Lump on kittens leg

Thevikingchick

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My kitten got his rabies shot in back left leg 2 weeks (10/2) ago and I noticed a small lump there. He's not in any pain and it's only about 1cm big.

I've read about FISS and kind of freaking out, going to call the vet tomorrow. Any ever experience this?
 

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What do you mean by "lump?"

Are you talking about swelling and/or hives?
Are there any other signs of allergic reaction like redness or itching?
Are there signs of breathing difficulties, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums, or collapse?

Selling or hives may occur in some cats but will happen pretty soon after vaccination.
If this lasts for more than a week or so, call the vet.

If there are signs of mild allergic reaction like redness or itching, monitor the cat and call the vet if things get worse.

If there are signs of severe allergic reaction like problems breathing, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, etc., call the vet ASAP.

Some cats do get swelling at the site of the injection. It should only last for a few days or, maybe a week or so.
If it doesn't get worse or grow, it's okay to just monitor the cat and, if it goes away, all will be well.

If it gets worse, or if the lump grows, call the vet ASAP.

I think that injection site sarcoma is pretty rare. I've only ever heard about it but have never seen it nor have I known anybody whose pet had it.

If you're concerned, best to call the vet, as you are planning. :)
 
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Thevikingchick

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Thank you for responding. The lump feels like well a piece of meat so firm but mooshy and movable. No other reaction (hives / itching etc), he actually reapjnded very well to the shots. His sister on the other hand was a big baby and cried and begged for treats all day long. (She was magically better as soon as she got fed).

I did some more digging around on here and sounds like this is a really common reaction to rabies shot and I'm going to follow 3-2-1 rule ( longer than 3 months, larger than 2cm or grows in less than 1 month)....and call my vet tomorrow so I can sleep at night!

I lost my first two kitties to juvenile HCM and it has left some serious trauma.
 
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Thevikingchick

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Called my vet and she said since it has been 2 weeks to bring him in and they'll take a look. She didn't say anything about FISS just concerned about am abscess.

Appointment is tomorrow, hopefully good news will follow.
 

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She didn't say anything about FISS just concerned about an abscess.

Appointment is tomorrow, hopefully good news will follow.
I think you (and the vet) are on the right track.
Cats can get abscesses, seemingly, at the drop of a hat.
(So can humans, for that matter, but it just seems funny how it happens with cats.)

Abscesses aren't usually life threatening but they should be taken care of as soon as they are noticed because they can grow, pretty quickly, and rupture.

Typically, the vet will lance the abscess, drain it, clean it then prescribe antibiotics. Unless there are complications (rare) it is usually an outpatient procedure, done right in the treatment room and there is often no need for the cat to stay in the hospital.

Of course, it's up to the vet to diagnose and decide on treatment but, from what you have said, here, it sounds pretty cut-and-dried.

Do keep us updated and tell us what the vet says.

Hope your kitty gets better soon! Thoughts and prayers! :vibes:
 
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Thevikingchick

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I think you (and the vet) are on the right track.
Cats can get abscesses, seemingly, at the drop of a hat.
(So can humans, for that matter, but it just seems funny how it happens with cats.)

Abscesses aren't usually life threatening but they should be taken care of as soon as they are noticed because they can grow, pretty quickly, and rupture.

Typically, the vet will lance the abscess, drain it, clean it then prescribe antibiotics. Unless there are complications (rare) it is usually an outpatient procedure, done right in the treatment room and there is often no need for the cat to stay in the hospital.

Of course, it's up to the vet to diagnose and decide on treatment but, from what you have said, here, it sounds pretty cut-and-dried.

Do keep us updated and tell us what the vet says.

Hope your kitty gets better soon! Thoughts and prayers! :vibes:
Thank you ♥ I'm still so worried it's something like cancer but it's not even been 3 weeks I can't imagine a tumor would develop in 3 weeks
 

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Three months or three years, I could imagine but I have never heard of any kind of cancer that grows so large that you can detect by feel in only three weeks.
 
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Thevikingchick

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Some good news, I checked Nandor's (that's my kitto's name) leg after work and there is a noticable shrinkage in the lump!! (I had my roommate check it too just to make sure it wasn't just wishful thinking)

Going to hold the vet appointment until tomorrow morning and see if there is continued improvement. I did a bunch of reading on the VCA website and they really do advocate for anything that forms in the first 3 months after an injection is just a normal reaction to the injection. He has no pain at all and has NOT slowed down one step, to be honest this cat barely naps.

So maybe it was the injection, or maybe he banged his leg on something while he was playing. Either way <3 I'm feeling so relieved to notice it going down.
 

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I’d say that you are doing everything as you should.

