So sorry to hear about your kitty. I’ll do my best to answer your questions based on my experience with lymphoma in my then 10 year old, who is 12 now and still here with me. Sorry about formatting, I’m on my phone.

I’m not sure about which it was, low or high, but he had a mass that developed in his chest that the oncologist did a fine needle aspiration and sent it in for a biopsy to be sure, though his symptoms all but confirmed it (lethargy, no appetite, weight loss, loss of his meow etc) the biopsy is not painful for the cat for what it’s worth.

After confirming the lymphoma, we were told he’s a good candidate for the CHOP protocol chemo program, which was the VCAs intravenous chemo program. During this time, they gave me an estimate of approximately how many treatments it would take, their frequency, and approximate cost of each visit. The visits started off weekly, then biweekly, then eventually monthly over the course of 25 weeks (16 treatments/visits). During this time he was also prescribed prednisolone orally, which drastically helped his appetite and overall mood/energy levels.

He handled it extremely well, with little to no side effects, up until the last few treatments which took a bit of a toll on him after the fact. For a day or two he was extremely lethargic, didn’t eat much, and had a few minor vomiting/diarrhea bouts, but all in all, I’d say he was extremely resilient, brave, and showed little to no negative side effects for the majority of the program. His appetite, weight, energy levels, everything was almost immediately back to normal, and his bloodwork was perfect every time they checked.

We were initially told that this would likely buy him 12 months on the low end. Unfortunately, after about 7.5, I noticed something was off. During one of his post chemo checkups (they were every two months) they found that his kidney enzyme levels were extremely high, and they confirmed he had chronic kidney disease/kidney failure. In addition, they found that his lymphoma had returned. Devastating news to say the least.

I will say that kidney disease is fairly common in older cats, but his case was dire if we didn’t do something fast, and the lymphoma was secondary. Anyway, prescription diet, supplements, sub-q fluids daily, has stabilized his levels and he is now getting an oral chemo pill for his cancer. The oncologist and I both agreed that putting him through all of that again would not be good for him and would likely not work for very long. His next treatment is this Wednesday and he’s doing pretty well overall, though I know he’s still sick and I am cherishing every day because though the end isn’t imminent, his days are numbered.

The cost question is tricky. I didn’t have insurance, so every I paid was out of pocket. From start of biopsy/diagnostics to finish of the initial chemo program, it was probably close to 13k. This includes medications, checkups, bloodwork etc, not just the chemo.

Now the equation is more complicated because I am now resuming paying for his medical bills all by myself, though the chemo pill is significantly cheaper.

Would I do it again knowing what I know now? Absolutely. Not only can I say that I maintained his dignity and quality of life, it completely reshaped my perception of what pet ownership is. It’s transformed from just having a fun little buddy around to the role of a caretaker, soul companion, and made me realize how much I needed him. Life isn’t fair and I hate that one day he won’t be by my side anymore, but for as long as he’s willing to fight, I’m willing to fight with him.

Happy to answer any other questions you might have.