# Swollen Lymph Nodes... [UPDATE: new problem]



## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

I was petting Chica today when I noticed a hard lump. It's on her neck, just under her jaw line and lined up right between the eye and the ear. Is this a swollen lymph node? Or possibly some sort of tumor!? Naturally, I'm a worried kitty mommy. If this doesn't resolve itself I'm taking her to the vet. The problem is I'm leaving Saturday for a week long service trip, and I'd want to be there at the vet.

Is this a problem that can wait a week? Or is it something immediate? She seems fine, acting fairly normal. The only thing I've noticed about her is that today she didn't finish her food as fast as usually. But from the beginning, I think she just wasn't into the flavor, because she went about the rest of the evening begging for human scraps as usual. 

Any advice/experience/opinions are appreciated!


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

I would take her in before going on the trip. 
There is no way to know what the problem for sure. There are a chains of lymph nodes in that area in humans, so I would think there would also be some in cats. Lymph nodes are trash cans for the body. A lymph node that you can feel is a sign of a problem that needs attention, for instance it could be a dental infection in that area.
You don't want to leave with her possibly not eating while you are gone - HL is very scary to me.


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## ETrescued (Oct 22, 2009)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Yep, I'd imagine it is a lymph node as humans have strings of them that run right along the jaw line.

It likely is enlarged, and can be so for many reasons from active infection, benign growth, and malignant growth. My mother actually had a lymph node removed from right under her clavicle that was about the size of a grape. She was really nervous about it being malignant, but the pathology was totally normal, just non-cancerous overgrowth.

For some peace of mind I would take Chica to the vet before your trip. It's (edit) UN-likely that WHATEVER she has is going to send her down the drain immediately... but yes, if she is off her food that is something that can be threatening.

I'm sure your kitty mommy instincts are right and she needs a trip to the vet to put your mind at ease :-D

-BP


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Hers is about the size of a grape. Not a whole grape, sorta like one cut in half. I'm going to call my vet in a few minutes here and see if I can get her in. With my class schedule, it's going to be complicated but I'll try.

Ooh, I'm so worried about my little Chica. It better not be cancer, it just better not be! She's way too young! :|


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Well, they had plenty of appointments so I got her in tomorrow. I'm so nervous! I hope they don't give me any bad news :? The receptionist said that the most common course is antibiotics, because it's swollen due to some minor infection and that usually clears it up. But not always :|


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Could also be an abscess -- and those can be pretty big deals in cats, usually requiring anesthesia and curettage. 

Let us know how the vet visit goes!!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

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It's gonna be a long day and a half, waiting and worrying. They had an opening for tonight but I have to work. My boyfriend could have taken her, but I want to be there to speak with my vet (maybe he can offer me some advice about Chica's ongoing poop-outside-the-box issue too). The good news is, she ate breakfast this morning when my BF fed them, just as enthusiastically as usual, according to him. I wish I'd been there to see her eating, because now that I start thinking of dental related abscesses, and how slow and daintily she ate her dinner last night, I'm wondering if she's only chewing on one side. I'll keep a close eye on her at dinner tonight. 

She slept with me under the covers all night last night. She hasn't been that cuddly since she was only about 12 weeks old, and a tiny little peanut. Is that some sort of strange omen? :dis


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*



> It's likely that WHATEVER she has is going to send her down the drain immediately... but yes, if she is off her food that is something that can be threatening.


My stomach just did a flip. Did you mean isn't? Or is Chica actually in some real danger? She isn't off her food, and still eating normal amounts. I just heard from my boyfriend that she knocked all my seedlings off the window sill again, so she's obviously still up to her usual antics. 

It's so hard being at school and wondering if she's ok. I have half a mind to call the vet and reschedule, to just take the late appointment tonight, and bring her to work with me, so I can rush to the vet right after. I don't know if I can wait all the way until tomorrow...


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## ETrescued (Oct 22, 2009)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*



RachandNito said:


> > It's likely that WHATEVER she has is going to send her down the drain immediately... but yes, if she is off her food that is something that can be threatening.
> 
> 
> My stomach just did a flip. Did you mean isn't? Or is Chica actually in some real danger? She isn't off her food, and still eating normal amounts. I just heard from my boyfriend that she knocked all my seedlings off the window sill again, so she's obviously still up to her usual antics.


Oh gosh! Yes, of course "is UNLIKELY"!! Sorry for the fright... ah I've been studying so much I can't even type or proofread 

I will edit so no one else is confused. Sorry sorry.

