Question Re Swelling

After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months, I'd
really, really like to solve this one myself (with your help).

Sammy has been occasionally confronting Demi (our little scaredy cat) lately
and will swat her when Demi crouches and yowls instead of running away. We
keep everyone's claws clipped, so there isn't ever any bloodshed. However,
last night Sammy got a really hard swat in (we *heard* it all the way across
the great room). After a few minutes, when I was finally able to coax Demi
to let me pick her up, I noticed something weird (and a bit scary) on/in her
earlobe. She has a swelling, about the size of a nickel, inside the
earlobe. The best way I can describe it is that it looks like when you hit
yourself on the fatty part of your finger, on the underside right next to
the palm, and it causes a blue-ish swelling (probably when a small blood
vessel breaks). I could feel the lump inside the earlobe, it was pretty
thick.

Of course we'll cart her off to the vet if this hasn't gotten better by the
time I get home tonight, but I was wondering if anyone had run across
anything like this before. Any ideas what it is (*is* it a swelling from a
broken blood vessel), or how long it might be there, or what a vet might
need to do *if* they can do anything at all?

--
Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters he http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months

OMG. Make alllll the little bahstahds get jobs.

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months, I'd
really, really like to solve this one myself (with your help).

Sammy has been occasionally confronting Demi (our little scaredy cat)
lately and will swat her when Demi crouches and yowls instead of running
away. We keep everyone's claws clipped, so there isn't ever any
bloodshed. However, last night Sammy got a really hard swat in (we
*heard* it all the way across the great room). After a few minutes, when
I was finally able to coax Demi to let me pick her up, I noticed something
weird (and a bit scary) on/in her earlobe. She has a swelling, about the
size of a nickel, inside the earlobe. The best way I can describe it is
that it looks like when you hit yourself on the fatty part of your finger,
on the underside right next to the palm, and it causes a blue-ish swelling
(probably when a small blood vessel breaks). I could feel the lump inside
the earlobe, it was pretty thick.


Sounds like a hematoma? Maybe your vet would advise you on the phone,
given that you're such a good customer and all?

All I found online in a quick search was this discussion:

http://tinyurl.com/ywaq7d

Good luck, CN.

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months

OMG. Make alllll the little bahstahds get jobs.

I hear ya! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months, I'd
really, really like to solve this one myself (with your help).

Sammy has been occasionally confronting Demi (our little scaredy cat)
lately and will swat her when Demi crouches and yowls instead of running
away. We keep everyone's claws clipped, so there isn't ever any
bloodshed. However, last night Sammy got a really hard swat in (we
*heard* it all the way across the great room). After a few minutes, when
I was finally able to coax Demi to let me pick her up, I noticed
something weird (and a bit scary) on/in her earlobe. She has a swelling,
about the size of a nickel, inside the earlobe. The best way I can
describe it is that it looks like when you hit yourself on the fatty part
of your finger, on the underside right next to the palm, and it causes a
blue-ish swelling (probably when a small blood vessel breaks). I could
feel the lump inside the earlobe, it was pretty thick.


Sounds like a hematoma? Maybe your vet would advise you on the phone,
given that you're such a good customer and all?

All I found online in a quick search was this discussion:

http://tinyurl.com/ywaq7d

I think that may be it. I found this on a google search:
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/hematoma.html

Hugs,

CatNipped


Good luck, CN.

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"cybercat" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months, I'd
really, really like to solve this one myself (with your help).

Sammy has been occasionally confronting Demi (our little scaredy cat)
lately and will swat her when Demi crouches and yowls instead of running
away. We keep everyone's claws clipped, so there isn't ever any
bloodshed. However, last night Sammy got a really hard swat in (we
*heard* it all the way across the great room). After a few minutes,
when I was finally able to coax Demi to let me pick her up, I noticed
something weird (and a bit scary) on/in her earlobe. She has a
swelling, about the size of a nickel, inside the earlobe. The best way
I can describe it is that it looks like when you hit yourself on the
fatty part of your finger, on the underside right next to the palm, and
it causes a blue-ish swelling (probably when a small blood vessel
breaks). I could feel the lump inside the earlobe, it was pretty thick.


Sounds like a hematoma? Maybe your vet would advise you on the phone,
given that you're such a good customer and all?

All I found online in a quick search was this discussion:

http://tinyurl.com/ywaq7d

I think that may be it. I found this on a google search:
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/hematoma.html


Much better link. But it sounds like vet ... ooo

"CatNipped" wrote in
:

After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months, I'd
really, really like to solve this one myself (with your help).


Methinks you should have married a vet! Something to remember for the
future...

