lump??

[pamela]

FINALLY, my vet emailed me her answer with results!! I'm copying/pasting her email here..

"Hello!
Sorry it took me so long to get this e-mail out. This morning was way too hectic.
As far as Spike's lump - on the microscope I saw mostly red blood cells and white blood cells. I didn't see any major signs of infection, inflammation, or any cells that looked suspicious for cancer. There is always the possibility that the sample that we got from that needle aspirate is not representative of the whole lump, but overall I don't think there's much to worry about.
Trauma is definitely the most likely option right now.
Keep an eye on that area for any changes. If it is due to trauma it should very slowly decrease in size, but may never go away entirely. However, if you notice it growing or if it suddenly becomes painful etc. then Spike may need to have a biopsy done after all.
Keep me posted - If you need to reach me quickly, it is best to call. I only check e-mail about once a week unless I am expecting a reply. Good luck!"

I guess I am relieved BUT I wanted a DEFINITE "HE's OKAY" you know? I'll keep checking that lump on a daily basis and see if it does decrease in size or not...

 

[hell603]

I don't know BUT I would NOT be satisfied with this answer! Personally I would get a second opinion!! Hugs to the little guy!

 

[luvmyfurbabys]

Originally posted by Hell603
I don't know BUT I would NOT be satisfied with this answer! Personally I would get a second opinion!! Hugs to the little guy!

I agree , that answer wouldnt fit for a human and shouldnt fit for a "animal" either ...Im so sorry you still have to have a nagging worry

 

[sicycat]

Hmmm.. how could there be no inflammation if this thing is the size of a golf ball??

Sounds like good news but doesnt sound like she's 100% sure. My vet would opt for a biopsy if she were uncertain.

 

[caracal1968]

I just read this thread. I agree with the others. I would want to be 100% sure as well!!!! Keep us posted if there are any changes with Spike.

Sending purrs and prayers your way,

 

[deb eldredge]

Is Spike acting fine, eating, etc, normal in every way except the lump? That may influence how the vet is responding. And the vet is right in that a needle aspirate doesn't always give you a definite answer (basically if it gives you bad news such as cancer cells are found you know it is for real, if it just gives normal cells it could mean everything is fine or it could mean the needle missed the bad cells).
A lump that gets that big that fast is most likely an abscess (& there should have been pus on the aspirate) or trauma (& what you have is a hematoma (big bruise with blood in it). With an abscess the cat usually feels sick - not always but usually. A hematoma will gradually go down in size as the clot dissolves but you sometimes end up with a "knot" left that you can feel.
Did you ask the vet about compressing the lump?
For a lump like the one you describe, a biopsy would involve totally removing it I think. Depending on how old & healthy your cat is you need to decide if you want surgery or to observe a few more days.
Decisions, decisions - wish things like medicine & health were more black & white but often they are grey!
Deb E, thinking good thoughts for you!

 

[rosiemac]

Poor spike. I really hope he's OK!.

Susan

 

[pamela]

I really appreciate all of your support, thoughts and advice.. Let me answer some questions asked here regarding this.

Spike is about 1 1/2 yrs old. He is acting normally.. Last nite he got into this BIG grooming feast with his brother Buddy then after 5-10 minutes, they started wrestling and I could tell he was really enjoying it.. (I was enjoying it myself!

)

Did you ask the vet about compressing the lump?

I am not aware of that option of compressing the lump. Could you clarify what that exactly entails- its benefits, what the process is, etc?

I have thought LONG AND HARD about this and I have decided to wait a few days to let him "recover" from the needle aspiration (especially since he's acting fine) and next week take him to another vet for a 2nd opinion and see if she says the same thing as the 1st vet.

Again, I really appreciate all ur support during this time. It has been (and still is) a difficult time for me with Spikey... I will be keeping a very CLOSE EYE on him for the next couple days. Poor Spikey- he probably will be wondering what the heck is wrong with his mommy since I will be following him to the litterbox, examining his "presents" in the litterbox, watching his eating/drinking habits and checking his lump frequently!

 

[4cats]

Like many others here, I suggest you get the biopsy done. Don't take the risk. If there's nothing to worry about at least you will have peace of mind, and even in the worst case scenario (although I really hope not) this way you can start to get treatment for Spike as soon as possible.

I say this because our vet thought our dear little Jeffrey might have a tumour on his liver and said we should just leave it. But I couldn't bear the thought of just waiting around for him to get sick if there was something we could have done, so I insisted that this wasn't good enough. I asked her if it was a tumour would she be able to cut it out. She agreed she might be able to if it wasn't too deeply embedded. So she opened him up and had a look and it turned out to be nothing of the sort - just some sort of mass, possibly corona virus related (but that's for another post!). But at least we know now. Otherwise we'd still be sitting here agonising and waiting for him to get sick, when in reality, we have now been able to rule out cancer/a tumour which is such a HUGE relief.

If the lump goes away on its own then that's fantastic, but don't wait too long... Lots of good luck to you and Spike!

 

[pamela]

I DEFINITELY won't wait too long. As I said recently, I will set up an appt with another vet next week to have the lump looked at to be safe.

I know what you mean about worrying.. I am still worrying about Spike even though he's acting just fine (being very fiesty with me this morning! Got some fresh scratches from him..

)