Would you do surgery?

[peaches08]

Gadget got a lump on his back a few months after I got him (over a year ago). I took him to the vet, he aspirated it and didn't see any cancerous cells. He said we could remove it or just watch it. I chose to watch it. It's gotten a little larger in the past few months. No itching, pain, or discomfort. He's fed raw chicken and beef, balanced using Dr. Pierson's recipe. He has a history of IBS but raw resolved it. They get water packed sardines a few times a week for a snack. They do not get flea treatments, wormings...just their food, water, and sometimes Temptations hairball treats when the hairballs get out of control. They are indoor only.

That vet moved so I now use a new guy in that practice. Really like the guy and he is supportive of raw feeding. When I took my crew in January he saw the lump but didn't comment on it. In the past few months it has grown and I'm doing all the what-ifs. He's 2 years old and otherwise very healthy.

I'm going to schedule an appointment soon, when finals are over. Would you push for surgery? I'm just terrified of it turning into something bad later. Thoughts?

 

[vball91]

Gosh, this is a hard decision. I probably would have chosen to wait as well, but now that it's gotten bigger, I too would seriously consider the surgery. It's probably better to do it now while he's young and healthy. I would definitely talk to your new vet about the pros and cons. I love the fact that you found a vet who is supportive of raw feeding though!

 

[peaches08]

I was totally expecting a fight when he asked me what I was feeding them. Instead, he called in other techs "to look at what raw feeding does for the eyes and coats" of my cats. Shocked me!

If I do opt for surgery, one of my requests will be for me to bring him his food. This vet doesn't own the clinic, but I would rather not stir up his IBS. Gadget had the worst diarrhea of the three. I'm gonna ask about a dental too.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I wouldn't make up my mind about surgery one way or another until AFTER talking to the Vet.  Get his opinion first, and as vball suggests, get the pros and cons and then make an informed decision based on (hopefully) facts.  Maybe a needle biopsy can be done first so you really know what you're dealing with. 

 

[misty8723]

The problem with needle biopsy (as I sadly learned), it's such a small area that just because it doesn't show cancer cells, doesn't mean there isn't cancer there. Maybe they could do it in several different spots?  I also wonder what an XRay would show, if that would be useful.  But I do agree to discuss it with your vet.

 

[ldg]

Of course, chat with the vet. But since it's grown, and he's young and healthy, I'd probably have it out.

Ming Loy had a cyst in her neck. The fabulous vet we love, who has done any surgery on all of our cats, said that he wouldn't worry about it until it started changing.

Well, two years later, it started getting larger. So we had it removed. It was in her neck - it turned out to be just a fatty cyst type thing, but it was filled with blood and fluid - a real mess. Veins had grown into it, and it was much more complicated to remove than it would have been if we hadn't waited. Now - the difference is the location. There are a lot of veins and vessels in the neck. For Mingle, it turned out to be a complicated surgery, in fact. I doubt that would be the case for a cyst on a back.

Our experience probably colors my outlook on these things. But when it comes to lumps and bumps, IMO, change isn't good.

 

[peaches08]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. My first vet mentioned the same risk that misty8723 said. I don't know what an X-ray might tell us. In any case, I absolutely want to go over every risk with regards to a procedure.

I've had a very bad experience before with a lump too. The kitty I grew up with, Chacha, my dad took her to multiple vets until he found one that would remove the lump on her neck. No one wanted to do it because ofI her age (teens). To make it all worse, he didn't listen to the vet's discharge instructions and she got an ear infection that killed her 2 weeks after the procedure. I'm still haunted by her illness and death, hence I fear making the wrong decision.

 

[misty8723]

That's so very sad about your kitty Chacha, but there's no reason that has to happen again.  The secret is to find a good surgeon and follow all instructions.  I was scared to death for Cindy to have surgery - she had a mass in her abdomen that we took a "wait and see" attitude with because I feared the surgery and the biopsy came back negative the first time.  In a month, the mass grew a lot and we  had to put her through a lot more tests until we finally got to the surgery.  The good thing that came out of it was we found out about an absolutely, highly acclaimed surgeon in the area.  He said that because Cindy was otherwise healthy she was a good candidate for surgery.  Bottom line is, he removed the entire mass, got a diagnosis for type of cancer (finally) and she's doing great on chemo.

I'm not saying your situation is anything like that, but like LDG says, anytime a lump gets bigger alarm bells go off for me. 

