Bump Near Eye

ashleymack

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I'm really hoping someone can help calm my worries a bit. I'm taking my cat (7, neutered male, domestic shorthair, indoor only) to the vet on Tuesday, but I've done enough googling to work myself into a panic and I thought this might be a good place to come for advice.

Around the beginning of March or so (maybe earlier, but I can't recall when it first appeared) my cat developed this bump next to his eye. Its stayed essentially the same size this whole time, though it appears to me that it's more prominent some days than others, if that makes sense. It doesn't bother him at all, but I've noticed I've had to start wiping his eyes a bit more frequently because of an uptick in rust colored liquid and the occasional 'eye gummy'.

About a month or so after that, I noticed that he had pulled out a little patch of hair on one side of his back, by his tail. I switched him to grain free food, just in case, and used some hydrocortisone spray for cats for a couple of days and the fur started growing back. The bump stayed where it was. Less than a month after that, I saw that he started pulling out a small circle of hair at the base of his tail, and last week realized that he'd 'mowed' two patches on his back, one on either side of his spine down by his tail. There was also dandruff in the same area, and I noticed light brown scabs on his skin and tail where he'd pulled his hair out. He's had issues with fleas in the past so it seemed to me that he had likely developed an allergy to them and was starting to overgroom because of it. I treated him with a topical flea medication on Monday and started to use some diluted apple cider vinegar on his bald spots to help with the itch. He's still licking pretty aggressively - though slightly less frequently - and the scabs aren't as prominent on his skin.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed he was developing another much smaller bump on his other eyelid - again, it doesn't bother him at all, but it's there. I don't know if I'm reaching to calm myself down (because seriously, googling has made me convince myself that he has something that maybe 5 other cats like him have ever had before, and that it's a wart, and that I'm going to lose him, and that he just has a blocked tear duct) but is all of this related and symptomatic of some allergy he has? He's eating and drinking just fine, using the litter box as usual, has the same energy level, and loves his belly rubs and every bit of attention he can get - he's just itchy and has some bumps around his eyes. I've seen posts and articles about things that are similar, but I'm wondering if anyone has seen or experienced anything like this.

I'm having a lot of anxiety over the thought of taking him to the vet (he haaaaaaates his crate and the car), but that's nothing compared to how afraid of the unknown I am. Help?
IMG_20190602_190240.jpg
 

nurseangel

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I want to welcome you to TCS. It's nice to meet you.

As a (people) nurse, googling (or in my patients' cases, looking at medical sites) can sometimes be a bad thing. Don't get me wrong; before I had surgery, I did the same myself and was convinced I had a horrible disease. The neurosurgeon tested me for it; apparently it was a possibly. So please don't think I am criticizing you. :hugs:

You are doing the best for your cat. It's obvious you love him very much. I know Tuesday seems like a long time off to wait and wonder, but please try not to stress too much. It could be any number of things. Bless you for taking such good care of him.

I think all cats and probably most dogs have that crate anxiety (to put it mildly), an unavoidable evil for their own good. Please keep us posted and I will say a prayer for you and your cat. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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neely

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He's eating and drinking just fine, using the litter box as usual, has the same energy level, and loves his belly rubs and every bit of attention he can get - he's just itchy and has some bumps around his eyes.
Another warm welcome to TCS! :wave3: You aren't alone, I think most of us would act the same exact way if we were in your shoes, i.e. google symptoms, worry and have anxiety. It's indicative of being a loving and dedicated cat parent. :catlove:

I'm glad you have a vet appointment scheduled for this Tuesday. You may want to write down all your questions/concerns beforehand so you don't forget anything. One of the questions you may want to consider asking your vet is whether it would help to see a veterinary dermatology specialist. The reason I mentioned it is because of what you wrote in your above post, e.g. itchy and bumps.

