Found a lump :-(

arouetta

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When I took Shadow to the vet a few months ago, a tiny, very hard lump was found.  Too tiny for a needle biopsy.  The new vet had the old vet's records and said the lump could be mammary cancer, could be a calcium deposit, could be scar tissue from the last surgery.  We decided on watchful waiting.

Well the good news is the lump hasn't gotten any bigger.  The bad news is I found a second lump.

That lump is very hard to find, of the 5 checks I've done since the vet visit, I have only found it 3 times, and not 3 times in a row.  Part of the problem is that Shadow was 19 pounds at one point and she is currently just under 14 pounds and she has a lot of loose skin in the abdominal area.

The lump is decent sized, irregular feeling, it feels like it has a football shape instead of being round.  It's decent enough sized, maybe half an inch across, and has been also consistently sized that it had to be there at the appointment and I'm surprised the vet didn't find it.  The placement......she shouldn't have mammary tissue there.  Or it's just barely on the side that still has mammary tissue, it's pretty close to mid-line.  Hard to narrow down exactly due to the loose skin.

The thing is, I know that I won't seek treatment for it.  So what would be the point to go back to the vet at this point?  What would be the point to ask for a needle biopsy?  If I'm watching the size and checking for ulceration and she's as happily b****y as ever, do I need to go to the vet just to hear 'Yep, there's a lump"?

Before people jump on me for not seeking treatment, Shadow is 18 years old.  She was 10 years old when the first tumor was removed; they removed just the tumor and she bounced back quick.  She was 14 when they removed the next two lumps and that time they removed 3 of the mammary glands on the affected side.  She had a very hard time recovering from that surgery.  Now she's 4 years older, recovery will be even harder simply due to age.  When the tiny lump was found and I said I wouldn't do surgery again, the vet agreed that at her age surgery is a dicey prospect.

The only thing going in her favor is the vet said that most cats her age are skin and bones and she was happy that Shadow was a pound overweight.  Age, the difficulty in recovering last time, the fact that she has so little energy that she probably sleeps 18-20 hours a day, the arthritis that keeps her from moving a lot.....the odds aren't in her favor.

And even if I put her through surgery, for what purpose?  Yeah, so she has a track record of going 4 years between tumors.  That's longer than usual.  But they keep coming back.  They just keep coming back.  And there's no guarantee that it will be 4 years again.  It could be 6 months instead.

I know I've made my decision.  I just gotta learn to live with it.  I was just hoping the tiny lump was scar tissue and there wouldn't be any more for a while longer.
 

nevroth

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So sorry to hear about the lumps :( It's a very personal decision but at least you are monitoring her and will know if she starts suffering from complications from the lumps. 18yrs is great, you are a great cat mama!

Sending good vibes your way! 
 

red top rescue

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I too have an old cat (17-18) who has developed a mammary tumor.  She has other issues as well and I would not put her through surgery or a needle biopsy because, as you said, if you are not going to pursue treatment like surgery and chemo, then there is really no reason to find out what kind of tumor it is.  You are doing what you should, just watching it and making sure it isn't painful for her.  At this age, keeping our cats comfortable must be the primary concern, making sure the quality of their lives is good up until the end of their lives.  You are a good cat parent and nobody is going to beat you up for keeping her comfortable and not having more surgery.
 

mingsmongols

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I'm sorry to hear that. I completely agree with you though. At eighteen years old putting her through a surgery like that would be dangerous. However maybe you could get some gabapentin for your mouthy girls arthritis.
 
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arouetta

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I discussed pain meds with the vet.  Her arthritis is really severe, all the vet could offer was some shots and even that wasn't a guarantee of doing anything useful.

She's stopped grooming herself properly and mats easy, and I take a comb to work under the mats (to create a barrier between skin and scissors) and cut off the mats.  From the waist up, no problem, she'll just lie there.  Waist down, even the littlest bit of messing, she tries to take off my hand.  Her arthritis is so bad, she hurts to be touched on her lower back, hips and base of the tail.

But she walks (very stiff-legged) and manages to jump on the couch and chairs, her favorite sleeping spots.  She can't jump on the arms of my husband's chair, but she'll meow until he shifts enough that she can jump onto the chair with him and then get on the arm and demand constant pettings.
 

mingsmongols

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That's unfortunate. It sounds like she's in a good bit of pain. Gabapentin isn't a pain medicine in the traditional sense. It doesn't stop the pain, it just tells your body that you don't care about it. It's something to discuss with your vet if you decide to go that route. It sounds like she's still got alot of interest in the world around her though. One thing you could do is get a heating pad to use before you groom her. It will help loosen up her joints before hand.
 

red top rescue

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I have a heated water bed and my old girl LIVES on it.  I'm no spring chicken myself and I love the waterbed too.  I'm going to ask my vet about the gabapentin that @MingsMongols suggested.  I would love to make her feel better for the time she has left.  She's better right now because of the depo-medrol.  It makes a huge difference to her joints as well as to her stomatitis.
 
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