Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Wilki on December 29, 2013, 15:25:21 PM
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This is Gemma who is about five years old. She's developed a lump on her head over the last few months. We took her to the vets recently who said is wasn't serious (eg cancer) but could be the result of an ingrowing hair follicle.
Rather than stressing her with surgery they suggested we leave it. It doesn't seem to bother her, she never rubs and there hasn't been any discharge from it but we're thinking of going back to the vet again as it is getting larger. Before we do, has anyone else had experience of this?
Thanks.
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is it firm, or does it feel squishy? if it is squishy it will contain fluid, which could be drained off with a needle
my Trigger has had several squishy lumps, two of which burst eventually - one by his ear, which emitted a sticky liquid - (and is beginning to return) and one on his leg which burst internally two days before he was due to have it removed surgically, and which I think is beginning to return too
none of these lumps have bothered him, and I don't intend to do anything about them until - and if - they do, but one on the head in such a prominent position I can see could be a nuisance
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Hi, Thanks for the reply.
It feels quite firm to touch and hasn't discharged anything. We can touch it and she doesn't react so it's not painful.
What colour was the discharge from Trigger's lumps?
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I didn't see any discharge - he's a Russian Blue so can only say it wasn't white or yellow - I just felt a general stickiness
the biggest lump was on his leg - it got to the size of a small grape but stayed under the skin
most vets err on the side of caution when it comes to lumps, but perhaps you would feel happier if a biopsy was performed?
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A bit hard to see in the picture but Sasa had a cyst at side of eyeed which was removed in dec but was a brown col,our and had grown quite rapidly in oct nov.
no biopsy as wasnt worth it and vet cut it open after removal and said nothing nasty.
with the location of it i would be tempted for removal. sasa is a semi feral and had internal desolvable stiches so no collar and no removal needed and a good way to do for comfort of the cat.
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Sorry to intrude on your thread, Wilki, but I wanted to ask Gill(sneakiefeline) something. Gill - how close was the cyst to Sasa's eye? I took my Toby to the vet today as he's had a lump for about six weeks that hasn't gone away. She thinks it's a cyst, but obviously said to keep an eye on it for any changes or it bothering him. His is very close under his eye, so am a bit concerned if it does need a biopsy or to be operated on sometime.
Wilki, sorry to hear about Gemma. As my vet said to get him checked out again if his cyst changed, I think I'd be tempted to get Gemma checked out again. I think most vets try to avoid doing anything intrusive, so usually say to keep an eye on things, but if it's changed it's better to get it checked. My Toby doesn't have a discharge from his cyst, but obviously all lumps and bumps are different.
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Its really hard to say Lotzy but outside the edge of the eye, probeably a 1/4 inch to edge of cyst from edge of eye, maybe a bit more. so hard to visualize now and have no picture.
the cyst had got to nearly half inch across and did not seem to cauze her any pain but was looking like ready to explode and didnt want that to happen
cysts if still fully intact can be removed in one piece and that is what happened for sasa and the vet was happy for it not going for biopsy. No point doing biopsy before removal as that would have stopped it staying intact and he cut it opeb after and was just a plain cyst,nothing bad.
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Thanks Lotzy, we'll keep an eye on it. I'll post back if there's anything new/helpful I can add.
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Thanks for your replies. His lump is very close to his eye (about as close as you can get without lifting the lower skin of the eye) so if it does need anything it's best to have it taken away than doing a biopsy first and then possibly having to remove it. Fingers crossed for Gemma.