Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. I only share products I genuinely used with Wendell during our cat lymphoma journey.
This post reflects my personal experience and is not veterinary advice. Every cat and diagnosis is different. Please work with your own vet and oncologist before starting any treatment or supplement — especially prescription or off-label products.
If you’d rather skip ahead in our cat lymphoma journey, here’s everything I used for Wendell in one place.
The Morning Everything Changed
Every morning, Wendell waits outside my bedroom door for breakfast. It’s our routine. So the morning I walked out and he wasn’t there, I knew something was wrong before I even saw him. Sharing our cat lymphoma journey is my way of helping other cat parents who are facing the same fear.
I found him on the couch — in a spot he never sits — completely still. He’d thrown up his dinner from the night before. He was lethargic, trying to hide, and making sounds I’d never heard from him: a strange, unfamiliar meow. This was not my cat. I started calling around to find someone who could see him. On the drive over he panted the whole way in his carrier, something he’d never done — Wendell is always good in the car. Nothing about that morning was normal.
The Diagnosis That Started Our Cat Lymphoma Journey
His bloodwork came back with several off numbers, so they moved to an X-ray — and found a large mass in his abdomen. A fine needle aspirate pointed to lymphoma, but they couldn’t identify the type yet, so they sent off a PARR test. They started him on prednisolone right away and referred me to an oncologist.
My world turned upside down. Wendell is my soul cat. He’s been through everything with me, and he was only five — almost six — when this hit us.
When the PARR results came back, it was official: large cell lymphoma (LCL), B-cell type. Looking back, the only subtle signs were occasional vomiting (mostly clear bile), sleeping a little more, and getting pickier with food. Nothing that screamed cancer at the time.
Deciding on Treatment
The oncologist recommended the CHOP protocol, the gold standard for feline lymphoma, and said we could start that same day. But my PARR results still weren’t back, and I wasn’t ready to commit without them, so we waited. The prednisolone, in the meantime, brought my Wendell back almost immediately — he started acting like himself again, which gave me room to breathe and think.
After a lot of soul-searching, I decided to move forward with CHOP: weekly chemo over six months, with an ultrasound after each round to track his progress.
Our Cat Lymphoma Journey: Supporting Him Holistically From Day One
From the moment he was diagnosed, I threw myself into research. I joined a feline lymphoma Facebook group, watched videos, read everything I could, and found holistic vet Dr. Andrew Jones, whose educational content became a real resource for me. There was also a Facebook group focused on fenbendazole for pets with cancer, and I followed the guidance shared there. Right away — before chemo even began — I started Wendell on a holistic protocol and kept it going through all six months of treatment.
His supplement lineup during treatment included B-12, turkey tail, reishi, curcumin, a probiotic, fenbendazole (Panacur), CBD oil, milk thistle, omega-3, slippery elm, and dandelion root. Every day I’d blend a little wet food with bone broth, mix everything in, and syringe-feed him. Most supplements I ordered on Amazon along with the feeding syringes, and I got his fenbendazole through Chewy.
A note here: several of these — especially fenbendazole and CBD — are things I researched carefully and used based on community guidance, not a prescription. Please talk to your vet or oncologist before adding anything like this to your own cat’s routine, since interactions and dosing really matter during chemo.
If it’s helpful, I’ve put together an Amazon idea list with the supplements and feeding supplies I used for Wendell during treatment, so you can see everything in one place.
What Each Supplement Does (And Why We Used It)
Since so many people have asked, here’s a quick rundown of what each supplement is generally used for and why it earned a spot in Wendell’s routine. A big caveat: this is what I learned and used, not veterinary advice. Several of these are used off-label in pets, so please talk to your own vet and oncologist before starting anything.
- Prednisolone: A prescription steroid that reduces inflammation and can directly fight lymphoma cells. It’s often what gives cats a fast boost in appetite and energy.
- B-12 (cobalamin): Supports appetite, energy, and healthy blood and nerves. Cats with GI or lymphoma issues are often low on it because their gut can’t absorb it well.
- Turkey tail mushroom: One of the more researched medicinal mushrooms in pet oncology, used to help support immune function.
- Reishi mushroom: Another immune-supporting mushroom, often paired with turkey tail for extra resilience.
- Curcumin (turmeric): Valued for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It’s best absorbed in a formula designed for better uptake.
- Probiotic: Helps keep gut flora balanced for better digestion and stool quality, which matters when the GI tract is affected or upset by treatment.
- Fenbendazole (Panacur): Conventionally a dewormer. I used it based on guidance from the cancer communities I joined, but there’s no established feline cancer protocol for it, so it’s very much a talk-to-your-vet item.
- CBD oil: Used by many pet parents for comfort, appetite, and nausea. Quality and dosing vary a lot, and it can interact with other meds, so vet guidance matters.
- Milk thistle (silymarin): Supports and helps protect the liver, which is working hard to process chemo drugs and multiple supplements.
- Omega-3 (fish oil): Anti-inflammatory fatty acids that support coat, condition, and overall wellbeing, and are often recommended for cancer patients.
- Slippery elm: A soothing herb that coats and calms the digestive tract, helpful for nausea or an irritated gut.
- Dandelion root: Used in holistic protocols as gentle liver and digestive support.
- Melatonin: Given at night to help with rest and appetite — our vet okayed a low dose to keep him calm and eating during treatment.
- Bone broth: Not a supplement, but the delivery vehicle for everything else — I’d mix it into his wet food to loosen it up and make it more blendable and syringe-friendly, while adding hydration and nutrition when his appetite was low.
- Feeding syringes: How I got everything into him on the days he wouldn’t eat on his own — the wet-food-and-bone-broth blend went in a little at a time.
- NHV ES Clear, Tripsy & Felimm: The herbal blends Wendell moved onto in remission, formulated to support pets living with cancer (ES Clear), kidney and urinary health (Tripsy), and immune function (Felimm).
The Rest of Wendell’s Holistic Lineup
The Reality of Chemo
People say cats handle chemo better than humans — that some barely have symptoms. That wasn’t Wendell. For the first four to five days after each treatment he’d be lethargic with little to no appetite. Then, just as he started coming back around, it was time for chemo again.
I syringe-fed him constantly. Keeping his nutrition up and his weight on felt critical. Between feeding him, giving supplements, and keeping him comfortable, caring for him felt like a full-time job. But there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him.
Remission
Wendell reached remission about halfway through treatment. He completed his full six-month course in December 2025, and he remains in remission today.
Where We Are Now in Our Cat Lymphoma Journey
After treatment, I discovered NHV Natural Pet and moved Wendell onto their lymphoma support protocol. Today his daily maintenance includes the NHV Lymphoma Gold Support kit — ES Clear, Tripsy, and Felimm — along with NHV Milk Thistle and NHV Turmeric. He’s also still on his prednisolone, and I added Dr. Andrew Jones’s Ultimate Feline Health Formula.
He eats strictly wet food — high protein, low carb — which has been our routine for a few years now. As far as treats and toppers go, he eats one ingredient, high protein treats. This is where our cat lymphoma journey stands today, and I’m grateful for every good day.
What I’d Tell Another Pet Parent
If you’re reading this because your own soul pet was just diagnosed, I see you. I know the fear and the feeling that your world has flipped. It’s overwhelming, and the caregiving is exhausting — but remission is possible, and every hard day is worth it. Trust your gut, lean on your oncologist, do your research, and know you’re not alone. If our cat lymphoma journey helped even a little, I hope you’ll stick around — you can read more about what Elevated Midlife is all about here.
Leave a Reply