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X-Ray has a gray mass

post #1 of 25
4/12/10 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 
My 6 1/2 week pregnant cat had an x-ray today. It showed 2 kittens and a gray mass. Vet says it could be a third kitten that has died and could be reabsorbing. They want me to wait until she delivers to see if she passes an underformed kitten. Has anyone had this a gray mass show up on an x-ray before?
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post #2 of 25
4/12/10 at 3:51pm
I haven't ever even really had an x-ray for my fosters, but it's definatly a good thing you found that!
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post #3 of 25
4/13/10 at 8:50am
Thread Starter 
I have a 15 month old cat who is about 6 1/2 weeks pregnant. The vet x-rayed her yesterday and there are 2 kittens plus a gray mass. The vet suggests that it could be a kitten trying to reabsorb and wants to wait and see if she passes an underformed kitten at delivery. If not then just watch to see if she developes any problems. I'm just wondering if anyone else has encountered a gray mass on x-rays.
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post #4 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:09am
I been doing a bit of research for you, and do have her checked for leukemia. Foetal resorption (the word is resorb not reabsorb) is usually tied to the disease but there are other causes - malformed foetus, placental misplacement, low taurine presence in the diet are among the causes. Resorption is a frequent cause of failed pregnacies in all species.
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post #5 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:17am
Please, have her tested for feline leukemia and FIV and ask your vet to spay her NOW. Getting her spayed ASAP will be in her best interest. ((Unless feline leukemia is advanced and already life-threatening.)
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post #6 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violet View Post
Please, have her tested for feline leukemia and FIV and ask your vet to spay her NOW. Getting her spayed ASAP will be in her best interest. ((Unless feline leukemia is advanced and already life-threatening.)
most vets will not spay at this point in the pregnancy, this vet evidently thinks it safe to proceed to term... Of course the OP can spay her shortly after delivery and bottle feed the kittens

I do agree with getting the tests now if able
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post #7 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:26am
Absolutely no reason for her not to get spayed.

Some vets refuse to do a necropsy. Is that a good enough reason for not getting one done?
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post #8 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cslenker View Post
I have a 15 month old cat who is about 6 1/2 weeks pregnant. The vet x-rayed her yesterday and there are 2 kittens plus a gray mass. The vet suggests that it could be a kitten trying to reabsorb and wants to wait and see if she passes an underformed kitten at delivery. If not then just watch to see if she developes any problems. I'm just wondering if anyone else has encountered a gray mass on x-rays.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sk_pacer View Post
I been doing a bit of research for you, and do have her checked for leukemia. Foetal resorption (the word is resorb not reabsorb) is usually tied to the disease but there are other causes - malformed foetus, placental misplacement, low taurine presence in the diet are among the causes. Resorption is a frequent cause of failed pregnacies in all species.
Yes reabsorb is a very common cause of failed pregnancies... Are you feed a high quality kitten food?

I have encountered many gray masses ... NONE in a pregnant cat or dog... Most were air and a few were tumors ...
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post #9 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:46am
I don't even dare address the shadow/mass on the radiograph, they can be anything from air to fecal matter to something far more serious - certainly not something to take a stab in the dark about.
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post #10 of 25
4/13/10 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sk_pacer View Post
I don't even dare address the shadow/mass on the radiograph, they can be anything from air to fecal matter to something far more serious - certainly not something to take a stab in the dark about.
very true... could be a lot of things.. I forgot fecal matter too...
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post #11 of 25
4/13/10 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violet View Post
Absolutely no reason for her not to get spayed.

Some vets refuse to do a necropsy. Is that a good enough reason for not getting one done?
The cat's vet has access to all of the cat's records, x-rays, and the cat herself, and so is in a much better position to say whether there is "no reason not to get her spayed". None of us do, and are therefore not in a position to make such a statement.
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post #12 of 25
4/13/10 at 11:46am
Thread Starter 
All of my cats are FeLV/FIV negative. They had done an ultrasound on her March 22 and don't recall it being there then. They did say she was pretty full of fecal matter. I do not want her spayed during pregnancy because of increased risk of complications as well as my beliefs on abortion. If it's medically needed then of course i'd do it. The vet that I use has been her vet since she was 5 weeks old (she was a rescue) so they have all of her records.
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post #13 of 25
4/13/10 at 4:57pm
Bless this little kitty mama's heart. I hope she will be okay. Keep us posted.
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post #14 of 25
4/14/10 at 5:03am
Okay, I understand why you don't want to do a spay/abort, and of course your vet does know what's best for her health.

But if you've had this rescue since she was five weeks old, why on earth hasn't she been spayed long since?

These kittens never should have been in existence in the first place, and now this cat's life and health are in danger. I don't get it.
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post #15 of 25
4/14/10 at 6:55am
Thread Starter 
She is the youngest of 4 girls that I have. I like to wait for them to go into their first heat before spaying (I keep them inside during their heat). As soon as they finish the first heat they get fixed (not having time to have their second heat). It has worked just fine until this one. She never showed ANY signs that she was in heat so I didn't know until she came up pregnant. I have a dog who pees in her sleep and after having her tested (with nothing being wrong with her) I found out it's because she was spayed before she had time to mature on the inside. This is why I like them to go through one heat first. She is my first animal to become pregnant and will be my last. ALL of my animals are rescues (7 cats, 3 dogs), I know there is a problem with unwanted animals. I have no intentions of adding to the problem. The 2 kittens she has will most likely spend their lives with us.
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post #16 of 25
4/14/10 at 7:30am
Thank you for explaining. For future reference, dogs are not the same as cats.

