it could be potentially twisting or perforating it. So I think that would match up well with the results of the fluid analysis.

The SpecIPL for pancreatitis came back just over into the range for elevated:
3.7.

Normal range is 0-3.5, increased but not diagnostic for pancreatitis is 3.6-5.3. 5.4 or above is consistent with pancreatitis.

It seems there are lots of indications that there's some bleeding going on, probably from the mass.

Still waiting for the results of the needle aspirate of the mass itself and I am not sure exactly what the high neutrophil / low lymphocyte levels mean.

Natalie

[CarolW]

Re: Kitty Gus

Natalie - thanks for the report. Keep us posted! Hope you find your way through this in one way or another!

Hugs,

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:49:57 (PDT)

[jjefferjo]

Re: Kitty Gus

Natalie
Ed and I are thinking of you and Gus

[k9diabetes]

Re: Kitty Gus

I've been trying anything and everything to get Gus to eat. Apparently, he's in a junk food mood because he gobbled up some Friskies kibble. It's not that he's not hungry. He is hungry. But any food he's eaten before he now refuses. The Friskies may be rejected tomorrow. I bought eight different flavors of Fancy Feast to try to stay ahead of his rejections.

I presume that the answer as far as what the next step is, if there are any more steps, will come with the cytology on the sample from the mass.

I'm trying not to think about it too much between now and then.

Natalie

[Margaret Boyle]

Re: Kitty Gus

Some of Gus' test results are back. Mostly, they don't look all that bad. The kidney numbers are normal and there's no elevation in the liver enzymes. The ALT is significantly low and I haven't sorted out exactly what that might mean yet.

His blood count has the worst values. RBCs are slightly low. Hemoglobin, HCT and MCV are more seriously low. Neutrophils are very high. Lymphocytes are very low.

RBC - 5.61 LOW Normal Range 6.0 - 10.0
HGB - 5.3 LOW Normal Range 9.5-15
HCT - 21.5 LOW Normal Range 29-45%
MCV - 38 LOW Normal Range 41-58
Neutrophil Seg - 93 HIGH Normal Range 35-75%
Lymphocytes - 4 LOW Normal Range 20-55%
Absolute Lymphocytes - 508 LOW Normal Range 1,500-7,000

The Fluid Analysis didn't find any cancerous cells. Instead it contained blood and a clot.

Interpretation of the Fluid Analysis

Moderate mixed neutrophilic histiocytic, mild lymphocytic inflammation; no organisms, inclusions, or exfoliated neoplastic cells noted.

Comment: Considerations include penetrating trauma, migrating foreign body, pancreatitis, ruptured internal abscess, torsed, perforated or ischemic viscera, and erosive enteropathic disorders. No overtly neoplastic cells are noted, but underlying erosive occult neoplasia is not ruled out. Culture should be considered.

The vet's ultrasound analysis was that the mass is obstructing the bowel so it could be potentially twisting or perforating it. So I think that would match up well with the results of the fluid analysis.

The SpecIPL for pancreatitis came back just over into the range for elevated:
3.7.

Normal range is 0-3.5, increased but not diagnostic for pancreatitis is 3.6-5.3. 5.4 or above is consistent with pancreatitis.

It seems there are lots of indications that there's some bleeding going on, probably from the mass.

Still waiting for the results of the needle aspirate of the mass itself and I am not sure exactly what the high neutrophil / low lymphocyte levels mean.

Natalie

Natalie,

What I take from the low lymphocytes.........could be that Gus is not producing enough immune bodies to overcome and protect against infection.

Neutrophils I am not sure about all these different blood counts can be so complicated.

Poor wee soul he has a lot going on at least the fluid analysis did not have any cancerous cells.

Is there a possibility they will do surgery if the mass is obstructing the bowel?

If there may be a possibility of a strangulation or perforation.

I will be saying a wee prayer for him.

Hugs Margaret

[peggy0]

Re: Kitty Gus

I can buy the best cat food and the world and mine come running for fancy feast. My yorkshire terrier looks it when he's not feeling well for some reason. I have to feed the kitty in another room to keep them away from it. Hope gus is ok

[HarrysMom]

Re: Kitty Gus

I am so sorry to hear about Gus. I really hope that the mass is something benign. My cats like tuna juice mixed with their food - perhaps this is something you could add?

Yunhee

[k9diabetes]

Re: Kitty Gus

I talked to the vet this morning about the aspirate of the tumor. It is a carcinoma and was classified as "more aggressive" - he wasn't sure what criteria they used and I don't have a hard copy of it yet. He was calling me from out of town and apparently received the results while on a plane. He hadn't seen the fluid analysis yet so I was able to give him that information.

The upshot is that he thinks best case scenario is a successful surgery that might buy Gus six or eight months.

BUT... the location of the tumor at the far end of the colon means it might not be operable. He said he would have to consult a surgeon. And it would require at least two weeks of daily antibiotics for Gus afterward, which we will never be able to get into him. And he will still have IBD shading into lymphoma and severe arthritis in his hips and knees.

Without surgery the bowel will eventually obstruct and/or he will starve because he won't eat enough. And there could be more fluid in the abdomen. More bleeding.

The vet suggested that we think it over through the weekend and call him Monday. Which we will do. But right now... I don't think the surgery is a good option for him. Too much trauma, we will never get the antibiotics into him, and he will still have the other serious problems in the absolutely BEST case. There's just not enough quality of life to be bought with it.

My gut feeling is that we are at the end of the road and would be best to keep him as comfortable as possible until we have to let him go. He really doesn't look all that good right now.

Natalie