Cat has lump on leg after falling??

Today I noticed a lump about an inch in length (bean/oval shaped) on the thigh of my cat's left leg. I discovered this after she had fallen off the piano (about 3 feet up) while she was rolling in her sleep. As I palpated her, trying to make sure she was okay, I found the lump. It's quite solid, and well formed, and seems to be under her skin.

I never noticed it before despite petting her there often, but it had been a few months now since I was suspicious and suspecting something to be.. off.. with that left leg. She had been tripping more when jumping and also been going up the stairs a lot less - when she does, I see her creep up slowly (though she runs up eventually).

Her behavior is fine, just the same, no hiding or reacting much in pain (not that she shows that is). She lets me touch her leg, even the lump. As long as I don't hold the lump between my forefinger and thumb in attempts to "feel its shape," she doesn't react. She does get irritated if I poke and prod at her too much, but she's always been that way even before thr lump.

Also, last month I had found a bald patch on that same leg. When we brought her to the vet, it turned out to be a rash, so the doctor brushed off the tripping and all to be caused by an irritation from the rash.

The fur there hasn't fully grown back yet, the skin is still visible, but the area looks dark/black-ish? My cat's coat is a light beige/orange so I don't know why it's like that - there is no scab, it feels smooth.

Since it's past midnight here, with a public holiday tomorrow, I don't know how urgently I can bring my cat to the vet, but I'm definitely setting an appointment as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'm really worried about the lump and would like to know the possible cause of this, or at least what this might be? Thank you so much

Cat breed: Persian
Sex: female, spayed
Age: unsure since she was a gift, but estimated to be around 5 years
Food: grain free, dry food only

Additional info: from a biochemical test taken (2-3 months ago), her levels were all healthy, except for her calcium being high

I would get the lump checked out as soon as possible, especially since the leg has seemed off for couple months. The lump could be something benign like a hematoma from the fall but a lump along with high calcium is a little concerning. I have a cat with high calcium (which is related to her ckd) but my vet said high calcium levels are also common with cancer. I wonder if the leg has been bothering her causing her to lick which caused a rash. I would definitely request an X-ray of that leg when you take her to the vet.

JDollPrincess said:

I would get the lump checked out as soon as possible, especially since the leg has seemed off for couple months. The lump could be something benign like a hematoma from the fall but a lump along with high calcium is a little concerning. I have a cat with high calcium (which is related to her ckd) but my vet said high calcium levels are also common with cancer. I wonder if the leg has been bothering her causing her to lick which caused a rash. I would definitely request an X-ray of that leg when you take her to the vet.

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Yeah I've been thinking the rash and the lump were likely related. Thank you for the insight on the calcium thing, though it worries me, at least I have some idea. I'm really hoping my girl's okay. Will definitely be asking for a xray asap.

I'm sorry I'm not trying to scare you. I'm not a vet and it could certainly be something simple like early onset arthritis. Please keep us updated and good luck with her vet visit.

If you noticed this after she fell, you should take her to the vet for an x-ray. A broken bone can cause intense swelling, and if the break is severe, the bone could get displaced to the point that you can see it sticking out where it's not supposed to. Since she fell when she was asleep, she couldn't activate the "righting reflex" (i.e., the tendency of cats to land on their feet), meaning that the leg could have hit he floor at a weird angle, causing it to fracture. If the leg seems "off", that would be go along with my theory that it could be broken. In general, Persians are more amenable to handling than other cats, so she might tolerate you touching that leg, even if it's painful. Of course, I'm not a vet, but I'm just saying that this might not be something serious like a hematoma. A fracture would seem to make sense with her symptoms/ how the issue originally occurred. So, I'd say definitely consult with a vet, let them know when you first noticed the lump and they'll probably reccommend an x-ray anyway.

JDollPrincess said:

I'm sorry I'm not trying to scare you. I'm not a vet and it could certainly be something simple like early onset arthritis. Please keep us updated and good luck with her vet visit.

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I've gone to the vet already, but the doctor doesn't seem to think the high calcium and lump is related. She seems to think it's nothing particularly dangerous, and diagnosed it as just a swollen lymph node due to the fall. She didn't do any thorough checks (no xray, biopsy or needle aspiration) because she think it's not a tumor at all. We were given some antibiotics and was just told to monitor the lump, and come back if it grows or doesn't go away from the medication. I'm not all that convinced, so I'm looking to get a second opinion tomorrow. Thanks so much for the support!

Abyeb said:

If you noticed this after she fell, you should take her to the vet for an x-ray. A broken bone can cause intense swelling, and if the break is severe, the bone could get displaced to the point that you can see it sticking out where it's not supposed to. Since she fell when she was asleep, she couldn't activate the "righting reflex" (i.e., the tendency of cats to land on their feet), meaning that the leg could have hit he floor at a weird angle, causing it to fracture. If the leg seems "off", that would be go along with my theory that it could be broken. In general, Persians are more amenable to handling than other cats, so she might tolerate you touching that leg, even if it's painful. Of course, I'm not a vet, but I'm just saying that this might not be something serious like a hematoma. A fracture would seem to make sense with her symptoms/ how the issue originally occurred. So, I'd say definitely consult with a vet, let them know when you first noticed the lump and they'll probably reccommend an x-ray anyway.

