I thought it was a grub on my cat's neck - now I'm perplexed

[meldrew]

Hi all, thank you for reading
I have a bit of a mystery on my hands with my 9 year old cat Troy. I found a hard, oval lump on the left side of his throat. The first thing I did was head straight to the internet for clues. I thought the only thing it could be was a grub since he actually found a wild baby rabbit in our house on Friday and carried it out the dog door before I knew what was happening. So next I look for the tell-tale air hole but can find none. I then removed the hair from the area and still nothing. I am completely perplexed as it showed up the morning after the rabbit encounter so I was sure it was a grub. There is no laceration at the site and he feels no pain when I touch it, even purrs as I scratch him there. I realize that the obvious answer is to take him to the vet but since he is not in any pain I figure that it can’t hurt to get some opinions before forking over crazy sums of money that we don’t have. I have a picture but it may not help any as there is really nothing to see. I am pregnant with our first child so I sure hope that it’s not anything that could affect me or my baby. Troy has been with me through some hard times and his brother died a few years ago so I cherish him dearly and I want to make it clear that if he were in pain I would rush him to the vet immediately.
Here are the facts:
• Rescue cat 9yrs old
• Lives with another outdoor cat and 2 dogs (rescues)
• Country area, many ticks
• History of fleas and ear mites
• No history of serious health issues
• Received Revolution June 24th (first time receiving this medication but has had Frontline, Hartz, and Advantage in the past with no incident)
• Carried wild baby rabbit in his mouth June 27th
• Found oval lump June 28th
• Is approx. 1.5-2 inches long by 1 inch wide (may have been slightly smaller when found but not significantly)
I really appreciate your time and attention. Hopefully some of your have had a similar experience which I can learn from.
Thank you!
Mel

[Diana]

Hey

Yes...the obvious answer is vets and all will agree. Though the lump may not hurt him, it doesnt mean its safe to ignore it. I have no idea only the vets will know what it could be. It is best to get it checked out as it may grow in size and cause problems.

[meldrew]

If you have no help to offer like the above please don't bother replying. Thank you.

[elastu]

Welcome to CC.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, I think it is extremely unlikely the problem would affect you or the baby.

Sorry but I do have to agree with Diana that the wisest thing to do would be to consult the vet to diagnose the problem. Cats are very good at hiding pain and contrary to popular belief often purr when there is a problem.

Please let us know how you get on.

[Diana]

If you have no help to offer like the above please don't bother replying. Thank you.

Im sorry but its the best advice you will get!!!!! A lump isnt something you can guess at!

[KittyWitty]

Get your kitty to a vet!!!!

lumps are something that you should go to the vets straight away about as you can just never know!

[SarahT1 [PLLE]]

If a human had an unexplained lump I don't think the advice to go to the doctor would be inappropriate. It's the same with our furry babies. That's what the vet is for, and I am so grateful for mine.

[meldrew]

Simply saying "go to a vet" and not offering any helpful information completely negates the purpose of having a health forum as you can answer all of the questions posted here with "go to a vet". People post in this forum looking to learn from the experiences of others BEFORE going to a vet. No worries anyways, I found a forum with people who are helpful.

[Jacks]

It sounds in description like a Cuterebra

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasit ... erebra.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But at 1 inch wide and 2 inches long - well that is huge! Although you can't find a blow hole I would suspect there is one. I've no experience with this but if it's just appeared and it looks like a grub then it probably is a parasite of some sort.

[meldrew]

It sounds in description like a Cuterebra

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasit ... erebra.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But at 1 inch wide and 2 inches long - well that is huge! Although you can't find a blow hole I would suspect there is one. I've no experience with this but if it's just appeared and it looks like a grub then it probably is a parasite of some sort.

Thank you

[Jacks]

Interestingly I've read that rabbits are often prone to this - and flies often lay their eggs around rabbit holes, so maybe this is not the first time your cat has visited the rabbits...

If it can be seen it may be working it's way out having been there some time - but they can be very serious if they burst, so I'd get it seen to professionally.

[meriad]

gosh, I've never heard of that

but I agree, it's a lump that obviously shouldn't be there so I'd get the cat to a vet to have it looked at and be dealt with. Even if you think it's a grub, surely that needs to be removed sooner rather than later?


But a completely different question:

• Carried wild baby rabbit in his mouth June 27th
• Found oval lump June 28th
• Is approx. 1.5-2 inches long by 1 inch wide (may have been slightly smaller when found but not significantly)

would a grub grow that big in a day?

[Jacks]

I think the idea is that if it's a grub is coming OUT not in, and eventually would drop off and pupate. However if it burst or didn't remove cleanly it could leave toxins in the cat's body which could in turn cause anaphylactic shock...

[meldrew]

The lump has grown so I am taking him to the vet this afternoon. Thank you so much to those who offered their guesses as to what it could be! We really appreciate it!

[Jacks]

You're very welcome - please let us know what it is, especially as it appeared/grew so suddenly! I hope your cat is okay.

[meldrew]

Thank you so much for all of your care and concern!

