Vibes for Abby Please!

natalie_ca

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I'm taking Abby to the vet on Monday to have a lump on her head looked at.

I first noticed it last summer. It was very small (smaller than a cat's nipple). I had come across similar types of lumps on other cats I've had and because they were attached to skin only the vet always told me that they were cysts and nothing to worry about.

Over the months this lump has been getting larger. It's now about twice the size of a froze pea and is causing the hair surrounding it to sand up and you can readily see it poking through when you separate the hair.

It still feels round. There is no pain but it's been getting steadily bigger.

I'm also starting to notice that when I'm giving her scritches with my finger nails that I'm coming across other very small lumps that feel similar to this one when it first started. She has one on her back close to her tail, another on one of her inner thighs (which is where one of my other cats had a cyst).

She is due for her senior blood panel too. But I'm going to wait on that for the time being. I want to know what I'm dealing with with this lump first.

I need vibes that the news is that it's just a cyst! And I need bigger vibes that I can catch the little darling and get her into a cat carrier on the very first try, because if I can't, she will be hiding from me for 2 or 3 days!
 

lmunsie

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first and foremost vibes for abby's health and that the lump is nothing more then a benign cyst

Second of all vibes that your cunning is up to snuff and you can get her crammed in that carrier before she knows what's hit her!
 

yosemite

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Linda I'm sorry to hear about Abby. Vibes coming your way for a good diagnosis and luck getting her in the carrier. We'll all be waiting to hear how she fares.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

Linda I'm sorry to hear about Abby. Vibes coming your way for a good diagnosis and luck getting her in the carrier. We'll all be waiting to hear how she fares.
adding my & for both of these, as well!
 

katachtig

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Sending lots of for Abby. I've been there with the lumps and I know it isn't easy for you
 

cloud_shade

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Lots of vibes to you. Could you have the carrier in a confined space with no hiding places (like the bathroom) starting now, so that when you grab her, you could bring her into the bathroom with no chance of escape? Also, my trick for getting the squirmy cats into their carriers is to put them in upside down (feet in the air). That way they don't have the same leverage against the carrier, and I buy a few fractions of a second while they are righting themselves to close the door behind them.
 
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natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by cloud_shade

Lots of vibes to you. Could you have the carrier in a confined space with no hiding places (like the bathroom) starting now, so that when you grab her, you could bring her into the bathroom with no chance of escape? Also, my trick for getting the squirmy cats into their carriers is to put them in upside down (feet in the air). That way they don't have the same leverage against the carrier, and I buy a few fractions of a second while they are righting themselves to close the door behind them.
The bathroom is a good idea! This way there is only limited places for her to hide.

So far as the carrier goes, mine is a front loading one, so I would have to stand it on end and shove her head first into it. She really is a strong little thing and when trying to get her into the carrier it's like she sprung an additional 4 legs!!


I'll be clipping her nails tomorrow (Sunday). I already clipped them earlier in the week, but I'm going to clip them shorter, and also do the back ones too: for my own protection as well as the vet's.

This will be the first time she's been out of the apartment since I got her in October, 1998! Not for lack of trying though. I've just never been successful in getting her into the carrier, but I've never tried the bathroom.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

The bathroom is a good idea! This way there is only limited places for her to hide.
i've done the bathroom thing when pilling/medicating cats.

i leave at least one [usually 2] carriers out all the time so that the act of 'getting one out' doesn't raise alarms. but most of mine don't cause me too much trouble. my carriers have both a front door & a top door - i load from the top, but the vet can open from the end to access the cat [except for shots - those i get @ the clinic, so they just open the top & inject, most of the time].
 

kittieshasme

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for you and Abby.

My carriers are front loading, too. I set the carrier on the floor with the door side up and the door open. Pick up the cat, one arm under the front legs with that hand holding the front feet together, the other hand holding the back feet together, slide the cat into the carrier rearend first. Close door. Work fast. Don't try to comfort the cat or take time to reassure her. Just do it. Much less trauma for both of you that way. You can apologize after she's in the carrier.

Alternate method, wrap her in a towel and shove her and the towel into the carrier. This is for cats that might really fight all out. The towel helps keep the human from getting shredded and bitten. Again work fast.

Good luck. I'm sending lots of that the lumps are only cysts and nothing bad.
 
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natalie_ca

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I managed to get her into the carrier this morning!!! I put it in the bathroom open end side up. I picked her up and had a good grip on her back legs and her front ones and put her in butt first. Boy! She sure wasn't happy!

She kept yowling and throwing herself against the inside of the carrier to try and bust out. I felt so bad


Anyway, she's there. I told them they may have to sedate her to examine and aspirate that lump.

I'm going to be calling them in a couple of hours to check on her and see if I can pick her up. I sure hope she doesn't have to stay over night! The poor thing will be absolutely beside herself.
 

rapunzel47

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Originally Posted by lmunsie

first and foremost vibes for abby's health and that the lump is nothing more then a benign cyst

Second of all vibes that your cunning is up to snuff and you can get her crammed in that carrier before she knows what's hit her!
Glad to hear you succeeded in getting her into the carrier.
Sending lots of for a good diagnosis.
 
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natalie_ca

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She's home! The vet said it's a benign epidermal cyst and it's purely cosmetic. She said it may fluctuate in size from time to time but there is no reason to worry and have it removed unless it keeps on growing and growing or starts to bother her. Right now she's oblivious to it. Me on the other hand have to rub my hand over it each time I pet her, yuck!

I made an appointment to take her back on May 7th for a complete senior work up.

Today's bill was about $171.00 which included Chynna's daily potassium supplement.

The vet said that Abby was just fine there. Scared but not a holy terror like I thought she was going to be based on how she was throwing herself against the carrier when I first put her in. She's happily roaming the apartment now checking things out and making sure this is her place.
 

darkmavis

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Hooray! Glad to hear Abby is ok! She probably tired herself out going crazy in the carrier so she didn't have so much energy to fight the vet!
Oh well, at least it all worked out.
 
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