lump on cats leg?

Question

My cat is 7 years old and very healthy. He has a lump, about the size of a quarter, on his hip area. It feels bony.
I took him to the vet and the 1st thing the vet said was "very interesting"- then put a needle in him to get sample from area for biopsy. The went on to tell me that "it could be" cancer. That he would eventually need to get his leg amputated or euthanize him !She has seen cats do well with 3 legs! She went on for 1/2 hour about some tumor like cancer- fibro- something. She got me really upset.
Then told me she would call next day with biopsy results. When she called me back she said they still did not know from looking under miscrope what it is. That is "may" not be good and the next step is to open the area and look at it.
My cat is acting normal- no limp, no licking area, normal eating, sleeping, etc.
She already took my $70 to tell me nothing! Now she wants to open him up which will result in stitches, limping, more $$$, etc...
What would you do?

Answer 1

I would try another vet for a second opinion.

Answer 2

I have to defend the vet here. It is very common for cats to get a type of sarcoma at the site of rabies vaccine injection. It is a very bad cancer which is almost always fatal unless it forms on a leg that can be amputated. Rabies vaccines are alway given in the hip area of a hind leg, so if a tumor forms the cause is easily identifiable. Since this is exactly where you say the lump is, it is no wonder that the vet immediately suspected a cancerous growth and prepared you for the worst.
Just because she didn't find anything doesn't mean she was incompetent. She may not have had a large enough sample to make a definitive diagnosis, which is why she asked you to bring your cat back for more extensive testing.
If I were you, I would go back to this vet, but a second opinion never hurts. Another thing to take into consideration is that a new vet will likely have to take another biopsy even if you supply the records from the previous one. If the second biopsy is as inconclusive as the first, the vet will probably have to open him up anyway, and you'll have wasted that $70.

Answer 3

Get a second opinion ASAP! Even if it costs you a few bucks extra. Better yet, contact the local ASPCA chapter or animal shelter and get a recommendation and/or opinion of the vet you have or other vets in the area. The condition is obviously not normal and if the vet you have now couldn't give you a proper diagnosis, I'd run and not walk away! The condition may not be cancer but some other form of growth such as a cyst or possible calcium deposit. Regardless, the vet should have given you an answer if she is competent, and obviously is not! Either that or she is so money-hungry that she would rather put kitty's life at risk making you pay for more tests. A biopsy should eliminate cancer under any circumstances. That's why they are done in the first place! As for the rest of the opinions expressed thus far I also agree 100% and yes, get the medical records from that vet. DEMAND THEM!!!!!!!! Best of luck!

Answer 4

I agree with everyone else to get a second opinion and to be sure to take the biopsy results with you. It's more than likely a fibroma, which is NOT cancerous, so put your mind at ease. My dog had a huge fibroma on his leg, at the top and our vet said as long as it wasn't bothering him not to mess with it. Finally he scraped it on something and since it was an open wound that he wouldn't stop licking, we decided to have it removed. Your cat isn't too old to have the lump removed without having to remove teh entire leg! If the second vet thinks it may be cancerous, the most conservative approach would be to remove it surgically and have it sent off to get a definitive diagnosis (most vets can send it to a nearby vet college) Then you will need to decide what to do if it's cancerous (if it's not, you're done with it..the lump is gone). If it's cancerous, you can try to see how well the cat does with only 3 legs (I've seen many "tripod" cats out there that do quite well). If the vet has reason to believe the cancer has spread and isn't curable, you'll have a very difficult decision to make about putting him/her down. BUT..that's a worst case scenario and I don't think that is your situation. Since you mentioned "fibro" in the vets report, I'm certain it's a fibroma (I'm in the medical and dental fields myself and have more than a bit of knowledge on such things). Get to a second vet and good luck!

Answer 5

Go to another vet for a second opinion. One should not perform surgery on an animal on the strength of "maybe." And why cannot they analyse the biopsy? I am wondering whether the lump on your kitty's haunch was a possible injection site of a vaccination he had some time ago. There have been numerous cases of cats deveoping sarcoma-something in vaccine injection sites. On the otherhand, I feel I need to tell you about a suspicious "lump" that developed on my cat - just beside his hip bone. I was truly worried about the lump and spent a lot of time researching what it sould possibly be. Now and agina, I' go over to my cat and feel around the lump, massaging it in an effort to guess what it coud be. After a few weeks, the lump mysteriously disappeared! No sign of it even after his regular vet check-up.
Asked my vet what it was, of course... he siad "dunno" but perhaps it was just an inflammed muscle that healed by itself (as they normally do).

I hope your cat's lump disappears the way my cat's lump did. That was a year and a half ago and my cat is now 9 yrs old.

Answer 6

I would get a second opinion from a vet who sends biopsies like that to a lab. Most vets do not have the proper equipment to tell you for sure what the problem is. But labs that do it on a daily basis should be able to identify the mass and give a prognosis along with a diagnosis.

Answer 7

well one thing is if i was you i wouldnt even take what the veterinary doctor said about youre cat what he has . but i would just get another veterinarian doctor at another place where they do really tell the owners how much it cost to have the sugery to remove the cancer and how will they do it first before they re gotta open youre cat . cause i dont think that ever veterinarians clinic does says the same words about what she told you . plus if she keep calling and telling you this suggestes and is making you feel more upset then i wouldnt pay youre veterinary at all before they do know what to do . cause for ones it looks like youre doctor doesnt even know what she really planning doing for youre cat. plus doctors like that can mistaken doing the wrong things in the clinic . so you can call and find another better veterinarian clinic and ask them how much is their surgeries cost and maybe they can gave you osme ideas what to do next . i can say that veterinarians males doctors are always trusted and does tell the pets owners with true words then females doctors doesnt even tell much what theygotta planning to do in their jobs.

Answer 8

I would take the cat to another vet for a second opinion. No offense but from what you stated it sounds like she has no clue what she is talking about let alone doing. I hope this work out for you and your cat.

Answer 9

Get ALL of the medical records/ test results from vet # 1 and bring them, your precious kitty and your hard earned money to a new vet that is not a retard!

Answer 10

Can they remove it? I would get a second opinion! Before you let your vet do anything invasive or costly, go see another vet and ask them for their opinion. Don't even think about getting his leg amputated or euthanizing him before you get more professional advise!