So this cat has had some health problems and is FIV positive. He just had a teeth cleaning done about 2 weeks ago.
He is easy going. But when I touch this area he tries to get away and makes unhappy noises.
To me these areas look swollen. Almost like a round lump. They are soft.
More pronounced when he lays on his side. Sticks out almost ball shaped. Like a distinct ball shaped fattty area.
Now he had an injury to this area when I first took him in, (he was a stray. I took him in around April).
I’ve never had an overweight cat. I am not sure if this is abnormal and needs a vet visit. Or it’s normal to have fat deposits there and he’s just unhappy about being touched there from the old injury.
Anyone have a fat cat and can confirm it’s normal or not.
My other concern is, it’s a swollen lymph node or something . It is bilateral but bigger on one side but definitely on both sides.
I’ve taken this cat to the vet so much that I don’t want to take him in just for normal fat deposits.
I am aware he is overweight. It’s been challenging managing his bottomless pit appetite but his diet is being managed.
I can’t seem to find this info online about fat deposits. Do cats put on fat right around the hip joint area ?
Maybe not all cats do but some ?
Here is an illustration with the lumpy fat area circled.
Not necessarily the case here, and both sides makes me think it’s not, but when you mentioned the cat had a recent injury here, it made me suspect an infection and an abscess - if only because I’ve dealt with one recently.
One of our cats had this from a cat bite wound. A swelling, sort of ball shaped, soft, but the cat says “ow!” If you touch it.
In our case, that cat had a fairly intense scratch and the abscess burst all over the floor (thankfully in a room with easily wipable tiles). This was followed up with a vet visit for antibiotics and painkillers.
The “both sides” and the amount if time between April and now makes me think it’s not that, but still might be one to add to the possibilities list.
It’s definitely more prominent on the right side. Like maybe 2x the size as the left.
Maybe it’s sort of "hiding " on a fatty area and making me think it’s just fat. But it’s an abscess or something.
The injury he had was a pretty nasty bite. It’s actually why I took him in. He was half starved and had a big gushing wound on his backside and it was still pretty cold out. So I felt like I had no choice. That he wouldn’t make it outside.
Fur didn’t grow back over the wound area for a pretty long time. Maybe 5 months.
I managed to get a better photo of this mysterious lump. After he stood up it disappeared.
I feel like I’m being gaslite by it. It’s there. Gone. Was it really there. ?
I still think there is something weird going on. I’ll have to take him in and have him checked.
When he had that teeth cleaning 2 weeks ago they also took X-rays of his chest because he has some chronic breathing issue that we haven’t figured out yet.
So I’m also still following up on that issue. Might be nasal polyps or something.
But they said his heart and lungs looked good. Idk if this area was in the X-ray or not. Can’t hurt to ask. 🤷
Ouch. Poor little guy. That’s a lot to go through. I don’t think it’s wasting time to check up with a vet - especially if it’s seemingly a source of pain or an area he’s over grooming or scratching.
Of course, that’s as long as you’re prepared to pay the fees, accepting the risk to find that he’s just a bit chubbier in that area - but I still think the “it hurts him and he tries to run away” suggests it’s worth checking out if you’re able to.
Thanks for the advice. I keep worrying about it so it’s best I just take him in.