So this cat has had some health problems and is FIV positive. He just had a teeth cleaning done about 2 weeks ago.
He is easy going. But when I touch this area he tries to get away and makes unhappy noises.
To me these areas look swollen. Almost like a round lump. They are soft.
More pronounced when he lays on his side. Sticks out almost ball shaped. Like a distinct ball shaped fattty area.
Now he had an injury to this area when I first took him in, (he was a stray. I took him in around April).
I’ve never had an overweight cat. I am not sure if this is abnormal and needs a vet visit. Or it’s normal to have fat deposits there and he’s just unhappy about being touched there from the old injury.
Anyone have a fat cat and can confirm it’s normal or not.
My other concern is, it’s a swollen lymph node or something . It is bilateral but bigger on one side but definitely on both sides.
I’ve taken this cat to the vet so much that I don’t want to take him in just for normal fat deposits.
I am aware he is overweight. It’s been challenging managing his bottomless pit appetite but his diet is being managed.
I can’t seem to find this info online about fat deposits. Do cats put on fat right around the hip joint area ?
Maybe not all cats do but some ?
Here is an illustration with the lumpy fat area circled.
We’ve had a few fat cats… I’ve never seen something like that on cats (other than abscesses). The only way I could see two bilateral abscesses like that would be from some other cat digging its claws in from behind, but given the time since it has been on the street that doesn’t seem likely. If you can afford it, I’d get it checked out now rather than later.
Bilateral identical masses are almost certainly not cancer. That being said, I have no idea what they could be. To answer your question, no, the femoral head is not a normal location for fat deposits. Could be a big deal, could be nothing.
Ultimately, make your own risk assessment. I personally wouldn’t see this as a big enough concern for a veterinary opinion. However, that would always be the safest answer.
Not necessarily the case here, and both sides makes me think it’s not, but when you mentioned the cat had a recent injury here, it made me suspect an infection and an abscess - if only because I’ve dealt with one recently.
One of our cats had this from a cat bite wound. A swelling, sort of ball shaped, soft, but the cat says “ow!” If you touch it.
In our case, that cat had a fairly intense scratch and the abscess burst all over the floor (thankfully in a room with easily wipable tiles). This was followed up with a vet visit for antibiotics and painkillers.
The “both sides” and the amount if time between April and now makes me think it’s not that, but still might be one to add to the possibilities list.
It’s definitely more prominent on the right side. Like maybe 2x the size as the left.
Maybe it’s sort of "hiding " on a fatty area and making me think it’s just fat. But it’s an abscess or something.
The injury he had was a pretty nasty bite. It’s actually why I took him in. He was half starved and had a big gushing wound on his backside and it was still pretty cold out. So I felt like I had no choice. That he wouldn’t make it outside.
Fur didn’t grow back over the wound area for a pretty long time. Maybe 5 months.
I managed to get a better photo of this mysterious lump. After he stood up it disappeared.
I feel like I’m being gaslite by it. It’s there. Gone. Was it really there. ?
I still think there is something weird going on. I’ll have to take him in and have him checked.
When he had that teeth cleaning 2 weeks ago they also took X-rays of his chest because he has some chronic breathing issue that we haven’t figured out yet.
So I’m also still following up on that issue. Might be nasal polyps or something.
But they said his heart and lungs looked good. Idk if this area was in the X-ray or not. Can’t hurt to ask. 🤷
Ouch. Poor little guy. That’s a lot to go through. I don’t think it’s wasting time to check up with a vet - especially if it’s seemingly a source of pain or an area he’s over grooming or scratching.
Of course, that’s as long as you’re prepared to pay the fees, accepting the risk to find that he’s just a bit chubbier in that area - but I still think the “it hurts him and he tries to run away” suggests it’s worth checking out if you’re able to.
Thanks for the advice. I keep worrying about it so it’s best I just take him in.
My cat had a ball shaped lump in that area and it was cancer. He passed away a year ago.
Don’t wait, take him to the vet.
Mine too but they had to remove his leg. It was from a certain manufacturers vaccine causing it at the injection site, but it was only on one side. It looked like he had a golf ball under the skin.
Yeah my guy had the same thing. Injection site sarcoma. He had his leg amputated and seemed good for 6 months, then the cancer came back. He fought hard and was the best boy, but we had to put him down 😿
Yeah the vet recommended chemo after the surgery as a precaution but the $5k certain unnamed major drug company gave was barely enough to cover the surgery. His didn’t come back that we know of but he did pass away about 5 or 6 years later at 15 years old.
I’m glad you got a good while with your guy after. Yes, the compensation from the vaccine company definitely didn’t cover our expenses. It’s weird because I’m very much not anti-vax, but that experience did make me a bit weary of injections for our other pets.