I can relate to your anxiety about having to put him in his cat carrier but try to tell yourself it's for his own benefit and safety. I know that's not much help but hopefully the vet will have some answers for you. Fingers crossed all goes well at his appointment. :crossfingers: Please keep us posted on his progress too. :alright:
 
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ashleymack

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I want to welcome you to TCS. It's nice to meet you.

Keep us posted and I will say a prayer for you and your cat. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
Another warm welcome to TCS! :wave3: You aren't alone, I think most of us would act the same exact way if we were in your shoes, i.e. google symptoms, worry and have anxiety. It's indicative of being a loving and dedicated cat parent. :catlove:

Fingers crossed all goes well at his appointment. :crossfingers: Please keep us posted on his progress too. :alright:
Thank you both for the welcomes and the well-wishes! He's been such a healthy cat up to this point, so the fact that something's going on with him now is really freaking me out. This is also the first time I'm going to see this vet - the cat, Pippin, and I moved from Canada a few years ago when I got married - so there's nothing familiar about this situation.

The more I think about it, which is a lot, the more I'm convinced it all has something to do with allergies. The eye part is what's concerning me most right now, but even that is a situation that started around the time he first started pulling out a bit of hair and itching. The big bump in the picture has been there for awhile, but the smaller one on his other eye (which has been joined by another two) essentially started when the itching and overgrooming really flared up a couple of weeks ago. They're almost like hives. I know allergies aren't an easy road to navigate, but it's definitely better than some of the alternatives. I'll update when I get more information from the vet!
 

neely

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The more I think about it, which is a lot, the more I'm convinced it all has something to do with allergies.
One more reason to see a veterinary dermatology specialist. ;) However, keep your vet appointment and see how you like the new vet first. You will need a regular vet regardless and then you can ask their opinion about allergies. They may want to do bloodwork which could give you some more information. I hope all goes well for Pippin and you. :heartshape:
 
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ashleymack

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Pippin update!:

We took him to the vet this morning and, as expected, he was not thrilled at all. His yowling almost sounded like he was yelling "why?!", so it was equal parts hilarious and upsetting.

My husband and I are moving in a couple of months and I'm glad that the vet we took Pippin to today won't be our permanent vet. He had good reviews, but first impressions weren't great. I felt like I had to ask him to check things that should have been looked at by default, especially since it's the first time we've been there. He wasn't going to check his ears or anything until I asked. Anyway, he took a look at the missing hair and scabbing patches and almost immediately diagnosed a flea allergy, so Pippin got a steroid shot and some Omega 3 capsules to put in his food to help his hair grow back. As far as his eye goes, the vet didn't even really pay it much mind - he poked at it a bit (which bothered the cat not at all) and asked a few questions, but said it was too close to his eye to mess around with too much. He said it could be anything from a localized infection to a tumor and gave us 3 bottles of antibiotics to try on him, both for his scabs and potentially for his eye. I'm really hoping it's just that, and really? It makes some sense: the bigger bump showed up in March and every couple of days has a very tiny bit of yellow discharge. Just before the other tiny bumps showed up on the other eye, I accidentally wiped both eyes with the same piece of Kleenex so it's very possible I inadvertently spread whatever the infection is to his other eye. I've been watching the small bumps and one of them is almost gone, so I'm really hoping the antibiotics clear things up.

We're going back to see the vet again in two weeks to see where we're at, and he said he'll refer us to an eye specialist in the area if there hasn't been any improvement. He also said it would be "very expensive", which is worrying considering the 15 minute appointment and quick look-over cost $236, but we'll cross that bridge when, and if, we come to it.

Answers-wise, I didn't get everything I was looking for, but it definitely helps the anxiety to have some sort of plan. Thank you again for the well-wishes!
 

nurseangel

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I am so happy you did at least get a bit of answers. My RB cat Blackberry (pictured in my avatar) had a flea allergy. It was awful; when she started visiting us from our next door neighbor, her neck and back were scabs on top of scabs. Once we learned the cause of the problem and things were under control, her life was much more comfortable. (She decided she liked it better at our house, so we took her in. Then he left her sister behind when he moved away, so we adopted her, too.)

