Peanut has an appointment

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

On Saturday to have this checked out


This is the biggest/worst one, but she does have about 3 or 4 others like it on her body. The smallest one is about midway down her spine, and looks like a mole that is not brown – just a skin colored bump. The others are somewhere between that bump and this icky looking thing.

Last time she was to the vet, he said “That’s a (can’t remember what he called them) and they are common in older cats.” I don’t remember that vet’s name, but I hope I get a different one this weekend so I can get a second opinion. They really haven’t changed since then – maybe a little worse, but not much – but I think this is what Tubby is smelling on her and why he continues to try and lick her – which she hates, so she hauls off and smacks him one, he gets mad and attacks her causing a big ruckus….usually at 2:30 or so in the morning. (One morning it was 2:30 – than again at 4:30. Huh…what did you say boss? Oh, sorry, guess I didn’t get much sleep last night.)

They look like a mole, but they have a hole in the middle (the pore?) and there is black gooey stuff coming out of it. I picked the black gooey stuff off, and it’s bloody underneath, and it smells. If I can smell it, I’m sure this is what Tubby smells. I don’t know if the vet looked at them that closely last time, but whatever he did, I don’t think they should be bloody – and not that they’re oozing blood or anything, but it’s still there. This is why I gave Peanut a bath on Saturday to see if that would help. Well, Saturday night was fine, but Sunday night he was right back to licking her again, so, so much for that idea. Although I will continue to give her baths as long as she is extra oily. She was just so much fluffier and seemed happier afterwards (after she got done hating me that is). Oh, and just sticking my nose in her fur and sniffing I can’t smell anything, but when I picked the gooey stuff off, that’s when I could smell it. I think the gooey stuff is just extra oil that’s coming out of that “overgrown” pore, and maybe it’s black because of the old blood.

Last time he said she's got allergies, totally discounted these "lumps" and gave me some Prednisolone (sp?) for the allergies. Well, she's still licking her legs and tummy clean and Tubby is still sniffing/licking her. It helped for a little bit in the beginning, but has gotten progressively worse so now it's to the point the pills make no difference. I stopped giving them to her about three weeks ago and there has been no difference in her actions or Tubby's - except that she seems happier somehow. Like she feels better or something - or maybe it's that she doesn't feel any different buy her mom is happier not having to force the pill down her throat every morning.

I have no idea what the vet is going to say, but I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen anything like this in kitties?

Oh, and I do have more pictures of this if anyone wants to see them, but this seemed to be the best/closest one.

[slick]

Oh poor Peanut! I'm so sorry that I don't have much advise to offer as I haven't dealt with this before. Speckles has a small lump on her neck that looks like acne but it's been there for the last 4 years and the vet said it is OK. I do hope you get some answers and Peanut is back to normal. Prayers are on the way for the 3 of us.

[jenluckenbach]

I see things like that on the dogs that come in for grooming all the time, but rarely on cats. None of the owners are ever concerned about them. Maybe their vets' all tell them that it is nothing but a cyst or blackhead, etc. Good luck with Peanut at the vet and I would be very interested to hear what the vet says.

[Miss Meow]

I've never seen those before! Good luck with the second vet - like Jen, I'll be very interested to hear what the vet says. Maybe it is a cyst-like thing that gets warm and irritated by Peanut's long fur, which makes it bigger and darker???

[batgirl1980]

Keep us updated. Poor Peanut, I bet that secretly she enjoyed the bath more than she let on because afterwards she felt better.

I hope it's all good news from the vet, and that you get one who LISTENS to you and pays attention.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Debbie, I've never seen anything like this before. I sure hope that it's nothing serious. Please keep us updated on what the vet says. Good luck.

[Barbara]

I also have never seen something like this. I hope you can find out whether it makes her feel bad or whatever. Good luck

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by batgirl1980
Keep us updated. Poor Peanut, I bet that secretly she enjoyed the bath more than she let on because afterwards she felt better.

I think so too.

Thanks everyone. I will be sure and let you all know what the outcome is on Saturday. She does seem happier since the bath - and without the pills, so we'll see if there's anything I can do so she doesn't smell so Tubby stops sniffing and licking her - which would probably make her real happy.

[smokey the elder]

Wow, that looks scary. Please make sure your vet can figure out what it is or get a second, etc. opinion. Isn't Peanut a
"senior" cat?

[Nomilynn]

How did the appointment go?

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by smokey the elder
Wow, that looks scary. Please make sure your vet can figure out what it is or get a second, etc. opinion. Isn't Peanut a
"senior" cat?

Yes, she is 14 1/2 now, so you could describe her as a nice elderly lady.

Well, the vet looked at her "growths" and said they are some kind of skin growth. He didn't seem overly concerned as if it were cancer or anything, but said to keep an eye on them and if they change in anyway to let him know right away. He said he couldn't burn them off because they have "roots" and go deeper into the skin. He could cut them out if I wanted, but he said we'd try the least invasive procedure first. So what he suggested was Feliway (yes, Kelly, I thought of you and your gang when he said this ). He said he thought Tubby's licking on her sounded more behavioral since he wasn't licking on these particular spots. So I said why would Tubby start this now after they've been together for 13 years and he never did it before. He didn't have an answer for that one. I told him the whole story about how the other vet said she had allergies and all, and he didnt' think that was the case.

He said I should spray the Feliway on a damp cloth and rub T & P with it. I should use the same cloth for both cats because then they will smell the same and there will be no reason for him to come over and start sniffing and licking her. So I did this when we got back home, and no scuffles all afternoon. Then I did it again before we went to bed, and all was quiet all night - yipee!! Then Sunday morning I did not rub them down because I wanted to do a little test, and sure enough Sunday afternoon there was a scuffle, so out comes the Feliway and they both get rubbed down again. Nothing last night and they both got rubbed down this morning, so we'll see what Terry says about them today. He said the Feliway was supposed to calm them down - which might also help Peanut and her stress licking (her one front leg is still bare underneath and her tummy has never filled in again, but is not as bare as it was last year).

They did seem calmer, but all they did was sleep, so I thought to myself, how much calmer can they get then this? Although I don't want them sleeping all the time, and I don't want cats that seem like they're doped up all the time, so we'll have to see how this goes. He said I should call back in about 2 weeks and let him know how it's going. If it seems to be working we'll keep it this way, or we'll try something different which might included cutting the growths out - which I would only do as a last resort. He said he wouldn't want to put her out to do it because of her age so he would only give a local anesthetic, and she would be terrified the whole time, so I hope we don't have to do that.

So anyway, she was a good little girl the whole time - basically too terrified to move. When I was at home I couldn't get her in the carrier, then at the vet I couldn't get her out of it! But she did real good and got extra treats when we got home, along with a good rub down of Feliway.

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and caring.

[Nomilynn]

Well I'm glad to hear it isn't anything serious!! And please keep us updated on the Feliway progress

[jenluckenbach]

it's amazing what that feliway stuff can be used for.
I think I would not DO anything to those growths if it is not absolutely necessary. No use frightening her, right? Glad the vet was not too concerned about them.

[szazie]

What is feliway? I am glad the Vet doesn't seem to think they are serious.

[kimlovescats]

I agree with Jen.... and wouldn't put her through anything invasive at her age. As long as it isn't anything life threatening, or painful to her, I'd just leave it alone!

I'm happy that the Feliway is working for them both too!