Advice needed for elderly cat

[hellsbell]

I'm just wanting a little advice to know I am doing the right thing, I have a 15 year old tom cat who I love to bits, however, a couple of years ago I noticed a lump on his back about the size of a pea, I took him to the vet to be checked which really stressed him, he was sick in his carrier, urinated and poo'd by the time he got to the vets, the vet said it was a cyst and squeezed it to pop internally, when he got home he sat in a corner, wouldn't eat for a couple of days and was generally traumatised. After a few months the lump came back and has now grown about the size of a conker, I'm reluctant to take him back to the vet because of his previous reaction. It doesn't seem to bother him at all. He is loosing some weight but I think that's just his old age. Is it worth stressing him with a trip to the vets again, given his age I feel it will do more harm than good but don't want to appear irresponsible.

[medusa]

Hi hellsbell

 

I feel your pain with this one, and I understand completely that there are times when visits to the vets are so negative that you need a VERY good reason to visit them. One of my cats reacts similarly, and another is so stressed by human contact that I know that if I ever manage to get him into a basket to visit a vet it will be because he is desperately ill.

 

How is your lad's health generally? If he's healthy, strong and well generally then there's quite a good chance that he could survive an anaesthetic to remove the lump (assuming that the lump is actually something dangerous which he would be better without).

 

The lump may be a cyst, or it may be a tumour, and if it's a cyst then I wouldn't consider an anaesthetic and operation unless there's a really good reason. However, if it's a tumour then it could take years to get to the size where it's truly dangerous to him, or it could be a relatively fast growing tumour which could do with being dealt with and that's where my concern lies.

 

If he's young enough and fit enough that he would predictably come through an operation pretty well and the tumour is fast growing enough that it would be dangerous to him before he is likely to die of old age (bearing in mind he could quite easily have 6-10 more years if he's a long lived cat) then biting the bullet and getting a biopsy and an operation is possible, and it could prolong his life and give him good quality of life too.

 

Of course, the down side of all of this choice is that to find out whether it's a cyst or a tumour involves the vet in the first place

 

My old cat Sophie had a lump under her eye which turned out to be a sweat gland tumour, after it was originally thought to be a cyst, which was removed when it got too big on her face. The operation thoroughly freaked her out, as did wearing a bucket on her head, and she had a totally dreadful couple of months after the operation, between the mental anguish, the pain and the trying to cope wearing the buster collar. I talked to the vet and informed him that if the tumour returned I would be having her put to sleep (even though she was only 8 ) rather than having the tumour operated on again, because another operation would entail losing an eye, and at least a few weeks in a buster collar- and I knew that Sophie just wouldn't cope with that at all. Some of my cats would be fine with losing an eye, and with the bucket, and with the medication I'd have to give her, but Sophie wasn't one of those cats.

 

As it happened, she had secondary tumours that nobody had spotted and she died less than a year later, so that decision was taken out of my hands and I'm actually quite glad that it was.

 

In your position I think I'd be asking myself which decision (to vet or not vet) you would regret less looking back when representing your lad's interests. Preserving length of life is not a positive if that extra life is not happy, as far as I'm concerned.

 

If he's not in pain and it's not troubling him I think I'd wait until it was before I considered going to the vet. Lumps and bumps are pretty normal in older age (for all mammals) and are not necessarily a sign that an operation is needed, and even a lot of the tumours which grow in older mammals grow so slowly that they are something that you die with rather than something that you die of.

 

Good luck on coming to the right decision for you and your cat

Edited January 17, 2015 by medusa

[midgecat]

Very much agree with what Medusa says ... I also have a cat that I can't imagine taking to the vet unless she was very poorly.

 

Just one other thought though ..... you could try speaking to the vet and discussing the dilemma. S/he will have details of record of what the lump was last time, and should have some idea of whether its likely to come back as a tumour or just a bigger cyst - even if its just an educated guess or she says she really doesn't know - I think that should leave you a little clearer with weighing things up. My experience of vets (maybe I've just been lucky) is that they understand this problem and can be helpful in thinking it through.

[teeny]

try bathing with epsom salt , it will burst if its an abcess ? Does you cat go out ? is it possible hes had a fight ? if so maybe you need antibiotics to help him heal , Could you ask the vet to come to your home , I have on several instances had the vet come to my home rather than distress them.

[Chez2]

I would just like to add that our cat has always pooped in his cat carrier in the car even though he doesn't seem particularly stressed and will go in the carrier himself. The popping of the cyst may have made him feel ill and behave odd rather than it all being down to the visit to the vets.

[spats]

I would speak to your vet first, maybe take a photo of the lump, give the vet as much info as possible, then ask if he/she would be happy to come out on a home visit? It will probably cost more than a surgery appointment...but that's what I would do. One of my cats had a warty thing on her chin, it used to come up & then just drop off or go. Warm salt water bathe will draw out any puss if it is an infected bite.

[denlin]

You need to take your cat to vets or ask for a home visit. It's no good leaving it and hoping for best. Your cat has a good few years left yet. Mine will be 19 in April

[Rainrescue]

I would go to a different vet and ensure you get a senior vet to look at it. Squeezing something 'internally' doesn't sound right to me. Cats don't like being messed with either so no wonder its traumatised.

 

Squeezing is ok if there is an 'external' way out for the fluid and all the fluid is removed and the animal goes on anti-biotic if its infected. I would be worried about what happened to your cat and seek tests or at least a second opinion.

Good luck - 15 is still young for a cat.

[hellsbell]

Thanks for the advice, I'm pretty sure it's not an abcess as its been there 2 years now. I telephoned the vet but they said because I initially took him in for weight loss (due to age) they didn't make a note of the lump. The home visit is £80 plus treatment, which frankly is ridiculous, I'm going to take him back to the vet and get another opinion, I'll just have to bring him round with lots of treats afterwards.

Rain rescue, he was not put on antibiotics after the squeezing, if I remember rightly they thought it was a cyst when the popped it (popped internal not external)

So, to take him to the vet I just need to catch him, turns into Houdini when he sees the pet carrier lol x

[Chez2]

Why do you think £80 is ridiculous? Do you know the going rate for professional people / consultants? They start at £400 a day, many are around the £600 per day mark. Often plus travelling charges too.

 

Just think how many consultations they can fit in the time from leaving their surgery to the time they return. £80 is cheap if you take that into consideration.