Emphatically, NO! The chance of fibrosarcoma does not make me less inclined to have my cats vaccinated. And while kuhio98's Halo developed it from her microchip, Lisa is adamant still that companion animals should be microchipped. The chances of fibrosarcoma are minuscule when compared with the danger of rabies. (There's one estimate that only 1 in 10,000 cats will develop the tumor from the vaccine. Of course, if you, like I, have that one. . .the statistic becomes meaningless.)
Let me ask you: Are the lumps where the needle was injected? If not, I would think that this is not fibrosarcoma. The tumor usually begins where the vaccine is injected - this is why I said before that I wonder if it really is fibrosarcoma - if it is, there would be, I think (again, I'm not a vet or vet tech) only the one lump. And as Lisa pointed out, this tumor simply grows but doesn't get into the bloodstream or the lymph system.
What vaccine did Claire have? What my vet (very, very experienced and keeps current)told me is that there were two vaccines (while my Morganna was going through this) that were suspect: the FeLV vaccine and the 3-year rabies vaccine. The 3-year rabies shot is ok for dogs but should not be given to cats. If Claire had the 1-year rabies, then it's even less likely. to me. that the lumps are fibrosarcoma. If she had the 3-year rabies shot *and* there's a lump at the injection site, then I'm worried. But if she had the 1-year shot and/or the lumps are not at the injection site, I think there's hope.
The waiting is horrible, I know; we want results now - waiting just gives the fear a chance to expand. Please keep us posted; Claire is in my prayers.
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