I actually did have surgery for Swanie when he had a lump on his nose, that turned out to be a cyst.

 

[peaches08]

Thankfully I'm very particular about discharge instructions!

 

[peaches08]

UPDATE:

Got a vet appointment for this Friday the 10th at 4 pm. Then I find out if we're doing surgery or not.

 

[misty8723]

For you and Gadget. 

 

[ldg]

Add mine too. :heart2:

 

[franksmom]

A little different but my 16 year old poodle has a problem with boils and cysts since she was about 10-12. She had a large one on her head and this is gross but it started bleeding and pussing. We ended up getting all of them removed (no cancer) and the vet did an amazing job. One thing to talk to the vet about is if they think they can remove the whole thing because they will often grow back if they do not get it all. Thankfully in our situation none of my dogs cysts never grew back, but a new boil did appear a few years ago but the vet says it is nothing to worry about, she is just prone to them.

 

[rosiemac]

My Rosie had surgery back in February for a small hard lump. Her microchip had moved down and caused a tissue reaction, but at the time it was worrying because it was hard, so the only way to make sure was to get it out

 

[peaches08]

Thanks for the vibes and personal experiences! He's still eating, playing, and being his usual goofy self.

I have to laugh, you know what my biggest fear is? I'm not afraid of surgery, the results, etc...I don't know how long he'll need to stay, and I fear them giving him Science Diet. He is my worst IBD cat, and I fear that stirring it up. The vet is supportive of raw, but I don't know if the practice is.

 

[vball91]

I think most vets will allow you to feed your own food. If you portion the raw meals so that all they have to do is serve it, I don't see why they would have a problem with it. They must have a fridge for medications that require refrigeration. I don't know how long the recovery wil be, so you might have to stop by each day with the food.

At a minimum, I would think you could have them provide the canned food of your choice which you will provide. Especially with his IBD, I can't imagine that they wouldn't understand that you want him to eat the food that he's been doing so well on.

 

[peaches08]

I sure hope they'll let him eat his raw. When I make it, I portion it out into individual servings due to me having to put down food and run, so that won't be a problem. And yeah, if he can't have his raw then pretty please can I give him Fancy Feast classics?! LOL! He is the biggest reason I switched to raw. I needed an old priest and a young priest to clean that litter box...

 

[peaches08]

UPDATE:

It's a lipoma so he doesn't suggest surgery at this time. What concerns him is his weight: 16.5 lbs! He's gained a lb since January. I've cut the fat down to only allowing 20% thigh skins...other than really watering down the food, what else can I do?? I'm running his tail off with the laser light...

 

[ldg]

Aw that's great he doesn't need the surgery!

How much do you feed him daily? One of my cats has a crazy metabolism. He weighed almost 15 pounds, and I walked him down to 3 ounces of food a day, and he didn't lose weight. To get him to lose weight, I had to up the amount of food , but use a "feast or famine" approach to his meals. I keep an excel spreadsheet, and make sure the amount averages out to the 4.2 ounces he "should" be eating daily. But I make some meals as small as 0.75 ounces, and others as high as 2 ounces. The trick is to not just alternate, which is why I keep the spreadsheet. I make it average out to 4.2 ounces daily over a 4-5 day period. With this method, I got him down to just over 13 pounds.

 

[peaches08]

They each get 2 oz twice a day of their ground with chunks. The feeding schedule varies due to nursing school; sometimes breakfast is at 4:30 am and sometimes it is at 11 am. On days that I know there will be a stretch between meals I split one 3.75 oz can of sardines between them to help with that stretch.

The vet at first suggested that I look into high protein canned; he forgot that I feed raw (only used him once, he's new to the practice). When I told him that I feed raw he was impressed and said he wished every cat owner fed raw. I told him that I make my own, he asked me if I supplemented taurine which I assured him that I did. I may send him an email of catinfo.org...maybe he can convert a cat owner or even the practice!

In any case he mentioned maybe adding fiber to help him feel full and lose some weight. I have pumpkin as well ss psyllium hulls. I admit to being fearful due to IBS.

On a body condition scale, I'd say Gadget is about a 6. He has a waist and I can feel his ribs. When he walks I can see his muscles working. I think the number on the scale is what they are seeing more than the cat himself.

I forgot to add, I asked about a dental since the first year of his life he wasn't with me...the vet said he didn't need it and was amazed at his teeth. Maybe I'm just a worrywart! LOL!