Why does Kitty have lumps?

Question

My cat has these odd lumps. It first started as one hugh lump at the base of his tail. It doesn't hurt him. Later he got one on his tail and just recently I found one behind his ear. When I took him to the vet they told me that it was nothing. I found that very odd that he suddenly has lump and its nothing. LOL i paid 700 bucks for a diagnosis like that!

My cat was there for 2 hours. I went for a coffee and came back. He said he didn't use an anthestia or drugs. He did use a needle to extract what he needed to make a diagnosis. What makes me "ILL" about the whole thing was not that I went to him but that he only said it was NOTHING. Didn't tell me what it "was". Didn't give me any other form of assurance. Took my money and escorted me out for his next client.

I can understand how you would be put off by my remarks but I think in this case I have some merit to my rant. If you were in my shoes being there while he told you it was nothing while he took your money and rushed you out, you would be a little angry too. He never told me what the lumps were.

Why the hell do you think I'm posting this here? If yahoo was going to charge me another 700 bucks for posting this here I wouldn't damn well post.

Answer 1

I would get suspicious of that vet. Get a second opinion.

Now, one of my kitties does have a lump where I pulled a tick off of his head. It doesn't seem to bother him, but I'm keeping an eye on it.

Answer 2

Ya know... it makes me ill when people like you bad-mouth a vet like that. There is no way you took your cat to a vet..and all he did was say the lump was "nothing" and charge you $700 bucks. You might have a vet that will overcharge you...but NO vet is gonna charge you $700 bucks to say nothing is wrong. Did you forget to mention about lab work, anesthesia, biopsy, cultures, injections or other medications perscribed? Heck, you probably went ahead and got the cats yearly vaccinations too. So don't get onto the vet about his charges... there might be 20 things ruled out that your cat DOESN'T have that are important for you to know.

Answer 3

could be a sebaceous cyst...

A sebaceous cyst is a small sac containing an accumulation of secretions produced by the sebaceous glands. Sebaceous cysts are also known as epidermoid cysts, epidermal inclusion cysts, epidermal cysts, and wens.

The sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum, which lubricates the skin. The ducts of the sebaceous glands empty into hair follicles. The development of sebaceous cysts is thought to arise from an obstruction of the follicles, leading to abnormal accumulations of sebum.

Sebaceous cysts are common in cats. There are no breed, age or sex predilections with respect to formation of the cysts. There is no significant impact on your pet, as these are benign, non-painful growths.

What to Watch For


Smooth, round firm to fluctuant growths, roughly 5mm to 5cm in diameter. They may have a slightly blue color to them.

Release of a grayish white or brown discharge with a cheesy consistency.

Development of cysts on the head, neck, body and upper legs.

Diagnostic tests


Fine needle aspiration. A diagnosis can often be made by placing a small needle within the cyst and suctioning some cells out of it with a syringe. Microscopic evaluation of the cells will often be suggestive of a sebaceous cyst.


Biopsy. A definitive diagnosis may require a sample of tissue that has been surgically removed.

Treatment

In most cases no treatment is necessary. If the decision is made to biopsy the cyst, complete surgical removal is usually performed. This is curative.

Home Care

At home, monitor the cyst for changes in size or evidence of irritation. Although these are benign growths, fine needle aspiration does not always provide a conclusive diagnosis. For this reason, rapidly enlarging masses should be surgically removed and biopsied to ensure there is no evidence of malignancy (cancer).