Tiny squishy bump on side

[mirrorartist]

Hi everyone,

I come to you all today, extremely worried about a small growth I found on my cat Dexter’s left side. We are going to the vet tomorrow if they have an appointment time available. If not then, he will be seen this week, and I’m going to ask for a needle aspirate and/or biopsy of some kind. I am freaking out while I wait however.

This lesion is very small - my husband was surprised that I even noticed it in the first place. It’s white in colour (exactly the same as his skin) and somewhat firm when palpated. It’s mobile and not attached down to anything below the skin. Like a little grain of rice, but softer. It wasn’t crusty or bleeding or anything at all, but I did shave the site for ease of monitoring and so the vet would be able to locate and see the spot well. I’m afraid I may have irritated it and the surface is a little bit scaly today.

I’m worried SICK that this is something bad, like a cancerous lump or similar. I’m specifically wondering if it is a mast cell tumor. I will be seeing the vet very soon as mentioned, but am struggling a lot with the what-ifs while I wait. My stomach is truly sick with nerves.

Has anyone here had experience specifically with cutaneous mast cell tumors? Any other positive experiences with skin lumps and bumps to give me something a little more positive to reflect about in the meantime?

Thank you for reading this and I wish good health to everyone and their beloved cats

 

[verna davies]

Its good that you are taking him to the vets to have him checked out. I'm going through the same thing myself but my vet cant do a fine needle aspiration because the lump is the size of a lentil and needs to be the size of a pea. Maybe your vet will be able to. Its also good that its not attached to anything so could be something like a cyst. Let us know how you get on.

 

[mirrorartist]

I’m sorry to hear you’re in the same situation - it’s horrible to wait and not know what could be wrong. I hope for a positive outcome for your kitty. Dexter’s might not even be the size of a lentil, it’s so small. I would agree to go straight to an excisional biopsy if we have to. I will definitely update as we go.

 

[verna davies]

Thank you. The lump on my cat hasnt grown in two months so thats a positive. I hope you are able to get a quick appointment to put your mind at rest.

 

[mirrorartist]

That’s definitely a positive! Thank you for replying

 

[furmonster mom]

My angel kitty Loki had a subcutaneous lump about the size of a gumball, soft and not connected. It got to a certain size and just hung out. My vet said it was just a fatty deposit, completely benign. It never broke open or crusted over, and he had it for a good 10 years.
Sometimes it’s just a weird thing.
I’d say if it continues to grow, starts to feel connected, breaks open, or scabs over, then raise the defcon. For your own peace of mind, I’m sure a conversation with the vet will shed some light on the situation.

 

[mirrorartist]

Hi furmonster mom, thank you for sharing your story about Loki! Reading experiences like yours give me the reassurance I need when I’m worried about my boy’s health. I had a not-so-great night, I spent it just sitting around upset and thinking the worst. I’m glad to have read this message before bed though, it did make me feel a little better!

 

[AbbysMom]

Could it be a sebaceous cyst? Abby has a few.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Take a breath and relax. When you’re worried and stressed, your cat becomes worried and stressed. He’ll wonder what the danger you’re seeing is and grow tense. When he can’t identify the danger, his stress levels increase.

You’ll need a clear mind in order to deal with whatever the vet discovers. If it’s nothing, you’ll have lost sleep over nothing. If it’s cancer, you’ll need to be fresh and focused to make the best decision for Dexter. Regardless of the results, live in the now and enjoy Life With Dexter.

When it comes to my time worrying about my cat Belle, tell me the same thing.

 

[mirrorartist]

AbbysMom, I actually wondered if it was possibly a sebaceous cyst, but I have never seen one on a cat before and I wasn't exactly sure what they would look like. How would you describe Abby's cysts? She is beautiful by the way! Amazing eyes in your photo.

 

[mirrorartist]

Thank you so much Cat McCannon. I would do anything necessary for Dexter no matter what it is. It's just so hard when they need to have vet appointments and tests. I sent some photos to my vet because they couldn't squeeze us in for an appointment today but haven't heard back yet. Trying to think positive but I am still nervous Thank you for the support.

 

[AbbysMom]

AbbysMom, I actually wondered if it was possibly a sebaceous cyst, but I have never seen one on a cat before and I wasn't exactly sure what they would look like. How would you describe Abby's cysts? She is beautiful by the way! Amazing eyes in your photo.

Awww....thank you.

I just took a pic. She wasn't amused. She's sleeping in my husband's office and the cyst is near the base of her tail and he wanted to know why I was taking a picture of her butt. It started off much smaller than this. It is rice-shaped and attached at one end and also the color of her skin. The vet checks it periodically and has said she can remove it at any time if I want to or if it seems to be bothering her. It's not and since Abby is 18 I'm just letting it be.

Wow, that's not the clearest picture. Sorry. She wasn't impressed and started moving.

I hope it's something similar with Dexter.

 

[Krienze]

It's good you're taking him to the vet and I will be praying you get good news!

