Mast cells found in my cat's blood

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Hobbit_
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Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2021 11:21 am

Mast cells found in my cat's blood

Post by Hobbit_ »

Hi everyone. I am looking for some advice about my beloved boy, Rambo. He is almost 15 years old and last Thursday he went for a dental clean up and extraction. In his pre-surgery blood work, they found out he has hyperthyroidism and low potassium. He was started on Thryonorm and a liquid potassium suppliment. The day after his surgery, his vet called me saying a high number of mast cells have been found in his bloood meaning that he has inflammation or most likely, a mast cell tumour. He doesn't have any lumps on his skin that I can see or feel and the vet said she couldn't find any lumps when she did his check up before his surgery and she didn't feel that his abdomen was hard or any lumps there either.

His vet is getting in touch with a vet oncologist and we can't do any tests for at least 2/3 weeks until his thyroid levels are back down again since high levels would make sedation or putting him under more risky. I just can't believe it. This time last week I thought my beautiful boy was healthy and just needed some teeth out to then be told he has an over active thyroid and then the next day, the ultimate worst thing - that he might have cancer. It feels like a bad dream. I can't eat or sleep for worry over it all. The only symptoms of HT he has was hyperness and overeating but he has always been like that. This was nothing new for him and his thyroid levels were fine at his last blood test 6 months ago. As for suspected cancer, he hasn't lost any weight, he is rarely sick or even bringing up a hairball, pooping and peeing fine etc.

He had a bad gum infection when he got his teeth out recently and I thought maybe that could be the cause of his mast cell count but the vet said the chances are very remote.

This was his report from the lab -

mast cells - 1.522 x 10^9/l

"Platelet numbers appear within reference. The red cells show spiculing. Rouleaux appears to be mildly increased. No evidence of haemoparasites. Several to many large finely granular mast cells are present.

Marked mastocythaemis is present. Whislt mastocythaemis of varying degree has been associated with inflammatory disease, in the abscence of an inflammatory leukogram, there is a high index of suspicion for mast cell neoplasia. Are there any masses palpable? Lymphadenopathy? Organnomegaly? Consider imaging"


I just can't get my head around it all. Also feeling a lot of cat mama guilt because I thought he was genuinely fine other than his teeth.
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