Small lump where covenia was given

Hi all,
Well Kattie is doing great from her ordeal a few weeks ago with the bad vet and second opinion. She is eating well and acting great in all respects. Well at the other vet that we will no longer go to, They gave a covenia injection pretty much against my wishes. They said they were going to put her on an antibiotic in case of infection, well I was thinking oral liquid or pills as I have no problem giving either. When they gave he back to me after her X-ray, they told me they gave her covenia. Covenia isnt even a go to antibiotic for what the doctor thought she supposedly had! It's only good for skin and abcesses. Anyways I showed my displeasure at the giving it and told them she has had reactions to antibiotics in the past, aka baytril caused her blindness, and now if she has a reaction to covenia I'm screwed.
Well she didnt have any major reaction to the covenia, but I did notice a small pea sized lump under the skin next to her left shoulder. It is very moveable, though she doesn't like me messing with it. I noticed it yesterday. Im thinking it might be an inflammatory reaction to the covenia. I know very well about vaccine acquired sarcomas, and am hoping to god it isn't. She doesn't get many vaccine anymore, and never gets leukemia. Rabies is the purevax in the right rear leg and I only do it every few years even though it is technically supposed to be done yearly. Anyways, I know that any injection has the potential to cause a sarcoma, but the vaccines are more likely the culprit. Also it is very moveable and not attached and seems a little sore to touch when the sarcomas are supposed to be not painful to touch. I also know that inflammation swellings are common with vaccines and other injections and they take time to go down on their own. I am watching it closely and we will definitely address it at her recheck. Should I worry, I will definitely are her in if it grows or causes significant pain, but am I safe watching it for 2 weeks till her recheck? I am so angry at the other vet and even more so after this lump appeared. I've never had a cat with VAS, and all my years working in the animal and vet field, I've seen two cases that were true VAS attributed to the vaccines. As I'm understanding it is still a fairly rare occurrence, and that granulomas, and inflammatory swellings are more common and resolve on their own. Those I saw more when working at a vet. My coworkers cat got a knot on her leg that went away after 6 weeks after a vaccine. Ack, if it aint one think it is another!

I don't know the answer to this, but after my cat got a vaccine associated sarcoma I wondered if I could have halted his reaction to the vaccine/adjuvant by giving him benadryl or something along those lines, as he began to show symptoms almost immediately afterwards. In my cat it was not a reaction near the vaccine site but rather in his intestines and he began eating voraciously. I knew right away something was terribly wrong but I didn't know what exactly had happened, and it took several months before he began to show signs of illness. 

I totally understand though why you are upset, and I share your frustration- even when you think you are going to extremes in taking precautions for you kitty(s), somehow the vet- new or old- manages to throw you another curve. When the vet talked about giving Toby a shot I told her I was worried about it since he is our baby and I said I needed assurances that it would be safe. And she said absolutely it is safe. Now I know that words mean nothing. 

There are many wonderful professionals in veterinary medicine; I just think when we rescue or are a parent to many cats over many years we are bound to have some really bad experiences. I pray for the day veterinary medicine outlaws the use of any vaccines with adjuvants for cats. 

I am sending you vibes that this lump is not anything very serious, and hope that maybe someone in this forum can give you advice about slowing or halting a potential vaccine reaction with benadryl or something else (?) 

Thanks for the support! It has been a rough few weeks here with my dogs arthritis getting bad then the whole issue with Kattie. I know that if this lump is bad, it is caught super early, as her work up for the gi lymphoma the other vet claimed she may have was clear. We did a bunch of X-rays, bloodwork and a urinalysis and all came back showing perfect health. The lump itself is small and almost feels like a lipoma or fatty lump. My dog has gotten those and they have been benign. The other vet did give a steroid injection which would hopefully have the anti inflammatory affect as benedryl. It just makesme angry that the other vet didn't even offer oral meds. My cat is super easy to do anything to, so pills or liquid is no problem. I will try not to obsess over it though and just check it once a day. Don't want to irritate it more than it already is.

well update on the lump I found. I think that it is getting smaller! When I first noticed it it was firm and round and between the size of a small marble and a pea. Today it feels smaller and less hard. Still feels loose and not attached to anything. I will still mention it at her recheck appointment and if it is still there maybe have a FNA done. Maybe not though as I don't want to add to the inflammatory response. I am pretty sure that it was either the depo medrol which I witnessed given in the shoulder Subcutaneously or the covenia, but I am not sure where that was given as I didn't see them give it but knowing them, they probably gave it near the same spot. My new vet dosen't give any injections to cats in the intrascapular space. Love them by the way. I do think that I will discuss not giving anymore vaccines from here on out as she has shown to have a response to them now. She is indoors anyway, and I technically don't have any of my cats liscensed, though my dog is.  Here's to hoping it is just inflammation and not something bad. I would think if it was turning to cancer, it wouldn't be getting smaller.
 

Kattiekitty said:

well update on the lump I found. I think that it is getting smaller! When I first noticed it it was firm and round and between the size of a small marble and a pea. Today it feels smaller and less hard. Still feels loose and not attached to anything. I will still mention it at her recheck appointment and if it is still there maybe have a FNA done. Maybe not though as I don't want to add to the inflammatory response. I am pretty sure that it was either the depo medrol which I witnessed given in the shoulder Subcutaneously or the covenia, but I am not sure where that was given as I didn't see them give it but knowing them, they probably gave it near the same spot. My new vet dosen't give any injections to cats in the intrascapular space. Love them by the way. I do think that I will discuss not giving anymore vaccines from here on out as she has shown to have a response to them now. She is indoors anyway, and I technically don't have any of my cats liscensed, though my dog is.  Here's to hoping it is just inflammation and not something bad. I would think if it was turning to cancer, it wouldn't be getting smaller.

 

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Sending lots of and to you Kattie!!!!!!! I hope everything is well!

Yay!!!! I hope it keeps improving!!! It sounds like it is just a local irritation! :-)

Yea I'm hoping it is just some local inflammation. I've been checking it so much lately, hopefully I'm not making it worse lol. It is still smaller than it was but has been the same the last few days. I can only feel it if I'm actually looking for it. It isn't attached to anything as I can pick it up between my fingers. I think I am a hypochondriac for my pets lol. I always go to the worse possible scenario with my critters. Lately I think it was the scare with Kattie and the fact that my dog is finally showing his age and starting to get age related issues. Being a vet tech and seeing the worst case scenarios doesn't help either. Though in all my years as a tech, I have to admit we didn't really see too many cases of vaccine related sarcomas. There were two definitely and then my aunts 17 year old kitty got one. I think I worry also because I know she has had fvrcp in the scruff, but leukemia and rabies were always in the rear legs. Ive stopped giving leukemia as she is no longer a clinic cat, and instead her last fvrcp was given in the left rear leg where leukemia was normally given. Now I don't think I will be renewing boosters anymore if she reacts to them now.