Lump on back of thigh

[FeralHearts]

So poor little one has a big lump on the back of her thigh. She's an overweight kitty and I found it as she had stopped going up her tree after her last vet visit. I thought it might be her not feeling well from the anti-biotics from the bad UTI she had but decided to massage her legs gently and WOW BIG lump deep in their.

I made a vet appointment and she went today. They were going to biopsy it today and then the vet felt what she thinks might be synovial (spelling) fluid on what would best be described as the elbow joint. The joint between her leg and thigh. A change in plan was made and she will have to be sedated tomorrow, there are x-rays scheduled, three biopsies, blood and urine.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Sedation on a fat cat I know is risky and I am so thankful to have such an amazing vet and team at her office.

I have to say - I'm scared. Scared of her going under and scared it's something really bad. She's only 10.

PS she said it was too hard and something else (I blanked) to be cyst or a fluid filled cyst. It could me a lymph reacting but unlikely due to the location.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, I haven't had a cat with this, but may I ask what your sweetheart's body condition is? Can you feel her ribs at all?

I apologize, I don't remember but are you feeding only kibble? Her vet team and you will bring her through this, and then maybe a slow weight loss plan with canned food would be good

 

[FeralHearts]

Hi, I haven't had a cat with this, but may I ask what your sweetheart's body condition is? Can you feel her ribs at all?

I apologize, I don't remember but are you feeding only kibble? Her vet team and you will bring her through this, and then maybe a slow weight loss plan with canned food would be good

Hi lovely. Always nice to see you.

It's Mia, she's 18 pounds so no chance of her ribs being felt. I mean if I really worked I could feel what I image is.

I feed both wet and dry. Dry is her preference but she gets 2 small wet and then an end of day dry - no free feeding. I would love it if she would eat all wet. It's a struggle getting any of them to eat wet without docoting it up a bit.

It's doubtful this is a fat lump sadly. I wish it were that easy. I looked at the elbow / knee area the vet referenced and I can't believe I didn't that before now. I can clearly see it's swollen compared to the other. Along with that lump on the back of her thigh.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Joint damage due to previous injuries, and/or arthritis, can cause fluid to build up in a joint - synovial, as you mentioned. The fluid is often a reaction to antibodies accumulating as a way of warding off inflammation. I would have thought they could have drawn fluid from the joint and analyzed it to determine what the composition is of the related cells. That along with x-rays.

I personally think biopsies, unless they are talking about drawing out the fluid from the joint is extreme. And, with something like a fluid draw, it can be done with sedatives and locals to avoid doing full scale anesthesia. Ask your vet is that is what they are talking about.

 

[FeralHearts]

Joint damage due to previous injuries, and/or arthritis, can cause fluid to build up in a joint - synovial, as you mentioned. The fluid is often a reaction to antibodies accumulating as a way of warding off inflammation. I would have thought they could have drawn fluid from the joint and analyzed it to determine what the composition is of the related cells. That along with x-rays.

I personally think biopsies, unless they are talking about drawing out the fluid from the joint is extreme. And, with something like a fluid draw, it can be done with sedatives and locals to avoid doing full scale anesthesia. Ask your vet is that is what they are talking about.

*waves to Feebysowner* Hi there! :-)

Sorry, I don't think I was very clear. The original visit was for a big, hard lump in the back of her thigh. (The appointment was late in the day 3:15) It's the size of a small jawbreaker and it's really in there deep. I only discovered it while massaging her. It was during the visit today she also saw the, lets call it the knee joint, was also badly inflamed and that she thinks it is synovial fluid in that area.

She was going to biopsy the hard lump today and was all prepped to when she took a second look ... you could see the wheels turning in her head and something didn't feel right to her about that decision.. so she rechecked again and didn't like the knee area either - so she wants to check the fluid in there, biopsy the big lump, do x-rays and do blood and urine too.

Rather than subject Mia, who is a very frightened cat (formal feral that is still so scared of everything) to some today and some tomorrow she opt'd to sedate her tomorrow and do everything at the same time to reduce her stress.

Hopefully I explained that better.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[silent meowlook]

I’m sorry no time to read replies. When was the last time she was vaccinated? Is it in a location they vaccinated her in?

 

[FeralHearts]

Thank you XO

I’m sorry no time to read replies. When was the last time she was vaccinated? Is it in a location they vaccinated her in?

