On Jul 30, 4:43*pm, Brian Link wrote:
...besides a biopsy, that is.

(I'm currently unemployed, and we can't afford an exam right now for
Tiger, let alone any surgery or testing.)

So while I'm worrying, I wonder whether there's some other way to get
a feel for what the lump could be.

It's about nickel-sized though oblong, above the muscle but below the
skin. It's located next to the spine but not on it, about an inch
anterior to the pelvis. It's "pulpy-feeling", can be moved around, and
doesn't appear to cause any discomfort.

What else might it be? Abscess maybe?

We lost a cat to fibrosarcoma several years back, and from the first
time we located Roy's mass it was very solid-feeling, pretty different
than Tiger's. I've been reading that Vaccination-related FS most often
appears within a few months of vaccination, and it's been a few years
for Tiger.

Thanks for any ideas (and well-wishes). Tiger's around 14 but still
very active and otherwise a picture of health.

BLink
--------------------------
"The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"

Vax-related sarcomas can appear as long as three years after the last
vaccination. It's very aggressive. The tumor will begin growing
"fingers"
down the back of the cat, and that makes it impossible to remove if
you
wait too long. There's a much better chance of removal if you don't
delay.
I am *not* an expert on the subject, but I do know a little about it
because
my daughter's cat has one. You really have no choice, IMO, but to see
a vet. It doesn't sound like an abscess to me. IME, abscesses *hurt*
-- my cats never let me touch one.

Sherry