Doc gave him a steroid shot to shrink it, antibiotic pills to take home and a de-wormer just in case. He thinks that it is probably an infection of some sort that he caught from the baby bunny - could be an abscess. He wasn't super reassuring though, seemed like he wanted to treat the best case scenario and see what happens. Just like I tried to lol. Anyways, he said that if the lump didn't disappear in 2-3 weeks to give him a call. We'll see.

In the meantime I have noticed that Troy seems uncomfortable chewing his food and really favors the water. Does anyone know of a home remedy type thing for adding some nutrients and vitamins to the water? I added some Bovril to the water and he went for it but I know that is mostly salt. I added some tuna oil and he actually turned his nose up at it. He's mad at me for letting the vet put a thermometer up his butt so he's giving me attitude hahahahaha. Of course if he doesn't eat enough I will call the vet again.

Troy is unimpressed. Poor fuzz baby :angel

Thanks again guys!
Mel

[Jacks]

Hi, This is a quick message as I've got to go to work and I've lost one of my cats yesterday - she hasn't come home - my baby - but it's good to try and think of other people's dilemmas as I feel so helpless at the moment.

I'm glad Troy's got antibiotics and is being treated. It could well be an abscess as it's not a grub, as it's grown so quickly. It could be that it feels uncomfortable chewing and he might prefer some very soft food - kitten food is good for this - there are lots of varieties - choose ones that are more like soft mince than chunks and you can add a little extra water if it's too dense. Kitten food is just as good as adult food, just higher calorie and more vitamins for growth.

Nutritious things that my cats like are the juice from Mackerel in Spring Water (not the salted brine ones; cat's kidneys are very delicate) and canned cod's roe (again in a lovely rich water).

Of course antibiotics put some cats off their food, but if it seems more like a chewing problem I'd try the kitten food. Cat milk (proper lactose removed milk in mini cartons) is very nutritious as well.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

[Kay]

when I had a cat with a severely ulcerated tongue, who couldn't eat anything solid, I liquidized food for her - to get her to drink it I added some liver, which she loved, to make sure it smelt appealing to her

[meldrew]

Thank you so much for your help! I'm heading to the store

Sending prayers that your little one comes home soon! I was a wreck last summer when our young adventurous cat disappeared for a long weekend. We walked all over our area calling her name. We think that she was mistakenly locked in a garage while a neighbour went away for the weekend as she left Thursday and came back the Sunday night and was ravenous. I hope that yours comes home soon!

[Jacks]

Thank you, Meldrew. The awful thing is that I'm now on a train go goo the other end of the country for an important meeting with my precious still missing. I won't be back until Sunday night. I have done a leaflet drop of my immediate neighbourhood and instructed the cat sitters to look out for her but as you say, I'm distraught and every mile is taking me further from my little darling.

[meldrew]

Thank you, Meldrew. The awful thing is that I'm now on a train go goo the other end of the country for an important meeting with my precious still missing. I won't be back until Sunday night. I have done a leaflet drop of my immediate neighbourhood and instructed the cat sitters to look out for her but as you say, I'm distraught and every mile is taking me further from my little darling.

Can a neighbour drop in to check if he has come back periodically? Don't forget to call the Humane Society. Said a prayer I'm sure he'll come home, they just like to be wild sometimes i think.

[Jacks]

She is found! My cat sitter search for three hours and managed to get her. I am so relieved and grateful - she will be getting a gift when I return!

I hope Troy is feeling better and is eating something nutritious today. Give him a little 'fuss' from me.

[meldrew]

She is found! My cat sitter search for three hours and managed to get her. I am so relieved and grateful - she will be getting a gift when I return!

I hope Troy is feeling better and is eating something nutritious today. Give him a little 'fuss' from me.

Thats great news! What a sweet cat sitter!

Troy's bubble of puss is getting bigger so I called the Vet and he says that it will get bigger and bigger until it bursts. Disgusting. I am feeding him the blender food with a syringe when he won't eat on his own. He is not impressed with me but thats the way it goes.

Thank you for your help and concern!

[booktigger]

I think you need to see a different vet, leaving an abscess isn't a good idea, my first cat had one which burst and she was very poorly and needed it draining and cleaning under anaesthetic. If he isn't eating it could be cos he feels rubbish with the infection.

[bobbys girl]

Booktigger is right. Our Gracie got a whack on the bum that turned into an abscess. She is such a fatty we didn't see it until it was quite big. She too was very poorly. We had it lanced and she was given abs. She is fine now. But I think we only just caught it in time. I would say get it sorted ASAP.

[Jacks]

How is Troy now? Has the abscess been sorted? Hoping all is well and he's back to his regular self and eating properly again. x

[andrea8411]

My cat had a small pea size lump I took her to the vets and they said it was an abscess. It grew to the size of a golf ball so they lanced it cleaned it out and sitched her back up, she look like Frankenstein. But she was fine afterwards

[lilynmitz]

If your cat has a lump that size close to its throat and is now having difficulty eating, I would definitely take him straight back to the vet. An obstruction of this nature, whatever it's cause, really shouldn't be left untreated for so long. If he starts losing condition, he may not be fit enough for an operation if it turns out to be necessary.

Cats will put up with an awful lot and are very good at hiding illness or injury. If it's so bad that he's struggling to eat, it's a real problem that shouldn't be treated on a "wait and see" basis. I hope you can get your vet to take this more seriously.