Best of luck at the vet tomorrow, keep us posted!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

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PHEW! Thank you! No worries, I just wanted to be sure. *sigh* Oh Chica, I sure hope she's ok!


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## Luvkitties (Jan 22, 2009)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Just wanted to share... I had to face a similar situation when Patch was around 8 months old.

He had a lump in his neck that appeared one day. Same size you mentionned, same place. Not painful. He was acting normally: eating, playing, sleeping, litter box! I was concerned about a tumor or an abcess.

I went to the vet the next morning!

After a complete physical exam, he said the most probable diagnosis was an enlarged lymph node in reaction to the loss of a "baby tooth" being replaced by an adult one! In fact, he had just lost a tooth a few weeks before that (I happened to have found it in my living room... lol) and had an adult tooth growing. He had nothing unusual in his mouth: no abcess, no injuries. Since he had no other systemic symptoms (like weight loss, fatigue, diarrhea) the vet decided not to do any other tests and told me to come back in two weeks if it was still there (or if any other symptoms appeared). 

It disappeared completely in about a week. 

Two years and a half later, he's still in perfect health and being his usual "little monster self"!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Luvkitties- Thank you for sharing. I'm feeling a lot better from that story, and because I talked to my teacher (who is a vet) and described her symptoms. He said that cancer is way down on the list for a kitty her age. *phew* He said if he had to guess he would say:

-swollen as a result to some sort of throat/respiratory bug
-blocked salivary gland
-swollen as a result of a dental infection

He told me where to check for her other lymph glands, because if the ones in her armpits and under her legs are swollen, it could cause the diagnosis to lean more towards cancer... I'm going home right now to check.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

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Waiting to hear, fingers and paws crossed in this house.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

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I'm hoping all is well!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

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I didn't find any other swollen lymph nodes anywhere else on Chica. And so, I must wait until tomorrow. Most likely won't get a diagnosis, as I was told she would most likely be started on antibiotics, which will hopefully clear it up in a week's time. After that, we go into pulling out samples with a needle and other diagnostic tests. *pulls out wallet*

It's ok. Chica is worth a million dollars in my eyes.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

So, Chica loves coming into the bathroom with me for some strange reason. And I enjoy it because she walks around purring and giving these little "MEEP!" meows that are so cute. Today she joined me in the bathroom as I got ready to shower, and was strutting around as usual. But no meeping. I looked closely and her mouth was moving and no sound was coming out. Does this mean it's a sore throat? Maybe I'm just looking for signs... who knows. The hours are stretching on and on, I just want to get to the vet ASAP. *sigh*

She's eating right now. But instead of eating her wet food dinner like she usually does, she's being a gravy licker, and only daintily nibbling on the chunks. She licked her dinner dry, then her and Nito switched and she is now licking his gravy and picking out the darker bits of meat... err... whatever is in there... from his bowl. And Nito is eating her dry chunks. :dis


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Since my last post, Chica has gotten more lethargic. She is still eating, but with little enthusiasm. When the cats are called for dinner, where she usually would run and meep her little heart out, she is now walking slowly and being very quiet. At least she is still finishing her meals. Today I noticed that she has started sneezing, has a runny nose, and has been licking her nose so much that the little "connector" that connects her nose to her lips is all raw and red. (sorry, I don't know the technical term for it)

Took her to the vet. Explained her symptoms. They took her temperature. 103.8. Poor little girl has a fever. The vet didn't want to dive right into getting aspirates, so she has been started on some Clavamox. I have been instructed to take her temperature tonight and tomorrow morning, and to call and leave a message before I depart for Florida, regarding the status of her fever. If it goes over 105.5, she said it's reached a critical level and that she needs to know about it. So I'm going to teach Andrew how to take her temp, since he'll be the one caring for her this week.

I'm going to be worrying about her the whole time. But the vet said that while a fever is not good news, her symptoms are probably as best I could have hoped for- they are indicating that it's her lymph node that is swollen as a result of infection. The vet thinks it should clear up in about a week. If not, she's going back on Saturday.

Pray for her! She was so shivering cold, so I wrapped her up and tucked her into my bed. She seemed a bit miffed at being wrapped up, but then realized it was nice and warm, and she is currently sleeping peacefully. I'm gonna mix some water into her dinner, to make sure she gets some extra fluid. The vet said she can eat whatever she wants this week, just so long as she takes her antibiotics on a full belly. So we bought a pound of the shaved turkey she loves so much, in case she starts getting finicky.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

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Poor little girl, I hope the Clavamox works it wonders on her.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

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Me too! And guess what! The little angel (*cough* demon) must have been tricking me. Because she snuck out of bed, into the kitchen, and got onto the counter before we put the groceries away. She helped herself to some of the turkey in the most obnoxious of ways- ripping the package right open, unceremoniously. At least she still has some of her spunk and mischievous nature in her, despite feeling like crud!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

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It's annoying, but a good sign!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

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WOAH!!! 