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She doesn't seem to be any pain at all, still jumping over everything just fine, with no hiding/cowering behaviors. She's eating well and playing too so I don't think it's a broken bone. We visited the vet and she passed it off as a swollen lymph node. Still not 100% on that (could be hematoma like you said) since no thorough checking were done, so I'm looking for an second opinion from a hopefully better vet tomorrow. Thanks so much for the insight on things

Cats are good in hiding their pain.... 

Anyway, the cats have a reflex to grip surfaces when falling. Falling from suspended or legged surfaces does not allow gripping, there is nothing for the cat to grip on.

The righting reflex which requires some height to be effective.

For these reasons, I am very cautions  of my cat falling from the table or other low-height surfaces. I am planning to build padded surfaces to attach to these risky places. Not plain wood, but some carpeted surfaces to offer the necessary support to the claws when accidental fall occurs.

I found very unfortunate that people (including myself) are somehow misleaded by the myth of "cat falling in four legs".  Cats may get easily injured when falling, no matter the height. They are adapted to fall from tree's branches, not from constructed environment elements. Cats do not have so many difficult surfaces in their natural environment and 10 000 years of living with humans is not to much in terms of evolution.  

Solomonar said:

Cats are good in hiding their pain.... 

Anyway, the cats have a reflex to grip surfaces when falling. Falling from suspended or legged surfaces does not allow gripping, there is nothing for the cat to grip on.
The righting reflex which requires some height to be effective.

For these reasons, I am very cautions  of my cat falling from the table or other low-height surfaces. I am planning to build padded surfaces to attach to these risky places. Not plain wood, but some carpeted surfaces to offer the necessary support to the claws when accidental fall occurs.

I found very unfortunate that people (including myself) are somehow misleaded by the myth of "cat falling in four legs".  Cats may get easily injured when falling, no matter the height. They are adapted to fall from tree's branches, not from constructed environment elements. Cats do not have so many difficult surfaces in their natural environment and 10 000 years of living with humans is not to much in terms of evolution.  

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That's very true. I was always worried about my cat falling from high places (like the stairs), but never thought it might do much damage at lower heights as well. I'm trying to make sure there's a soft landing near wherever tall areas my cat might climb onto. So worrysome these lil kitties are, especially when they love hiding things from us. Gonna get her checked a second time tomorrow to make sure she's okay!

I am going to place vertical padded surfaces from the horizontal ones to the floor - or close to the floor. To mimik the tree's stem.

Sometimes, in the burst running or when falling, cat may face obstacles that could not be passed and smash onto them by accident-  (I saw my cat doing so).

===

One friend told me she killed a cat by simple throwing the poor kitty few inches away, assuming the cat will fall in four legs. It didn't happen, because she rotated the cat over head when throwing (by chance, it was no intention), which made impossible the cat's momentum. Very sad, cat hits the ground by head firstly and died instantly.

I am posting this for many people to see, not to make the same mistake.

Solomonar said:

I am going to place vertical padded surfaces from the horizontal ones to the floor - or close to the floor. To mimik the tree's stem.

Sometimes, in the burst running or when falling, cat may face obstacles that could not be passed and smash onto them by accident-  (I saw my cat doing so).

===

One friend told me she killed a cat by simple throwing the poor kitty few inches away, assuming the cat will fall in four legs. It didn't happen, because she rotated the cat over head when throwing (by chance, it was no intention), which made impossible the cat's momentum. Very sad, cat hits the ground by head firstly and died instantly.

I am posting this for many people to see, not to make the same mistake.

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That's terrible and so sad.

Solomonar said:

I am going to place vertical padded surfaces from the horizontal ones to the floor - or close to the floor. To mimik the tree's stem.

Sometimes, in the burst running or when falling, cat may face obstacles that could not be passed and smash onto them by accident-  (I saw my cat doing so).

===

One friend told me she killed a cat by simple throwing the poor kitty few inches away, assuming the cat will fall in four legs. It didn't happen, because she rotated the cat over head when throwing (by chance, it was no intention), which made impossible the cat's momentum. Very sad, cat hits the ground by head firstly and died instantly.

I am posting this for many people to see, not to make the same mistake.

Click to expand...

That is so sad. domesticated cats really do require all the extra care and protection

Good news! Went to another vet to get the lump checked, and this time they did a needle aspiration. Nothing came out of it when it was punctured, nor found under the microscope. Doctor said it was all fat only, so we just have to keep monitoring the lump. Thank you everyone for the support and thoughts! Hopefully all will be okay with my girl

Good news! Looks like something innocent since the vet  said just to monitor the leg. 

Have a nice time together furry + un-furry!