Case Highlights

Missy Thrives Despite Cancer

Missy is a beautiful Domestic Shorthair cat who presented to AMC in October of 2010 for vomiting, not wanting to eat, and just not doing right. Missy is an only child and is extremely loved so, needless to say, her parents were very worried about her.

Missy was examined by Dr. Wolff who found nothing out of the ordinary except that she had been losing weight. Missy’s parents decided to go ahead with blood work, abdominal x-rays and an abdominal ultrasound. This may seem like a lot of tests, but when a cat stops eating it is usually an indication of a serious illness. Cats can only go 2-3 days without eating before damage to their liver begins (even less in obese kitties).

Missy’s blood work showed some liver damage. The ultrasound showed a possible mass in her abdomen between her kidney and liver. She was started on IV fluids and medication and spent the night in the hospital. After she was feeling better and eating again Missy was sent home with liver supporting supplements.

A few weeks after she was released Missy came back for an abdominal exploratory surgery.  Dr. Wolff obtained biopsies of her liver, small intestines and colon. No mass was found but the biopsy of the small intestine came back as T-cell lymphoma.

Gastrointestinal T-cell lymphoma is a type of cancer that infiltrates the wall of the intestines causing them to thicken. As they thicken their ability to absorb nutrients is impaired and the disturbance can make the animal feel sick. Luckily for Missy, T-cell lymphoma is a slow moving and manageable disease. Missy now receives chemotherapy twice a month at AMC in the form of an easy to swallow pill. She has put on weight, her coat in shinier and her parents are amazed at how much energy she has!

Dr. Wolff and the staff of AMC are so glad that they could help a sweet cat like Missy and her dedicated, loving owners!