Zeluvia
September 27th 2007, 02:08 PM
The cat is 21 years old. Her name is Pooh.
About six years ago, she developed a lump on her left hip. At first I thought it was matted hair, but shaved her, and found the lump. It was about the diameter of a dime, and raised about 1/4 inch.
Old women get lumpy, I didnt worry, but kept an eye on it. It did grow, but very slowly.
Six years later, and the lump has added nodules, it is now about the size of a golfball, and it is not really one lump, but a collection of smaller lumps. I was still not very concerned.
Yes, yes, could have been cancer, could be cancer, but the cat acted fine, and she IS old. I never thought she would live this long. If it was cancer, I figured in six years it should have metastasized somewhere else and killed her. I actually thought it was probably a vaccine induced fibrosarcoma because of it's location.
The collection of lumps were always firm to the touch, solid, completely covered by normal looking skin, not apparently painful, didnt affect her walking, nor her sleeping.
Well, in the last week that has changed. The skin over the lumps has broken open, turned purple, and there are now soft, fluid feeling pistules mixed in with the firmer lumps. Infection in benign tumors? Or benign tumors finally going cancerous? Or cancer finally acting like cancer?
So I gave her a hot salt bath, soaked the lumps, shaved the area completely, applied anti-biotic ointment, and am trying to decide what to do.
I am not rich, and I am not sure a 21 year old cat will survive surgery anyway, although she appears as healthy as you would expect a 21 year old cat to be. Also, the surgery itself since the lump is so large could cause metastasis that hasn't seemed to have happened yet.
She doesn't appear to be in any pain, she is still eating and using her litterbox....
Opinions? Right now I am thinking just wait and see if she starts suffering, and if so, take her to put her to sleep. But if it could be something other than cancer, what could it be? And if I am just going to treat her now till the end, suggestions on dealing with this lump collection?
About six years ago, she developed a lump on her left hip. At first I thought it was matted hair, but shaved her, and found the lump. It was about the diameter of a dime, and raised about 1/4 inch.
Old women get lumpy, I didnt worry, but kept an eye on it. It did grow, but very slowly.
Six years later, and the lump has added nodules, it is now about the size of a golfball, and it is not really one lump, but a collection of smaller lumps. I was still not very concerned.
Yes, yes, could have been cancer, could be cancer, but the cat acted fine, and she IS old. I never thought she would live this long. If it was cancer, I figured in six years it should have metastasized somewhere else and killed her. I actually thought it was probably a vaccine induced fibrosarcoma because of it's location.
The collection of lumps were always firm to the touch, solid, completely covered by normal looking skin, not apparently painful, didnt affect her walking, nor her sleeping.
Well, in the last week that has changed. The skin over the lumps has broken open, turned purple, and there are now soft, fluid feeling pistules mixed in with the firmer lumps. Infection in benign tumors? Or benign tumors finally going cancerous? Or cancer finally acting like cancer?
So I gave her a hot salt bath, soaked the lumps, shaved the area completely, applied anti-biotic ointment, and am trying to decide what to do.
I am not rich, and I am not sure a 21 year old cat will survive surgery anyway, although she appears as healthy as you would expect a 21 year old cat to be. Also, the surgery itself since the lump is so large could cause metastasis that hasn't seemed to have happened yet.
She doesn't appear to be in any pain, she is still eating and using her litterbox....
Opinions? Right now I am thinking just wait and see if she starts suffering, and if so, take her to put her to sleep. But if it could be something other than cancer, what could it be? And if I am just going to treat her now till the end, suggestions on dealing with this lump collection?