But if it helps or puts your mind at ease at -all- every soft, squishy lump like that that I have ever found on any of my dogs or cats has always turned out to just be a fatty cyst of some sort. My red bone (who passed away at the age of 15, mostly of old age - he was a big doggo) used to get these type of lumps all the time and god help me he would BITE THEM OFF. It was awful, but the vet said it was common for dogs to do that. Still, again, they were always just fatty tumors though and never anything super dangerous. Obviously it's a good idea to check! I just wanted to hopefully give you something to relax because I know whenever I find a bump or lump, the panic I go through is insane.

<3

 

[mirrorartist]

Awww....thank you.

I just took a pic. She wasn't amused. She's sleeping in my husband's office and the cyst is near the base of her tail and he wanted to know why I was taking a picture of her butt. It started off much smaller than this. It is rice-shaped and attached at one end and also the color of her skin. The vet checks it periodically and has said she can remove it at any time if I want to or if it seems to be bothering her. It's not and since Abby is 18 I'm just letting it be.

Wow, that's not the clearest picture. Sorry. She wasn't impressed and started moving.

I hope it's something similar with Dexter.

Thank you so much for posting a photo! It was definitely clear enough for me to compare. Dexter’s is quite a lot smaller but has a similar white colouration to it. Can’t say for certain of course but it is possible that his is the beginning of a cyst too. It’s interesting to me because I have a small sebaceous cyst myself and it feels similar in texture to Dexter’s bump. My vet appointment is now tomorrow afternoon so hopefully I will know more then. I really appreciate it you taking the time to take and post a photo - the reassurance is everything to me right now

 

[mirrorartist]

It's good you're taking him to the vet and I will be praying you get good news!

But if it helps or puts your mind at ease at -all- every soft, squishy lump like that that I have ever found on any of my dogs or cats has always turned out to just be a fatty cyst of some sort. My red bone (who passed away at the age of 15, mostly of old age - he was a big doggo) used to get these type of lumps all the time and god help me he would BITE THEM OFF. It was awful, but the vet said it was common for dogs to do that. Still, again, they were always just fatty tumors though and never anything super dangerous. Obviously it's a good idea to check! I just wanted to hopefully give you something to relax because I know whenever I find a bump or lump, the panic I go through is insane.

<3

Hi Krienze!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Crazy that your pup would bite them off I’m glad they were never anything serious! Reading these experiences does help to settle my mind and it gives some perspective that animals can and do have harmless lesions. I feel better today and still plan to take Dex for a check and I would still like a biopsy to be certain, but it helps to know not every growth has to be all doom and gloom! Thank you for taking the time

 

[Krienze]

Hi Krienze!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Crazy that your pup would bite them off I’m glad they were never anything serious! Reading these experiences does help to settle my mind and it gives some perspective that animals can and do have harmless lesions. I feel better today and still plan to take Dex for a check and I would still like a biopsy to be certain, but it helps to know not every growth has to be all doom and gloom! Thank you for taking the time

You're welcome. I totally know how upsetting it can be to find one. Even when I know one is most likely harmless, my first thought it to cry my eyes out and freak out. Being worried is totally normal!

But as my friend likes to tell me: "When you hear the sound of hooves, think horses, not zebras."

 

[mirrorartist]

I have been crying all morning and feel so nervous for our vet appointment which is in a few hours. Just can’t seem to shake the worst case scenario thinking. I love my cat so much just want everything to be okay for him

 

[verna davies]

Its natural to feel as you do, they are important to us. Make a list of all the questions you want to ask, often we feel overwhelmed when the vet is examining our cats. Good luck and let us know what your vet says.

 

[mirrorartist]

Hi everyone,

We saw our vet with Dex this afternoon and I would like to provide an update. Our vet did an impression smear on his skin bump - it had scabbed over because I had shaved the area. The vet said this scab made it easy to get a scraping sample of cells because it was more of an open wound on the surface. She peeled off the surface scab and scraped a sample. She left the room to examine the sample under the microscope and found that it contained mast cells - so she gave us the diagnosis of a mast cell tumor. I had wished for something simpler, this sounds scary to me still, but the vet took the time to reassure me by saying that cutaneous mast cell tumors typically have benign behaviour in cats.

The good news is that Dexter’s tumor is very small, and it’s on his side, so the vet said that his procedure will be very simple and she wilk be able to get a nice wide margin to ensure everything is removed. That will then get sent to out pathology to ensure clean margins. Dex is also having is regular dental cleaning at the same time, so I am happy to know he will only need a general anesthetic once this time around instead of two separate surgeries. And he will have nice clean teeth after too

Dex was so brave for his appointment, he did great in the car (we live more than an hour away from our vet clinic), and he is happy as can be back home. Had a nice meal and is resting now. His surgery is in 3 weeks’ time, and although I’m eager for it to be over with, I am feeling more relieved after our consult and having a plan for treatment. I am going to remain positive that we get clean margins and that Dex will be okay.

Thank you everyone so much for your kindness and compassionate replies. I’m glad to have a community to come to for help who understands the stress and fear surrounding the medical issues with our precious cats. I will update again once Dexter has his surgery

 

[mirrorartist]

Here is a photo of my beautiful boy as well, I hope it worked!