Bobble

Talked to Dr. French and Cyber got it in one! It is a hematoma. While most
hematomas are caused by shaking the head or scratching the ear because of an
ear infection or mites, some can be caused by trauma (in this case Sammy
smacking Demi upside the head). Dr. French said that there were three
options for dealing with this: 1) aspirate the hematoma with a syringe,
but this can introduce an infection and the hematoma is likely to come back
almost immediately; 2) surgically remove the hematoma, but this will leave
scar tissue which can cause the ear to appear wrinkled (or, as it is usually
called, a "cauliflower ear" like boxers get); or 3) leave it alone and it
will eventually go away; but this will leave scar tissue which can.... etc.

So, since there is no underlying medical cause of the hematoma, she doesn't
need any other medical treatment. So... I don't want to introduce an
infection, so option 1 is out. The outcome of options 2 and 3 are the same
in the long run (with the only difference being to my pocketbook. So I
think we'll go with option 3 and just concentrate on finding a way to keep
Sammy from beating up on the little wussy girl.

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/


"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
After spending upwards of $4,000 at the vet in the last 3 months, I'd
really, really like to solve this one myself (with your help).

Sammy has been occasionally confronting Demi (our little scaredy cat)
lately and will swat her when Demi crouches and yowls instead of running
away. We keep everyone's claws clipped, so there isn't ever any
bloodshed. However, last night Sammy got a really hard swat in (we
*heard* it all the way across the great room). After a few minutes, when
I was finally able to coax Demi to let me pick her up, I noticed something
weird (and a bit scary) on/in her earlobe. She has a swelling, about the
size of a nickel, inside the earlobe. The best way I can describe it is
that it looks like when you hit yourself on the fatty part of your finger,
on the underside right next to the palm, and it causes a blue-ish swelling
(probably when a small blood vessel breaks). I could feel the lump inside
the earlobe, it was pretty thick.

Of course we'll cart her off to the vet if this hasn't gotten better by
the time I get home tonight, but I was wondering if anyone had run across
anything like this before. Any ideas what it is (*is* it a swelling from
a broken blood vessel), or how long it might be there, or what a vet might
need to do *if* they can do anything at all?

--
Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters he http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

Response from "CatNipped" :

Dr. French said that there were three
options for dealing with this: 1) aspirate the hematoma with a
syringe, but this can introduce an infection and the hematoma is
likely to come back almost immediately; 2) surgically remove the
hematoma, but this will leave scar tissue which can cause the ear
to appear wrinkled (or, as it is usually called, a "cauliflower
ear" like boxers get); or 3) leave it alone and it will eventually
go away; but this will leave scar tissue which can.... etc.

So, since there is no underlying medical cause of the hematoma,
she doesn't need any other medical treatment. So... I don't want
to introduce an infection, so option 1 is out. The outcome of
options 2 and 3 are the same in the long run (with the only
difference being to my pocketbook. So I think we'll go with
option 3 and just concentrate on finding a way to keep Sammy from
beating up on the little wussy girl.

For what it's worth, I have had great success in lancing and
aspirating cysts, hematomas, and other non-critical blood lesions or
blood blisters.

From what I know of you, it sounds like you could handle it just
fine. Only problem is you need to be able to get a hold of a topical
anesthetic or perhaps lidocaine -- which by the way, I have no clue
how cats react to lidocaine. From the VERY little research I
conducted in a "what if" scenario, it does not have a negative impact
on thermal antinociception. However I also know there are "better"
or more current local anesthetics in use as well. I had some stuff
once (that I cannot for the life of me remember) that you sprayed on
the injection site which would cool and provide mild anesthetizing
relief to the immediate area easing the pain of injection.

And in case you aren't the do-it-yourself farm girl type, then you
could always treat the wound after the vet aspirates it. One thing
to note about the "wait and it will go away" method is that like any
hematoma or blood blister, if the pooled blood becomes infected then
you are allowing the infected blood to be reabsorbed -- which is what
waiting for it to go away does, then you are absorbing that. I have
NO clue how frequently or infrequently that happens though.

Oh, I almost forgot... the initial lancing would probably go off
without a hitch. A quick pinch and you and kitty would be draining.
However, one of the key elements I employ for drainage is to really
get down in there and massage toward the exit (drainage site). Then
I employ a 2 (or 3) to 1 peroxide/alcohol mixture that I liberally
flush the entrance with. So, that is why I mentioned anesthetic.

Also, for what it's worth the only semisolid or semifluid sites I
have ever seen recur are cysts -- never blood-related pooling.

Sorry to have jumped around a bit. Didn't get any sleep last night!
But hopefully you have a bit more information to go on now so you
don't have to be worried that infection is a guarantee.

Either way, good luck and I wish you, the kitties, and your
pocketbook well. : )

--
-Lost
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