My kitten has a lump...

[rainbowtrout]

Hm. I was petting MC today and noticed that he has a lump over his right shoulder/neck. You don''t notice it unless you pick up the skin and squeeze it, but it''s def there. It''s a little larger than a quarter--doesn''t seem to itch him or hurt him...

Surely it isn''t cancer in a 4 month old kitten....any ideas? He goes back to the vet in two weeks and I''ll point it out then, but could it just be something that goes away?

 

[gladyskristen]

The possibility of cancer developing in such a young kitten is not high, and chances are that he''s just having a benign cyst. However, I''d wanna bring the little guy to the vet immediately just to make sure it''s not anything caused by an infection. Young kittens have much lower immunity than adults, and can be easily killed by an infection if left untreated. Do keep us updated!

 

[rainbowtrout]

Hm, well, I've seen him with an infection and his behavior and energy tanked. So I think he's OK, but I'll take his temperature (oh this'll be fun) later today to be sure. The vet is a PITA to get to but if he changes in behavior at all I'll get him there.

ETA: also, the lump moves with the skin, which I have heard is a good sign in people, don't know about cats but I assume tumors behave roughly the same.


Thanks!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh, I am so sorry! I have no ideas or advice. Just wanted to send healthy vibes to your kitty!

 

[monarch64]

Is it possible he got bit by something?

 

[laine]

Did he get vaccinated there recently? Like in the last 4 weeks? If so, it could either be a normal vaccine reaction which will go away on its own (most likely), or a fast growing tumor (fibrosarcoma--really rare). My cat recently had a lump like this, I took him to the vet who recommended removing it to be safe, but said we had nothing to lose by waiting a week. Within a few days it was smaller and it was gone withing a week or two. Had it gotten any bigger or not gotten smaller, we would have had it removed. If your cat wasn''t vaccinated recently, well, then I have no relevant advice. Good luck!!

 

[rainbowtrout]

He did, actually, he got rabies and the 2 others (FLv/Clv) about a week ago. I''ll keep an eye on it.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/2/2007 8:54:20 AM
Author: laine
Did he get vaccinated there recently? Like in the last 4 weeks? If so, it could either be a normal vaccine reaction which will go away on its own (most likely), or a fast growing tumor (fibrosarcoma--really rare). My cat recently had a lump like this, I took him to the vet who recommended removing it to be safe, but said we had nothing to lose by waiting a week. Within a few days it was smaller and it was gone withing a week or two. Had it gotten any bigger or not gotten smaller, we would have had it removed. If your cat wasn't vaccinated recently, well, then I have no relevant advice. Good luck!!

This might be the cause of the lump, it should disperse over a few weeks, keep an eye on it. You just added he was vaccinated about a week ago, the time frame is right too.

 

[rainbowtrout]

Whew. Thanks!

 

[Lorelei]

No worries RT

One of my cats used to react in the same way each time he was vaccinated.

 

[VegasAngel]

Vaccination reaction was the first thing that came to my mind as well. Definitely keep an eye on it. If it gets any bigger or your cats start acting differently get him to the vet.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 7/2/2007 9:37:57 AM
Author: VegasAngel
Vaccination reaction was the first thing that came to my mind as well. Definitely keep an eye on it. If it gets any bigger or your cats start acting differently get him to the vet.

Thritto, quadritto, whichever...that was my first reaction as well. And my advice would be the same...keep an eye and if it changes...go to the vet.

 

[charles de gall]

Lump is surely a possible reaction to a shot. If the cat is eating and seems healthy otherwise, I would wait to see if the lump goes away.