Normally, a follow-up visit isn’t needed after a routine vaccination but virtually every expert says that a second visit is called for if anything out of the ordinary occurs. 90% of the time, there is nothing wrong but it is always wise to double check.

You‘re going according to the playbook. That’s what every responsible pet owner should do.

:thumbsup:
 
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Thevikingchick

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Nandor's vitals came back great and the vet catagorized him as a vaccine reactor. He got a dose of benadryl and we are going to monitor for a few weeks for any changes.

Vet does not think it's an abscess and while ISS can happen she hasn't expressed immediate concern. She said everything says vaccine reaction to her. This makes sense as his sister, same litter, had an immediate reaction (fever, soreness, lethargic).

He enjoyed exploring the vet's office.
 

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Thevikingchick

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Well I should say I'm going to dose him with children's benadryl. Wish me luck!!
 

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If you're going to give your cat Benadryl, it's best to get your vet's advice, first.

If you're doing it yourself, you need to be careful and think like a scientist, especially if you've never given it to your cat before.

First, it's probably best to use plain, old, ordinary Benadryl with nothing else in it.
There are versions of Benadryl that have decongestants and fever reducers and junk like that. You don't want ANY of that junk. You only want the Dyphenhydramine (the active ingredient) and NOTHING else.

The recommended dose of Dyphenhydramine for a cat is 1 mg per pound of your cat's weight.
You don't have to calculate down to the lb. and oz. Just round to the nearest pound.
If your cat weighs 10 lb. and 6 oz. round down to 10 lb even. It's always better to round down in this case.

So, if you have a 10 lb. cat, give 10 mg of Benadryl.

Benadryl comes in 25 mg. tablets. That means you need to give 10/25 of a pill or 2/5.
That's kind of a hard fraction to divide a small pill up by. You can just cut 1/3 of a pill.

It's always best to start at a lower dose then work up, gradually, to a dose that works the way you want.
It is really, really important to give enough meds to be in what's called the "therapeutic range."
That means the smallest amount of medicine that gives you the results you need but not enough to cause side effects.
It is almost always better to give a little less than a little too much.

If I was going to give Benadryl to Casper, he weighs 13 lb. 12 oz.
I would round down to 13 lb. even. That means he needs 13 mg. of medicine.
That's half of a 25 mg. pill.

If it was me giving pills to Casper, I'd give 1/4 of a pill to start then watch him to see what happens.
If I thought the medicine worked okay, I wouldn't give any more. If I thought he needed more, I'd give another 1/4 pill.

The MAXIMUM amount of Benadryl recommended for a cat is 2 dozes @ 1 mg./lb. in 24 hours.
You have to space them AT LEAST 8 hrs. apart. 12 hrs. between doses is better.
Again, this is a judgement call on your part. Give the medicine. Watch and see what happens. Give more ONLY if necessary.
If the medicine is working, best to leave well enough alone.

Watch out for side effects or allergic reactions.

Lethargy. Vomiting. Diarrhea. Lack of Appetite. Dry Mouth. Urinary Retention.

Benadryl DOES have a sedating effect. That's normal. Sometimes, Benadryl is used for it's sedative effects to calm a cat down.
The more you give, the more sedating it is. That's why it's important to be careful of the dose.

However... In RARE cases, Benadryl can have the OPPOSITE effect and make cats get hyper.

If ANY of these things happen, call your vet, post-haste.

90% of the time, there will be no problem. Benadryl is well tolerated by most cats. It is, generally, considered to be safe as long as you don't overdose or give it too frequently. No more than a few days in a row.

Your vet might give you different instructions that are different from my suggestions.

If your vet says something different, do what THEY say, not me.

Like I said, think like a scientist. Start small and work up. If you have any questions or problems, call the vet.

:)
 
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Thevikingchick

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Thank you for all the advice! This was on vets orders she recommended the liquid but we can only find it in flavored syrups and Nandor was having NONE of it. Called back to the vet and she also said 1/4 or a tablet every 12 hours for 48 hours and try to sneak it in food.

He sniffed the pill out immediately and so I had to pill him. I've got experience pilling from my previous cats and wish I had a little dropper with water to wash it down because he HATED it and foamed up 🙄. He got food afterwards and is doing great.

I saw in your other thread Casper went to the hospital, I hope he's doing well! We are sending our love to you guys
 
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Thevikingchick

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Good news the bump is 100% gone. So that's 27 days post vaccination for it was resolved.

It took about 10 days for me to notice it and about double for it to go away. I share this so if anyone searches for help they see the timeline.

My vet confirmed that this not an uncommon reaction and I can give him 1mg of benadryl per 1lb before future shots to avoid the reaction.
 
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