My turn to ask for thoughts...he's fine, I guess. #20

[Taz_Zoee]

I noticed a lump on Taz's side over the weekend. I called this morning and got an appointment for tomorrow night. I come home tonight and I can SEE the lump now. It is getting bigger. :(
He is eating and pottying fine. So I just hope it is nothing serious.

Come on PT, get those thoughts going for my "old" man, please.

Thanks in advance. :)

[Moesha]

Can you feel the lump? Take it in your hands and roll it around. It is hard or softish? Can you feel the whole thing, like a ball? Can you tell if it is attached to anything or if it is sort of self-contained? Is it under the skin or growing up out of it?

Hope that the vet determines that it is a cyst or something that isn't something to be worried about.

[Catty1]

Aw, Taz!

Cindy, I suspect he picked up a small wound from baby sister during play, and it has abcessed.

PRAYERS for Taz! Give him a snuggle for me.:love:

[Medusa]

Many prayers going up for Taz that all is well.....

[jazzcat]

Good healing thoughts for Taz.

[Karen]

Hope it's nothing serious, but he'll be in our prayers!

[CouturePup]

Poor guy, I will be thinking of him.

[Taz_Zoee]

Moesha - I checked and it is kinda soft, it feels like it's attached. Also, there is a similar one on the other side, but one is bigger than the other. And they were not there before. I'm hoping I am over reacting and it is nothing.

Candace - I wish that were the case (it would be a for sure fix), but Taz and Paizly just do not play like that. They sometimes playfully swat at each other, but not rolling around together or anything.

Thank you all so much for the good thoughts. :)

[jennielynn1970]

Soft sounds like it would be more of a cyst. I hope that's all they both are.

I'll be keeping Taz in my thoughts and will be sure to check in on this tomorrow!!

Big hugs going out to you and Taz.

[Bengalz]

I hope everything goes well with the Vet visit and that Taz comes home with a good result.

You're not over reacting, just a concerned mommy. I completely understand and would feel the same way. Hugs to you and Taz :love:

[Emeraldgreen]

I'm hoping it is just a fat deposit or a cyst. The vet will probably do a fine needle aspiration and have a look at what he draws out under the microscope. I've had a few cats have FNA's and they have never required local anesthesia or anything and it just takes a few seconds to get a sample of what is in the lump. If it is a fat deposit or a cyst, the vet can usually tell right away. If they are unsure, they will send it off for further testing. How big are the lumps?
Good thoughts and prayers headed your way. :)

[Whisk_Luva]

Good thoughts for Taz, I hope its nothing serious!

((Hugs))

[Taz_Zoee]

The lumps were not as big this morning. Yesterday the one on his left side was big enough that I could see it. The hair was standing up, ya know? And this morning I almost couldn't even find it. But it is still there.
I'm still taking him in because this morning while I was spending quality time with him I noticed he swallows real hard. Almost like he's having a hard time swallowing. But again, he is eating. Although, he only wants to eat Whiska's Temptations....brat.:p AND his meow is hoarse, like he's losing his voice.
So I'm still taking him in to be checked out.

Oh, the lump yesterday was about the size of a plum, or a bit smaller than a baseball.

Thank you again for all the well wishes. :D

[Medusa]

The lumps were not as big this morning. Yesterday the one on his left side was big enough that I could see it. The hair was standing up, ya know? And this morning I almost couldn't even find it. But it is still there.
I'm still taking him in because this morning while I was spending quality time with him I noticed he swallows real hard. Almost like he's having a hard time swallowing. But again, he is eating. Although, he only wants to eat Whiska's Temptations....brat.:p AND his meow is hoarse, like he's losing his voice.
So I'm still taking him in to be checked out.

Oh, the lump yesterday was about the size of a plum, or a bit smaller than a baseball.

Thank you again for all the well wishes. :D

Hmmm, I've not experienced this w/cats but the hard swallowing and raspy voice are what my Mom had when her thyroid was acting up. Be sure to mention these symptoms to your vet. (I know you will. Just being a mom here. LOL)

[catmandu]

PRECIOUS ANGEL HAD A BIG LUMP ON HER SIDE, BUT MY VET SAID THATS NOT ALL THAT RARE AND THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME THEY ARE NOT DAMGEROUS AT ALL, THEY ARE JUST SWELLINGS WHERE TAZ MAY HAVE FALLEN.
AND IF THEY ARE GETTING SMALLER , I WOULD SAY THERES NO PROBLEM, BUT FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND YOU MIGHT WANT YOUR VET TO LOOK AT IT!:cool:

[Anikaca77]

Continuing to send you and Taz prays!

[MoonandBean]

Just said a little prayer for Taz! Hope it turns out to be nothing serious :love:

[GILL]

The CREW are wishing you and Taz our prayers and good thouhts.

