Question:
One of my kittens kasey had a bump appear on his side saturday. he wasn't in pain or anything so we didnt take him to the emergancy vets and today my moms making him a vet appointment. I'm really worried and cant get the idea of it being a cancerous tumor out of my head. but wouldn't that be rare ? its more like a bump then a lump. its on his right hip-area. its fairly small but yeah. what could it possibly be? he is really accident prone.. but if he got hurt or something would there be a bump like that?

basically, im just freaking out and really worried and could use some ideas of something /other/ then cancer. its just got me upset.

Answer:
Good that he's going to the vet. It could be something as simple as a hematoma from a fall or running into something, which is basically a hard bruise. Better to get it checked out and put your minds at ease.

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Okay, that sounds way more logical. My kittens are super super accident prone. I've gone threw my house with my mom and kitten proofed things 20 times over and they still manage to hurt themselves. Lately they've found amusement from falling down the stairs and or climbing up over the railing (which i had already kitten proofed and had to kitten proof again) and jumping from the top of the stairs.

It's not bothering him really. but its not squishy or anything like anything like that. Its more like at first we thought something dislocated and it was a bone popping out, but after feeling it it was just a hard little bump.


how do they fix a hemotoma??? or does it heal on its own?

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I think if it's small and not in a problem area, like an ear flap, they leave hematomas alone to heal on their own. Good luck at the vet

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Thanks! Its on his hip. Its smaller today but still noticable. It is not squishy or moveable and pretty much it seems like its either some sort of swollen sore, a hardend bruise like what was said or a build up or syst or something. it's not causing him much discomfort and since its already a bit smaller i think it should heal up on its own. hes got a vet appointment on thursday

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Maybe it's from a resent vaccination,like my Vinnie??

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That can happen? He just very recently got his last kitten vaccine for um... distemoper I believe. It could cause swelling? It was .. about a week before the bump showed up he got the vaccine. Maybe less. He was really sore. And its right around his hip area where he got the needle.

Is that.. bad???

(ps sorry i dont respond sooner i can only log in every once in a while and ive been sick for a few days)

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The reaction should show up fairly soon after the vaccination. Does he still have it?

Answer:
Originally Posted by kathryn
he wasn't in pain or anything so we didnt take him to the emergancy vets

Kasey wouldn't likely let you know if it hurt because cats often hide thier pain until it is too late to help them. What was Kasey doing that let you know he was really sore? Its okay to be concerned and always a good idea to have the vet check to be on the safe side.

To try finding more info I just did a google search: "symptom of reaction to distemper shot cats lumps" without the quotes though. Some interesting stuff came up and I think you were correct to be concerned that it might be cancer that is one of many possibilities.

Try not to think the worst till after the vet looks at it though! There is no way to know for sure what it is unless a biopsy is taken to find out what the lump is made of.

Good luck on Thursday.

Answer:
Kathryn,my Vinnie had his shots a month ago and still has a lump,but it's getting smaller.
His lump however is not painful or hard,so you should really take your kitten to the vet and not assume it's from the vaccine,although it is a possibility.
Only a vet can tell you

Answer:
My parents were pettinh him and found the lump. its not bothering him at all. He doesen't even know its there. It hasn't gotten any smaller from the last time. Atleast it's not getting any bigger:

Answer:
Originally Posted by kathryn
He doesen't even know its there

How do you know? Cats don't usually let you know if things hurt and if it was "really sore" as you mentioned it most likely hurt VERY MUCH. Even if he is not showing any signs of pain now he could still be sore.

Good luck at the vet.

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Thanks. I know it's not bothering him because he's really a cry baby. He cries whenever he gets the slighest bit hurt. It would be a bit strange for him to ignore something that was bothering him because even if he just bumps his head on something he makes a big ordeal and cries. He's silly like that. So us being able to touch it and he doesn't make any noises or anything is pretty much a sign that it's really not bothering him.

He goes tommorow afternoon though. Hopefully its something simple and he doesn't have a tumor : He hasn't been acting any differntly at all and is still running around playing so I think it's something simple.

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Glad you're taking him to the vet. Good luck and keep us posted.

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Well hopefully it isn't anything however you might want to mention this to your vet just in case, always better safe than sorry.

Excerpt:

"Please be aware of the risks of Feline Vaccine Related Sarcoma / Cancer"

"What is the problem? For several years a growing number of cats have developed cancerous tumors at the location site of vaccines. Vaccines such as distemper, rabies and feline leukemia have caused these tumors in what statistics are showing to be anywhere from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 vaccine injections. The success rate for treatment of these tumors is unfortunately extremely low.

What should we do? Please speak to your Vet! Your vet should tell you the risks. Also a vaccine protocol is being advised to veterinarians. Giving a 3-year rabies vaccine annually should be avoided. Vaccinations should not be given between the shoulder blades, if a tumor develops, it is close to impossible to treat. Rabies and Feline Leukemia vaccines should be administered in the hind legs. You may also want to discuss with your vet how necessary it is for your cat to receive all of these vaccines. Not all cats may need every vaccine; indoor cats may not need the same vaccination protocol as outdoor cats. The veterinary task force is recommending that single indoor cats not be vaccinated with Feline Leukemia because the chances of them getting VAS (Vaccine Associated Sarcoma) is greater than getting Feline Leukemia.

Whether to vaccinate or not to vaccinate your cat is a decision you should make after knowing all of the facts. And as a cat owner you have a right to know about the risks and benefits of vaccines so that you can make decisions that you can live with.

What should I watch out for? After your cat has been vaccinated, a small lump could develop, but this could be a normal reaction. BUT, if there is a lump, please call your vet and let them know about it. IF the lump is STILL there 6-8 weeks after being vaccinated, you should contact your vet again. If your vet does nothing about this 2-month-old lump, go to another vet, this lump should be biopsied. Early detection and early removal might save your cat's life. Sometimes these cancerous tumors will develop within this short period of being vaccinated but sometimes it could take years. Most importantly: if you notice a small lump develop after vaccination at the injection site, notify your vet immediately."
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/VAS.HTM

Answer:
Maya,thank you for the article

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You are welcome. I was also thinking of Vinnie when I posted it and wondering if your vet had mentioned to come back if his lump didn't go away or anything like that.

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Okay it's good news. The vet said when he was giving him the rabies shot he jumped and my vet accidently poked him in the muscle, so its just swollen. He said to put a warm compress on it and massage it and it will go away on its own, nothing to worry about.. :

He said it's common, and like 1 out of 100 cats/kittens get it. its just from getting like a little stab and its not infected or anything.

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