Cat Skin Tumor on Stomach

by A. Bryant
(Baxter, TN)

My mother has two young male cats that live outside. She hasn't had the money to fix them or have any kind of shots done, so they've just lived on her back porch.

She has left me with one over the weekend due to a nickel-sized lump protruding from his abdomen. At first she thought it was a puncture wound and that part of it's intestine was sticking out.

So I took him to the local vet here in Cookeville to have it assessed. The doctor was gruff with me due to not having the money for surgery or rabies shot, and told me short and sweet it was a cat skin tumor.

Didn't ask me any questions or anything. Now, I don't know anything about cancer in cats, but I just want to make sure.

It's a nickel size, swollen lump in the middle of the abdomen. It is red and lightly bleeding. He's been laying on a white towel where we are keeping him secluded, so I see the small blood spots when he gets up.

No massive amounts, just small blood stains. It also seems to be hanging on by a small tag of skin, not firmly attached or embedded in the skin like an abscess would be. And the skin all around the area is red and irritated.

Mom noticed it after he started laying around alot on the porch about two or three days ago. She didn't find the lump the first time she looked him over, but did yesterday before she gave him to us to watch.

He's eating and going to the bathroom, but haven't seen him drink any water. Though he has been drinking the kitten milk I made him. He gets up when I talk to him and wants to be petted.

He'll walk around and try to stretch up to my hands. But every time I go look at him he's laying down and/or sleeping. He only gets up to be petted, eat, or use the cat litter box.

None of us have the money for expensive surgery, and if it IS cancer, I know it will grow/spread and cause him pain. I don't want to keep him this way if it's hurting him. I just don't know what to do, and the vet I visited was anything but helpful or kind.

Please help me.

Alicia

Vet Suggestion Regarding Cat Skin Tumor

Alicia,

I’m sorry to hear about your experience with your local vet.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell what the mass is by just looking at the picture you sent, but I will say that it sounds like the vet that you saw was fairly certain it was cancerous, even if he wasn’t as sympathetic to your situation as he could have been.

If it is a type of cancer and you can’t pursue treatment, the best thing you can do is to provide a sort of “hospice” care until his condition deteriorates to the point where euthanasia is in his best interest.

Provide him with all the canned food (it contains more water than dry food) he wants and keep fresh water available at all times. As long as he is eating, using the litter box normally and seems to have some joy in his life, he shouldn’t be suffering too badly.

Perhaps the vet you saw would also be willing to prescribe some pain relief. This doesn’t have to be too expensive.

When your mom’s cat gets to the point where he is not eating, urinating or defecating well, or is having more bad times than good, euthanasia is the kindest thing you can do for him. If you can’t afford to take him to the veterinarian, your local animal shelter may be able to help.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM