Huge lump on kitty

Last year my 12 year old male kitty was losing his fur around the inner thigh area and lower belly. So I took him to the vet and she wasn't quite sure what was wrong with him so she gave him a shot of cortisone to see if he would react to it. It worked really well because his fur started to grow back.

Now about 5 months ago I discover a small lump on his belly. I immediately thought it was cancer since I don't know much about these things and my vet told me that she would need to do a blood test and remove the lump through surgery but she didn't seem alarmed at all. I think she said it was a lipoma.

Since I didn't feel any urgency from her and my cat didn't seem bothered at all by the tumor, I didn't do anything about it because it was going to cost a lot of money and I'm really tight right now because I have to pay a whole bunch of things.

Problem is that the tumor is now very large!! And he's losing all his fur! Every day, there's so much fur on the floor, I think by summertime he'll be completely naked! Does this happen frequently with benign tumors or is it possible that he has something much worse that is affecting his entire system? He is eating normally and is very active but at his last checkup, the vet said that he has lost about 3 pounds.

What do I do? Is it too late for an operation? I don't want to pay a whole bunch of money only to later on have my cat put to sleep.

I think you better have it removed. Call the vet and they them its getting bigger.

Unfortunately, the only way to know what's going on is to do tests. This is just a guess, but your cat could have two different things going on--the benign tumor (lipoma=fatty tumor) and hyperthyroidism. The only way to know is by doing blood tests and probably a biopsy of the tumor. The hair loss, weight loss with a good appetite, and high level of activity are all symptoms of hyperthyroidism, which can be treated. This may or may not be related to the lipoma--I don't know whether high thyroid levels, if they are present, could cause the tumor to grow faster. Lipomas are fairly common, especially in older pets (my family's dog had one), and they often can be left alone unless they are bothering the pet or they get worse.

Since I'm not a vet, it's possible there is something else going on entirely. I would definitely recommend having bloodwork done and having the vet look at the lump. There is a great article here about finding ways to afford vet care: http://www.thecatsite.com/Health/76/...erinarian.html

Please Go See A Vet Asap!

Originally Posted by Allnamestaken

What do I do? Is it too late for an operation? I don't want to pay a whole bunch of money only to later on have my cat put to sleep.

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the loss of fur and the size of the lump are real causes for concern. your cat needs to see a vet now. your vet will be able to advise you about your cat's prognosis. right now the cat is the important thing here. if you can't afford treatment it may be kinder to pts. don't let the cat suffer.