One of the most common diseases in furry animals is cancer, and among them one of the most malignant is lymphoma, as it directly affects the immune system of animals. And of course, when your health weakens, there are many opportunistic microorganisms that can complicate your situation.
For this reason, when the vet diagnoses this disease to our friends, the first thing we ask ourselves is what is the life expectancy of cats with lymphoma; not in vain, nobody likes to see their best friend badly. Let's see what the answer to that dreaded but intriguing question is.
What is lymphoma?
First of all, it is important to know what lymphoma is. As well, occurs when there is an abnormal number of lymphocytes, which are the cells of the immune system that are found in the lymph nodes above all, but that are also distributed throughout the rest of the body's tissues.
Any cat of any age can suffer from it, hence we have to be very aware of the furry ones and their routine to take them to the vet as soon as we notice that something is wrong.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms can vary from cat to cat, but the most frequent are:
- Appearance of lumps on the legs, face, or any other part of the body
- Weight loss
- Anorexia
- Difficulty to swallow
- Trouble breathing normally
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Frequent diarrhea and vomiting
- Runny nose with traces of blood
How is it diagnosed and treated?
Once we suspect that something is wrong with cats, We will take them to the specialist where they will perform imaging tests (X-rays, ultrasounds or endoscopies), and they may also do tests.
If the diagnosis is confirmed, and it was early (that is, the symptoms are not severe), chemotherapy treatment will help them to continue leading a normal life, and even so that they can overcome it. Otherwise, chemotherapy will be palliative.
What is the life expectancy of cats with lymphoma?
It will depend on when the diagnosis was made. If it has been precocious, cats will live as long as they have to live 🙂, but If they already have very damaged organs, their life expectancy will be from a few months to a year.
I hope this post has been useful to you.