It feels soft like fat but is very rounded. Sometimes I see it. Sometimes it seems to disappear. Like even a little after taking this photo I could no longer feel it. But I did when I took the photo.
I keep thinking … Hold on. Did I actually feel a lump. No. Yes. Idk. Maybe it was just caused by the way he was laying ?
Maybe it’s just like a fat roll.
It’s not a solid feeling “lump”. It’s big. Soft fat feel. If it’s a medical issue I’m betting swollen lympnodes.
I’d just feel embarrassed to take him in and the vet says “yeah we already told you he needs to lose weight”.
🤷
These fatty areas have been there for a while. I keep questioning myself if it’s really a lump or just fat.
Surely they would have noticed a problem there when I had his teeth cleaned and full exam done. (2 weeks ago).
But maybe not ?
Better to be embarrassed than sorry.
I took my previous baby cat in once because she was growing something after her operation.
It was her primordial pouch.
They charged me for like a quarter visit because they were delighted it was nothing and took five minutes.
I did exactly the same with my first cat.
Don’t want to alarm you more, than you already are, but go to the vet and let them check that specific area out.
We had a FIV cat that started to have liquid filled lumps on both sides of his lower body and died a few months later (he looked very pregnant in the end). I don’t think it’s a common symptom but iirc it was caused by his swollen lymph nodes.You are the only person your cat can rely on healthcare wise. Don’t let your cat down. Go to the vet and let them check it out.
Better safe than sorry
Or do wait, knowing that if they have cancer they’re going to die (sooner than they would eventually in any case). I fucking hate that private equity is turning pet care into the same cesspool as human care.
Ignore this advice.
Or don’t ignore this advice. It’s a subjective question that each person must answer for themselves. One may be much happier spending quality time with their pet instead of putting it through a bunch of incredibly expensive and painful procedures that diminishes that quality and leaves the owner broke.
Private equity can still fuck right off in any case…
Or it could be something completely treatable that will end the cat’s life early and horribly if ignored. Maybe you shouldn’t own a pet if you don’t want to be subjected to vet costs.
I’ve taken this cat to the vet so much
Or, maybe, their vet sucks… It’s already established that the cat isn’t healthy. They don’t really need to give the vet any more money to re-establish that the cat isn’t healthy.
Their vet sucking and overbilling is entirely likely too, but that doesnt mean not giving the cat medical care. It means finding a better vet like you said.
Much like human care, the vast majority of vets suck, now.
Quality of life is important to me. Even if it’s something untreatable, there are always things you can do to make the cat more comfortable and reduce pain. And prepare yourself for euthanasia if it comes to it. So I agree it’s still worth knowing. Even if it’s something incurable.
I mean Fiv isn’t curable either. But knowing he has it means I can catch problems earlier and improve his quality of life. And lifespan.
If you’re genuinely trying to sway others to join you in your delusions by advocating they forego their empathic concerns for their animal and not take sensible, precautionary first steps of medical assessment to rule out that the animal suffers unnecessarily, you can piss right off.
What a piece of work.
I’m not going to suggest to them that it’s cancer and if it is cancer I’m not going to suggest that they should treat it. You can also piss off with your assumptions. I’m not going to let my pets needlessly suffer, either. (Nor force them to suffer with some idiotic, expensive cancer treatment that is just as likely to kill painfully kill them as it is to cure them.)
I hope you don’t have pets.
Hate to disappoint you… I have pets. I’ve had pets for many, many decades.
So, looking at that argument, you would give the same advice for a human?
I would for myself… if I found out I had cancer I would not choose to treat it. Again, it’s a subjective decision.
Well, I disagree but I get where you are coming from.
Not 100% sure with cats, but I’ve had swelling and tenderness on either side of my abdomen before, which turned out to be kidneys and ureter…
Has your cat been urinating regularly? Changed frequency? Etc
Yeah he is urinating fine as far as I know. I clean the litter box every day because , even though I have 3 boxes out for my 2 cats, they both use the same one. So it gets full every day.
I wish they would use different ones so I could tell if one of them is having a problem.
Kidneys are often an issue with cats (protip is to get low salt broth/gravy and adding a small amount to the water to try and increase the amount they drink, obviously double check with the vet)
Small firm lumps normally make me think infection from a thorn, matted hair or a scratch/bite, but they elicit obviously upset reactions from cats when touched, often hissing and claws
I’m thinking kidney as you described the lump as soft, it’s roughly the right area, could even just be a kidney stone, but for the comfort and health of the cat
I saw you said you’re going to get it checked out, good luck, hope it’s nothing
