What to expect from my cat's lymphoma treatment medications?

Question

Hi Trixie has just been diagnosed with small cell lymphoma and I’m feeling a little devastated. The oncologist has me starting prednisolone 5mg every 24hrs & Leukeran 5.4mg, 1 every 2 weeks. She says cats respond well to treatment and even remission can be possible. In your experience have you ever seen a cat go into remission? What can I expect behavior/demeanor wise as a result of these drugs? I assume they will make her feel better ? Thank you. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 11 years and 9 months old | 11.5 lbs

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thanks for your question. I'm sorry to hear about Trixie's diagnosis! It's great that you're working with an oncologist; I can tell you're wanting to provide the best care for Trixie. Most cats do feel better and perk up on the medication. If her appetite was down, you may see her start eating a bit better, and if you had noticed lethargy you may see her perk up and act more social again. Often we can see an increase in both appetite and thirst, which leads to more urination as well. Generally we don't see too many other side effects from the medications, and your oncologist will want to know if you do have concerns with how Trixie is feeling on the meds, as they may tweak the dose based on how Trixie's responding. I have seen a few animals go into remission, but I would defer to the oncologist on the actual numbers, as they see far more cases than we do in general practice! Hope this helps. Hugs to you and Trixie.

What to expect from my cat's lymphoma treatment medications?

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