Cat people.....my cat has a large lump on the side of his throat...UPDATE PG2

[gshoemate]

Has anyone had this happen? It's not a lump that has been growing over time, it just appeared. It's a hard lump under his left ear, right along the neck. I'm going to take him to the vet this week but I am afraid it is going to be something serious that I can't afford to fix. He is my baby, I have had him for 13 years, he has been through the ups and downs in my life and I don't want to lose him. Any suggestions as to what could be wrong?

 

[phillybeth]

Is he having any trouble swallowing? Is he eating, drinking and using the litterbox normally? Any changes in his behavior- is he hiding more, less active, lethargic? Is he not interested in his favorite toys and/or treats? Does he seem sick to you? Trust your instincts as his owner, you know him better than anyone.

 

[slimplaw]

It could be an abcess or a subaceous cyst. In case it is an abcess, see a vet soon. It would be treatable.

 

[gshoemate]

Originally posted by phillybeth
Is he having any trouble swallowing? Is he eating, drinking and using the litterbox normally? Any changes in his behavior- is he hiding more, less active, lethargic? Is he not interested in his favorite toys and/or treats? Does he seem sick to you? Trust your instincts as his owner, you know him better than anyone.

He is a very lazy cat so it is hard to tell if there has been a change there. He seems to have a bit of a hard time swallowing but is still eating and drinking. I will call the vet tomorrow and see if they can get him in.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

I hope your cat will be okay. Please keep us posted.

 

[chyam]

Please keep us posted........although given his age, I will say that my 20 year old has one of those on his neck right above his back and was told it was nothing to worry about so I hope that is the case with yours. My cat has always been beautiful, all white with blue eyes and as he has aged he has gotten uglier, now has a wart under his eye and the lump I stated earlier, why is it we get all these weird things when we get old!!

 

[FroggyinArk]

definitely get him checked, we have had three toms develope cysts or abcesses and have to have them drained/removed by vet, all ended up being OK, and they are fairly common in male cats. We check my shadow and Granny's tom regularly, and so far so good hope you Lil mans feeling better soon

 

[depplyinluv]

my cat had this happen to him right after he got neutered when he was a kitten, but since your cat is older it might not be the same as what mine had...a giant lump of puss(ick)...if it is a cyst, a lot of the time it can be drained without any problems...happens a lot in older house animals... i hope you are able to get him checked out this week, and keep us posted!

 

[catsrule]

Hope your kitty-baby is feeling better. Hope he is ok.

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

Poor Kitty.

What's his name? I'll be sending him some good thoughts. Hope he feels better soon. Please let us know what happens.

 

[Robinrs]

I've had two cats with this problem, both were boils that had to be drained.

Prayers for your kitty, I know how scary it can be.

 

[stacilee]

It could very well be a swollen lymph node in that position, which could be a symptom of infection either in that region or elsewhere.

Is your kitty the indoor/outdoor type or strictly indoors? Do you have another cat in the house? Affirmative answers to these questions would determine the likelyhood of an abscess in this situation as abscesses are almost always caused by a tussle with another cat.

An abcsess is normally warm to the touch and very painful. A cat with an abscess will typically seem depressed, testy, sulky, show lask of interest in food and run a fever. On close inspection, if an abscess is the culprit, you will almost undoubtable find a tiny puncture wound which is the entrance site of nasty germs caused by the bite of another animal. If the abscess is close to bursting, or already draining it may be oozing an odifferous discharge which may range from pink to neon green. Please wash your hands after handling your pet as these are nasty germs.

I too, recommend a trip to the vet soon to both facilitate a quick recovery and to allay your fears.
Best wishes, stacilee

 

[Serena]

Keep us updated after you see the vet.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

If the lump is closer to the throat, it may be a thyroid gland indicating hyperthyroidism (cats as they age can be prone to this). Hopefully this is an abscess as others have said because that is easily corrected with drainage and antibiotics. Best wishes!

 

[Nickimouse]

I found a lump on my Barney kitties neck last fall. It was easily removed and hasn't come back.He was healthy in every other way so the vet didn't even test the lump he removed. He said to watch him closely and if it started to return then we would need further testing. Good luck to you and your kitty!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I would go to the vet. If it is something that can be treated, the cost will be much less if it's detected and diagnosed early.

It will make you feel better to know for sure.

I hope it is nothing serious.

 

[Rajah]

Any updates yet?

 

[chyam]

Bump................any news yet?

 

[gshoemate]

Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I was finally able to get him into the vet today. She didn't think it was a cyst or abcesses. She was able to find his thyroid on both sides so she didn't think that was it either. She said because of the location, size and hardness, it's a tumor. She gave me some antibiotics to give him to see if that does anything. If not, then I need to take him back in next week for a biopsy and she will probably refer us to a specialist if surgery is needed She said if it is a tumor, it hasn't spread anywhere other then the neck. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for some type of infection but I will have to face reality at some point. Has anyone had a cat with a tumor before? What can I expect as far as treating or removing it? Any idea on the cost? I know talking about cost seems cold but I may need to borrow the money from my parents and would like to have an idea. She told me the cost of the biopsy but that was it. Thanks everyone for your support and prayers, he may need them now more then ever.

KatelynnsAuntie - His name is Azram but we call him Boo Boo (easier for the kids to say). I got him when I was engaged to an ex, who was into the whole wizard and dragon theme. Azram is all white and he used to have a gray stripe down his head. My ex named him after some wizard that his hair would become grayer with the more power he had.

 

[noel]

Sorry you didn't get the good news you were hoping for.

Hopefully it won't be anything too serious...I'll be thinking about you, please keep us updated!