Angel Poppy - was My Poppy has cancer

[phesina]

Thank you, Elyse, for the hugs and kisses, from Poppy and me (Sparkler, too)!

[phesina]

I'm glad that Poppy is eating her "junk food", and that she seems to be feeling ok.
According to Willa's vet, her lifelong IBD had probably turned into intestinal lymphoma. Under this presumption ( she never had a biopsy done to prove that), her vet put her on the chemo drug Chlorambucil. It's not delivered by IV, but is an oral chemo drug, and it was compounded into a seafood flavored treat, which Willa gobbled right up.
Like you, I would have never done weekly IV drugs, she would not have tolerated that.
It resolved her diarrhea, and it gave her an additional 7 month of good quality life.

Thank you, Heidi. Last evening I spoke with the emergency vet about Chlorambucil. She said she did not think it was appropriate for Poppy's disease. If it looked like intestinal lymphoma, she would have prescribed it, which she has done for many animals, but this looks like something else, and she doesn't think the Chlorambucil would help. She told me the ultrasound vet said the intestines look clean. Also, Poppy doesn't have diarrhea. The ER vet said she'd prescribe it if I really want her to, but if Poppy were her cat, she wouldn't use it. I will talk with the regular vets next week and see what they think. (A bit tricky right now: the one who'd been seeing Poppy left the practice recently to move to Colorado; she wanted to live near the mountains. And the one who looked over her records after the ER visit just went on vacation.)

I did talk with one of the assistants there today, told her what the ER vet said. She wondered, are there side effects, and if so, what kinds. I didn't find that out last night. Do you know, Heidi, about side effects of Chlorambucil?

Poppy is doing all right now, and I am treasuring the time we have together.

Thanks, everyone..

from Poppy and me (and Sparkler too, of course).

[Karen]

Sounds like the vet was just being honest, but I do not blame you for wanting a second opinion. Hugs to you all!

[phesina]

Thank you, Karen.

[cats4ever]

There are quite a few side effects, I found a site that lists them.
Willa's biggest problem was that the drug suppresses the immune system, so she got several urinary tract infections, until we had lowered the dose enough (2mg every 4 days) where it wouldn't affect her anymore. After that, she didn't have any problems.
If her kidneys wouldn't have given out, the drug would have extended her life even a bit longer.
I'm glad that Poppy is doing so well. Please give her lots of hugs and kisses!

https://www.vetinfo.com/chlorambucil-for-cats.html

[phesina]

Thank you, Heidi. Looks like it is a very careful balancing act working with that. I don't know that that would be good with Poppy.

I will talk with one of the other vets this week, hopefully Monday.

[cats4ever]

Thank you, Heidi. Looks like it is a very careful balancing act working with that. I don't know that that would be good with Poppy.

I will talk with one of the other vets this week, hopefully Monday.

That is a fact. And each cat will tolerate it differently. I'm sure you will get good advice from your vets.