Cats do not need to let their organs mature before spaying. In fact, some think the earlier you spay them, the better their chances of not getting certain diseases and cancers.

Also, cats go into heat as early as 4 months. Some have silent heats. Waiting over a year for a heat to come, why didn't you just take her to the vet to find out WHY a heat hadn't come. Your vet could have told you she's most likely been having silent heats, and got her spayed right away.

Also, until an animal has been altered, she or he should be kept inside ALL the time. You cannot predict when a heat will come, or when a male will become sexually mature.

However, it is done now, and of course I hope everything turns out all right for mother and babies. You'd better have her tested for diseases too, since she's been out roaming.

I'm glad you will keep the kittens too, and hope they will be spayed/neutered early. And...the mother can go into heat at any time after the kittens are born, so please, keep her inside until she has been spayed.

Good for you for adopting rescue animals!
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post #17 of 25
4/17/10 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
I'm not a breeder but thought that you all may have an answer for me. I have a pregnant cat that is around 48 days. I had her checked on March 22 and they palpitated her as well as an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy. We thought she was about 1-2 weeks farther then she is so we did on an x-ray on April 1 but it didn't show any kittens but the vet could still feel them. On April 12 we did a second x-ray that showed 2 kittens and a gray mass. The gray mass was not present on the ultrasound or first x-ray. Vet thinks it may be a failed kitten trying to resorbe. Has anyone else had this before? Any ideas if it is a kitten or something else? The vet said he can feel the kittens moving around inside of her. I haven't tried to feel because I don't want to hurt her or the kittens.
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post #18 of 25
4/17/10 at 5:29pm
This is not good - I don't like the "gray mass" - if its a dead kitten, this may pose a problem with the rest of the kittens. You still have about 20 days. Keep a close eye on things - if the mass stays there, it will poison the mother and the other babies and you could lose everyone.

I'm sure the cat would probably need a c-section. Maybe schedule another x-ray in 10 days if nothing bad happens.
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post #19 of 25
4/17/10 at 5:55pm
Thread Starter 
Is it possible that it could be a slightly younger kitten then the 2 that showed? I have read that they could get pregnant from different matings so could she just have mated again maybe a week later and that be why there is a mass but not showing the skeleton? I think having another x-ray done would be a great idea. If nothing else it will allow us to keep and eye on it.
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post #20 of 25
4/20/10 at 11:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
most vets will not spay at this point in the pregnancy, this vet evidently thinks it safe to proceed to term... Of course the OP can spay her shortly after delivery and bottle feed the kittens

I do agree with getting the tests now if able
Sharky - re: "bottle feed the kittens" - I'm getting from what you wrote, you mean to bottle feed IF the mommy has leukemia ??

I'm asking because I know that the feral mommy I had spayed continued to nurse her two kittens well until they were 4 or 5 months after her surgery.

Also, asking if the leukemia would be a danger to the kittens if they nursed ??
thx,
g
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post #21 of 25
4/20/10 at 11:39am
As well Cslenker, please be sure to fix your male cat in the meantime, it is very possible for him to get your momma cat preggo(even if it wasn't him who created this pregnacy) again before she's spayed after she gives birth, and I know you'd hate to have to go through this again.
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post #22 of 25
4/20/10 at 11:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GloriaJH View Post
Sharky - re: "bottle feed the kittens" - I'm getting from what you wrote, you mean to bottle feed IF the mommy has leukemia ??

I'm asking because I know that the feral mommy I had spayed continued to nurse her two kittens well until they were 4 or 5 months after her surgery.

Also, asking if the leukemia would be a danger to the kittens if they nursed ??
thx,
g
It would pose a risk to them... wow a spayed female able to nurse for months after ... most text and my vet said 2 weeks after spay milk likely is gone
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post #23 of 25
4/20/10 at 11:55am
Thread Starter 
Yes, Beaux has an apt. next week to be neutered. And Baby Girl will not be allowed out until she is spayed. I think I have to wait until the kittens are 8 weeks old to have her done.

All seems to be fine. Baby Girl has no signs of fever (possible infection or such), she's acting completely normal. And babies are moving around and kicking. She is now 51 days so hopefully we only have 12 days left. Vet doesn't expect any problems with delivery.
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post #24 of 25
4/20/10 at 11:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharky View Post
... wow a spayed female able to nurse for months after ... most text and my vet said 2 weeks after spay milk likely is gone
yep, I've got pics and records - I, too, was surprised.
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post #25 of 25
4/20/10 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cslenker View Post
Yes, Beaux has an apt. next week to be neutered. And Baby Girl will not be allowed out until she is spayed. I think I have to wait until the kittens are 8 weeks old to have her done.

All seems to be fine. Baby Girl has no signs of fever (possible infection or such), she's acting completely normal. And babies are moving around and kicking. She is now 51 days so hopefully we only have 12 days left. Vet doesn't expect any problems with delivery.
Thats good to hear, I'd hate for you to have to deal with an accidental repeat of this situation because he got "frisky" so to speak.

please just keep a close eye on her for all of us, it'd be terrible for something to happen to her.
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