So Chica just pooped IN the litterbox. I repeat... IN THE LITTER BOX!! She hasn't pooped actually in the box in weeks. What is going on here! I didn't even have to put her in there, she just did it on her own!!


((For those unfamiliar with Chica's issue... she always poops on the floor. I've done almost everything possible to solve whatever issue she might have but nothing so far has worked. I have a thread about it somewhere...))


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

I just thought of something. I have a mattress heater, and since Chica seems so cold I figured her fever was giving her the chills, since that's what happens to me when I get a fever. So I had it on and she's laying in my bed, all warm and cozy... but is it bad for her to be getting extra warmth when she's already running a temp? Is it gonna cause her fever to go up?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to that question. But I would think if she was uncomfortably warm, she'd move. I get chills when I get a fever, too.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

*Re: Swollen Lymph Nodes... growth? help!*

Well she seems quite content under the covers, snuggling with Andrew under the covers. The bed heater is all warmed up- those two are very cozy! I

And as for me... I've got the typical pre-vacation jitters. It always used to happen to my mom and now I see why! I need to make sure everything is packed, and that Andrew knows how to take care of Chica and that I didn't forget about anything, and... and... gah! *paces* I'm also still worried about my Chica, and I've taken her temperature twice this evening. At one point it was as high as 104.0 and just now it's down to 103.0 F. She is .5 away from being considered within our normal range (at my school it's 100.5-102.5), I'm hoping the drop is a good sign. Hopefully that Clavamox will help get her fever down by the morning :| She ate all her dinner which included 10 mL of water mixed in, and just to keep her hydrated I syringe-fed her another 10 mL of water when her fever was up to 104.0, which she actually drank willingly. I think she enjoys lapping things up as they trickle from a syringe. It's been quite a hectic day, and now the van leaves in about 2.5 hours and I still haven't slept!

Heh, 28 hours car drive, at least I'll sleep for a good part of the trip!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

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Let's face it, you'd worry about perfectly healthy cats on vacation! But the drop in temperature sounds good.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

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> Let's face it, you'd worry about perfectly healthy cats on vacation!


You've got that right! :wink: 

Sometimes I feel like I get separation anxiety from them if I'm away too long! I can only go so many nights without snuggling with a kitty!


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Well, we made it to Florida, finally. I didn't explain before but I'm on a service trip- we're helping clean up the Everglades, cutting down invasive vines, repairing fences, transporting some gators... and other random stuff. I'm with my vet tech class and my teacher (who is a renowed vet here in WI)

Chica's temperature has gone down and remained at a consistent normal temp of 101.5, which is great. She's eating her meals but still seems extra sleepy. Her lymph node is still swollen. But alas, with good news comes the bad...

Remember when I mentioned the nose "connecter" being red and raw? Andrew told me today that it had gotten "way worse". He explained it as her entire nose being crusty bloody, raw, and weepy with puss. So I had him send me a picture and we did a video chat so I could show my teacher and get her opinions. When I saw the picture I nearly broke down in tears. It looks simply _awful_ and even worse when I saw her during the video chat. Dr. CC said that as long as her fever is down and she is eating, that we should leave it be for a few days, and see how it is after three days. I asked if Andrew should take her back into the vet, she said no. We're gonna check in with video chat tomorrow and keep an eye on her. She's going to call in and get me a prescription of tetracycline if it gets way worse, that way I only have to pay for the meds and not another 40 bucks for them to see her again. I asked if it was bacterial, and Dr. CC said it didn't start off that way, but it has now progressed to be bacterial. The Clavamox she's on for her other problem _might_ take care of it.

Here is a picture. It's a little graphic. Anyone ever experienced something like that? Her poor, perfect little nosey... :|


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Poor little baby, I hope the Clavamox works. atback


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Me too :? I'm having a hard time enjoying myself being so worried about her. I think Dr. CC could tell how shaken/upset I seemed because she said to Andrew (during the V-chat) "You, don't fuss over her and YOU *points to me* don't even _think_ about it! We'll check on her tomorrow."

I can't help it, all I can think about is my poor little Chica :-(


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