Her annual visit was August 22, 2022. That's when her shots would have been and &$*%$(^ OMG it would have been the hind leg as that's where they give them. (I think.)

(Thank you for reminding me of this.)

Wouldn't I have noticed? Then again this lump is deep in the leg.

 

[FeebysOwner]

What was mentioned above about the vaccination and its location was alluding to a possible injection-site sarcoma. This is something to talk to your vet about. Here is an article about it, to give you more information to go on.
Medical Oncology: Feline Injection Site Sarcoma | Veterinary Hospital (ncsu.edu)

 

[silent meowlook]

By no means am I saying that is what it is. But, you do need to mention it. If it was a sarcoma, they can show up anytime.

 

[FeralHearts]

My Vets face when she was checking the lump said a lot. Bless her heart she went right from a shocked look to a okay what are we going to do / "I got this" look. The girls at the office all looked worried. I'm so fortunate as they are wonderful. If anyone can help her, they can.

I hope this is something easily treatable but I don't think we are going to get that lucky.

She has the gabapentin in her system so her car ride today was easier. I didn't give it to her yesterday as I wanted to make sure if she was in pain there was nothing helping to mask it. That did not feel good as she was so scared.

What was mentioned above about the vaccination and its location was alluding to a possible injection-site sarcoma. This is something to talk to your vet about. Here is an article about it, to give you more information to go on.
Medical Oncology: Feline Injection Site Sarcoma | Veterinary Hospital (ncsu.edu)

I will do. Thank you.

Reading that article. Not a good prognosis.

By no means am I saying that is what it is. But, you do need to mention it. If it was a sarcoma, they can show up anytime.

True, but thank you for pointing that out. It's something that didn't even enter my purview.

....and this is why I'm not all that happy about annual re-vaccinations for Rabies. (Especially with indoor only cats.) There are a lot of studies showing that after the first one, and the booster, they are protected for a lot longer than a year. It's the law here though.

No I'm not an anti-vaxxer or anything - just something I've always thought we needed to rethink for pets. Science is a good thing. It's not perfect though and we have to temper it with reason. Sometimes trying to help something - we over-do it.

 

[FeralHearts]

Update:

I misunderstood. They were only going to take samples and not a biopsy on the lump.

I spoke with her vet this morning and the sample is only 80% - the biopsy would be definitive. So as completely terrified as I am... they are going to anesthesia her and take a biopsy rather than risking having to stress her out all over again if it was inconclusive.

I said I wouldn't burst into tears at the vets office but I did. I really tried to hold it together so I didn't upset Mia. Totally failed there.

The only upside to this is that I know she's in really good hands. So at least we have that. There is no question in my mind that she's getting the best care she could.

So now I wait for her return.

 

[silent meowlook]

Did your vet think it could be a sarcoma?
If it is a sarcoma, if that’s what the biopsy shows, amputation should be discussed. That is why they vaccinate in the legs now.

 

[FeebysOwner]

and this is why I'm not all that happy about annual re-vaccinations for Rabies. (Especially with indoor only cats.) There are a lot of studies showing that after the first one, and the booster, they are protected for a lot longer than a year. It's the law here though.

I don't know the extent of difference of the laws, even between US states, much less Canada, but the last vaccinations Feeby received was when she was 10, in 2014. The vet was also able to 'approve' discontinuing her 3-yr rabies boosters two years later. At least in FL, a vet can override the rabies requirement if they deem it to be unsafe and unnecessary for an older indoor only cat.

Good luck to you and MIa with her biopsy. I hope she does really well, and it turns out to be an accumulation of non-cancerous synovial fluid.

 

[FeralHearts]

Update: She is home. There was a change of plan again and the vet stuck with just the fluid and not the biopsy. She is suspecting a bad infection.

She has sampled the hard lump and synovial fluid and is sending them off for testing. She said that usually it's difficult getting synovial fluid from cats joints - but it kept coming.... it's possible the lump is indeed a lymph node doing its job on high high alert. (Even though it's not on the spot she would expect a Lymph to be.) We may have dodged a bullet here. The results will hopefully tell us this is the case.

The interesting note for anyone else who goes through this is that this was possibly caused by a bad UTI that she was treated for 2.5 months ago. It was a bad one and I caught it as when I was at work the litter cameras were going off every two minutes. I check their litter boxes closely too but that day - not only did she keep unsuccessful trying to pee but when I arrived home, there was now blood in the box.

