Large lump over eye

[Ravensong]

Hi All!
I have an almost-17yo tabby who has been dealing with multiple respiratory/sinus issues for a year or more. We've tried multiple things - antibiotics, pred, and stuff I can do at home like exposing her to the steam from a shower - and all have helped to a degree. She has had swelling on the bridge (and to the side) of her nose for a while now which usually goes down with the pred. The vet is thinking she could have a mass.

Over the last couple of days, she has developed a large lump over her eye; eye is almost closed. She's clearly uncomfortable. I have talked to the vet a few times and she suggested it could be the mass we talked about but contacted a local internist for ideas. The internist said we should do a fungal test and possibly aspirate it to get a diagnosis.

Anyone here have anything similar? I need to make a decision fairly quickly about the aspiration; I don't want her to be any more uncomfortable than she already is.

As always, thanks for reading!
Ravensong

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I can't recall seeing a post with the type of specific thing you are describing, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. However, if I were you, I would get the aspiration done, as well as the fungal test, rather than trying to hope someone on this site has experienced anything similar. Hopefully, it is benign tumors, which can be fairly common in older cats! Please keep us posted.

 

[Ravensong]

Hi. I can't recall seeing a post with the type of specific thing you are describing, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. However, if I were you, I would get the aspiration done, as well as the fungal test, rather than trying to hope someone on this site has experienced anything similar. Hopefully, it is benign tumors, which can be fairly common in older cats! Please keep us posted.

Thanks for responding! Yeah, I had planned to get the aspiration done regardless. Just interested to see if anyone had dealt with this before. Still waiting to hear back from the vet.

 

[Ravensong]

So I called the vet finally because she usually doesn't get back to me until the evening (I wasn't sure, though, with emailing) and they were a little snippy. Trying to be patient with them, because I know how crazy things are these days, but her eye is really bad. I'm going to take her in for the prednisolone injection and hopefully, when they see her eye, they will make further suggestions. Frustrated.

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[Ravensong]

Update: The vet gave her the pred and got a small sample from over her eye. Everything was back to normal the next day and cytology came back showing just inflammation. She said she didn't really get a good sample to test for cancer and we could later if I wanted.

I was just going to wait to decide on anything to see how she did. Woke up this morning and now she has a large protuberance at her forehead and her eye is almost closed again. Behind the thing at her forehead, the skull looks almost flattened, although I think that may be because of the lump.

I sat with her all day. So did my other cat. She slept most of the day and ate only a bite or two. She's drinking water and has been up a few times to sit with me in the living room; she's actually more active this evening.

Oh and it's her birthday. 17 y/o.

I don't want to put her through any more tests. She'd have to be sedated and she's so tiny and fragile. I'm here every day all day, so I can sit/lay with her. Watch her. I just don't know what else I can do at this point.

 

[FeebysOwner]

That protuberance at her forehead could be more inflammation. Did the vet give her anything for the inflammation, beside the Pred? If your vet accepts pics, send one to them of this new development, just to see what they think about it.

 

[Ravensong]

She didn't. Good idea to send a pic. I'll call a bit later and ask if she will check email. It does seem that there should be something specifically for inflammation, since the pred doesn't seem to be lasting very long.