[kimlovescats]

It sounds almost like clogged pores since they are increasing and decreasing in size! I pray that's all it is!:love:

[Taz_Zoee]

Well, like I said the lump is not there so there was nothing for the vet to see.:mad:
But I did ask her about his having a hard time swallowing and losing his voice. She said if his voice doesn't come back within a week to let her know.
She did feel around his belly and said his bladder is VERY full. He just had full panel blood work done back in March so she said he should be fine until his next annual check up next March.
But she wants me to put him on special food because one of the numbers was a little high. So we want to deter that number going higher.
I'm NOT happy that they want me to buy their Science Diet food. I always feel like it's a scam just to make them money. So I only got 4 cans of it just to see if he'll even like it. He seems to be getting picky in his old age.

Ugh, I'm so frustrated. I haven't been feeling good this week. All I want to do is sleep and then I waste my time at the stinking vets, plus $50. (don't get me wrong, I'd pay whatever I had to for my babies) I think it's just all building up and I might explode!! :eek:

So, on that note, I'm going to go to bed now.

Again, thank you for your thoughts and everything. I really appreciate it. :)

(I just re-read my post and it doesn't make much sense. I'm sorry, but I don't know how else to explain it. :( Maybe tomorrow I can try again.)

[Moesha]

I so know that feeling of being concerned about your baby and going through the trouble and worry and expense of getting them to the vet only to really have no answers.
Chin up! Glad the lumps went away from Taz. What kind of Science Diet food is it? Is there another brand that would offer comparable results that you would prefer to feed him? I know I didn't have good results with Science Diet Lite. Morgan gained weight every time he went in despite being on a strictly rationed diet! My other wonder is why if the blood work was done in March and the levels were up then, whey did they wait until now to change the food? Especially without another blood check. Strange. Hope you slept well!

[kimlovescats]

((((HUGS)))) Hang in there!:love:;)

[Taz_Zoee]

Moesha - she put him on k/d. And boy he :love:'s it! He devoured it this morning. It does have an analysis on it. And I am going to compare it to other foods. I also wanted to ask PT experts their opinion too.
She said it should be a food low in protein and salt but high in fat.:confused: So if anybody has any ideas of a good food I could purchase at Petsmart, Petco or Pet Food Express, that would be great! Pet Food Express is even better because I get a discount there through ARF.

And I have no idea why she didn't suggest I change his diet back in March. Maybe she did, but I just wasn't listening. I tend to not hear things when I'm at the vet. But I recall her saying it's nothing to worry about right now. She did say it was time for another blood check and I said - but he just had it in March. I've always taken them in once a year. But I guess with his age I should start taking him in twice a year. But blood work costs over $300. I can handle that once a year. It'd be tight to handle it twice a year. But if it comes down to that then that's what I'll do, of course.

Thanks for the encouraging words Moesha and Kim. :D

[Medusa]

You might want to double check w/your vet about having his blood work done again since he just had it done in March. Unless he needs to be monitored, once a year is often enough, even w/senior cats. I have 3 seniors and they go in only once a year for senior blood work.

I'm glad he loves the KD. My Puddy loves it, too, thank goodness, even the dry.

[Taz_Zoee]

Mary, she said he was due for bloodwork again and I questioned that because he did just have it done in March. She was fine with waiting until March to do bloodwork again. But if I suspect anything sooner I will definitely have tests ran when needed. :)

I guess since he is liking the k/d so much (that could change though, he is a weirdo cat) I'll keep him on it. He has cleaned his plate twice!! Woo Hoo!! :D
I was concerned about Paizly getting it, but I don't think that's a problem, he eats it all gone right away. LOL Also, I asked the vet about Paizly getting to his food and she said it won't hurt her but it shouldn't be her only diet. Of course I still have her on the Felidae kitten food as her regular food. So it's all good. :D

I feel much better today, so I can think rationally (to a point). And I feel that Taz will be fine and I'll just keep a close eye on him, as I already do with all my babies.

[Emeraldgreen]

My RB cat Jade really liked the dry K/D. Actually all my cats were always trying to get into it. It does seem palatable for them and has kind of a greasyness to the kibble that cats like. However, she did not like the wet version so I gave her a tiny bit of whatever wetfood she wanted every now and then. When I tried to keep her on a strict low protein diet (wet and dry) she wasn't eating enough and my vet said at that point, it is better to make sure she eats. She lived until she was 21, many years after she was diagnosed. :)

[Taz_Zoee]

She tried to get me to get the wet and dry. But I have a HUGE bag of Felidae plus some of the Purina Cat Chow left that I've been mixing together for both of them. So I wanted to keep him on that and she said that was fine. As long as he eats MORE of the k/d. And he is. :D :D

Thank you Emeraldgreen, that gives me hope that your kitty lived so long. I honestly can't imagine my life without Taz. I even cried at the vets office because I was so stressed about him. And she even commented on the fact that I care so much about him. I appreciate the fact that she realizes that. I just wish she could give me straight answers. LOL

OH, I'm not sure if anyone remembers me talking about the resident office cat at my vets, Murphy. The big fluffy black guy that I :love:. Well he now has asthma. :( Poor guy was coughing so hard. I almost cried for him too. Next time I go in I have to remember to take my camera so I can show you guys how beautiful he is.