I'll let you all know if this is the case as it could help someone else.

Her sugars are also going down to normal.

The weird thing is no fever.

She's lost a pound and so long as this is not cancer, it means we finally may have found the elusive holy grail of things she needed for her weight loss.

Did your vet think it could be a sarcoma?
If it is a sarcoma, if that’s what the biopsy shows, amputation should be discussed. That is why they vaccinate in the legs now.

Honestly, I didn't ask but I'm fairly sure that was on the table. I was more focused on keeping it together so I could intake mentally what was going to happen to her today and prepare myself as it's risky due to her being overweight... and believe you me we have tried and tried to get her down and I'm not ever giving up getting her to a good weight.

Its was a strong possibly though... and I so appreciated you bringing that up and it's reaffirmed a need to get things looked at for over-vaccination of these wee ones.

XOXOXOX

I don't know the extent of difference of the laws, even between US states, much less Canada, but the last vaccinations Feeby received was when she was 10, in 2014. The vet was also able to 'approve' discontinuing her 3-yr rabies boosters two years later. At least in FL, a vet can override the rabies requirement if they deem it to be unsafe and unnecessary for an older indoor only cat.

Good luck to you and MIa with her biopsy. I hope she does really well, and it turns out to be an accumulation of non-cancerous synovial fluid.

I'm going to have to go in and review these. If the test confirms it's not sarcoma injection site sarcoma it is still all the more reminder to take a serious dive back into this.

I'm pretty sure we can get them overridden here too as I discussed that option with Braveheart with her plasma cell pododermatitis and auto-immune issues. Rabies isn't a live virus so it was discounted but at least consideration was taken.

I give all of them FVRCP, Leukemia and Rabies. The respiratory shot is because Mia gets kitty colds and with the other ones having their own health issues I thought it best. Time to delve back into the homework of this though so I'm doing the best things for them.

Thank you for the good wishes. I think they all helped.

One nerve wracking, totally scary day done... and now we wait to see the results.

I'm snuggling with her on her heated bed that's on the couch that I don't own. It belongs to them LOL.

 

[FeralHearts]

Results are in.

Bad news.

Cancer. Probably lymphoma. ( I did ask about the injection site Sacroma and it's a no.)

I'm devastated. Taking a breath in just hurts.

We are going to make an appointment to see an oncologist to see if there is anything we can do. I don't think we can but I owe her this at the very least. I won't torture her for 6 months of me being selfish though.

I'm going to make her happy, keep her comfortable and take it as it comes.

My heart is shattered.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Oh my! Thanks for the update, but so sorry to hear what the prognosis might be. I hope the oncologist can provide some ideas and hope for you and Mia.

 

[FeralHearts]

Oh my! Thanks for the update, but so sorry to hear what the prognosis might be. I hope the oncologist can provide some ideas and hope for you and Mia.

.

Thank you so very much. It's appreciated.

This is the crappy end of the deal we make. That one day we are going to lose them. It's a terrible helpless feeling when they are sick and you know there is nothing you can probably do. I know the reality and I'm quite certain what the oncologist will say but on the off chance of a miracle - one that is in her best interests - not mine, I'll take her.

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm going to make her happy, keep her comfortable and take it as it comes.

If there was anybody in the world better for her than you, I wouldn't know of them. Geez, I'm so incredibly sorry to hear this!

 

[silent meowlook]

I worked for a veterinary specialist for 9 years. There is a saying that if you are going to have cancer, lymphoma is the cancer to have. That is because it responds very well to chemotherapy and is usually able to go into remission and either become cancer free or have a good quality of life.
I have known cats with lymphoma that lived years and years.
Lymphoma usually in cats doesn’t present with the swollen lymph nodes like it does in dogs. But, of course it can present anyway.

I think it is a great idea to see the oncologist. You will get answers and options.

Allot of whatever decision you make should involve your cat. Is he the kind of cat that doesn’t stress to much with vet visits? Is he easy to medicate without causing too much stress?

Another option to consider as well as the oncologist, not instead of, is a holistic veterinarian. They often have some treatment and also diet information that honestly does work. I used to think it was a waste of money but after working a day with one, I saw the benefits of what they do.

I am sorry for the diagnosis and am truly hoping the oncologist will be able to see something the regular vet didn’t. Something good that is.

Please update with any news!