Aw, poor Pippin, asking why you were taking him to the vet. And I am guessing named after my favorite character in the LOTR trilogy (with the movies that quickly switched to Legolas, with the Orlando Bloom factor). :lol:

I hope Pippin makes a quick recovery.
 

loopycann

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Pippin update!:

We took him to the vet this morning and, as expected, he was not thrilled at all. His yowling almost sounded like he was yelling "why?!", so it was equal parts hilarious and upsetting.

My husband and I are moving in a couple of months and I'm glad that the vet we took Pippin to today won't be our permanent vet. He had good reviews, but first impressions weren't great. I felt like I had to ask him to check things that should have been looked at by default, especially since it's the first time we've been there. He wasn't going to check his ears or anything until I asked. Anyway, he took a look at the missing hair and scabbing patches and almost immediately diagnosed a flea allergy, so Pippin got a steroid shot and some Omega 3 capsules to put in his food to help his hair grow back. As far as his eye goes, the vet didn't even really pay it much mind - he poked at it a bit (which bothered the cat not at all) and asked a few questions, but said it was too close to his eye to mess around with too much. He said it could be anything from a localized infection to a tumor and gave us 3 bottles of antibiotics to try on him, both for his scabs and potentially for his eye. I'm really hoping it's just that, and really? It makes some sense: the bigger bump showed up in March and every couple of days has a very tiny bit of yellow discharge. Just before the other tiny bumps showed up on the other eye, I accidentally wiped both eyes with the same piece of Kleenex so it's very possible I inadvertently spread whatever the infection is to his other eye. I've been watching the small bumps and one of them is almost gone, so I'm really hoping the antibiotics clear things up.

We're going back to see the vet again in two weeks to see where we're at, and he said he'll refer us to an eye specialist in the area if there hasn't been any improvement. He also said it would be "very expensive", which is worrying considering the 15 minute appointment and quick look-over cost $236, but we'll cross that bridge when, and if, we come to it.

Answers-wise, I didn't get everything I was looking for, but it definitely helps the anxiety to have some sort of plan. Thank you again for the well-wishes!
I’m so glad it wasn’t anything too terrible. I had a mother cat who developed a bump between her eyes which grew and would weep sometimes so I took her to the vet and it turned out to be a tumor, she passed on peacefully. I’m replying to your post update because you described that you weren’t satisfied with your veterinarians exam. I want to stress to you and anybody else who is reading this thread that as cat parents we indeed do lots of worrying over the littlest things but this is to be expected and it is good. We are our kitties advocates. If at anytime you feel uncomfortable with procedures or decisions that your veterinarian is doing go with your gut, speak up, say so . You are the one that’s looking out for the best outcome for your own pet. We have a habit of deferring to experts. While this is sometimes a good thing other times it’s not. I cannot tell you how many times in the 60 years I have taken my cats to the vet, I allowed the vet to do things against my better judgment, that I felt funny about ,but because he was a vet, I allowed him to proceed. Well sometimes, it didn’t make sense or they didn’t pay attention like they should have,that turned out to be detrimental. That’s why I stress please go with what you know and what you feel is best for your cat. If you are feeling not so great about the vet, seek another-there are many many great vets( as well as bad, creepy and ones that shouldn’t even be in practice-Yes unfortunately there are some who have no business being in business ) out there that will take the time and the attention you need to maintain your cat in good health. And when you find that vet you will know it and you will never take your baby to anyone else because they are out there and they have dedicated their lives to animals-not for money but for the good of the animals. You see ,Vetrinarians as well as other professions are subject to good and bad ones and when it comes to the health of our pets,we better make darn sure we pick the very best,Because the vets are only human and as humans they have their faults as well as their gifts so let’s Keep the great vets in business.
 
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