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My cat has a swelling on his right rear leg We have been to the vet and specilist he did a needle biop and it came back with no mast cells. He is on pred. everyother day but it just doesn't seem to be holding the swelling down. The vet has talked about doing surgy with a skin graft or amputation. He said you cann't drain it because there is no pocket of fluid. The swelling is spongy to the touch. He is not lame on it and it doesn't seem to bother him. The vet said with out an actual tissue biop he is calling it a lymphatic injury. I don't want to lose the limb. Canyou give me you opinion.
Optional Information: Type of Animal: cat Gender: Male Age: 11 Name of Cat: Harley Already Tried: Prednison 2.5
Welcome! I would be happy to assist you. I am a 2003 graduate from UC Davis and a Medical Director of a veterinarian practice.Hello, Wow, tough question. Personally, I would defer to the specialists recommendation or getting into a oncology specialist to see if a new biopsy should be obtained! Yes, a second biopsy. I have seen many times where if a biopsy sample does not get to the core of a tumor or the sampling size is not large enough, it will not be diagnostic. So, I am still worried about a cancer cause. It would be worth consulting a oncologist, just to see what they say. Find Various Specialists--> Under "specialty" select SAIM = Small Animal Internal Medicine--> Or, you can search for a Neurologist, Cardiologist or OncologistThe injury to lymphatics is a interesting guess. We can see swelling and it is called lymphedema.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/lymphedema/page1.aspxReally not sure if this has anything to do with what is going on, but thought the above link would be some good info to have.Hope that info helpsDr. Andy Please reply ANY time more information is needed using the REPLY TO EXPERT button. Please remember to leave feedback by selecting a SMILEY FACE followed by “Submit”This is necessary, so I may receive credit from the website for my response, even if you are a subscribing member. Only rate my answer when you are 100% satisfied. IF you feel the need to rate "bad" or "poor", please stop and reply to me via the REPLY TO EXPERT button. I would be happy to continue assisting further, and do everything I can to be of the greatest assistance. REMEMBER: Even after you submit feedback, you can still review our discussion or reply if needed. Unfortunately, I cannot legally prescribe medications or offer a definitive diagnosis without performing a physical examination, which is necessary to establish a client-patient-doctor relationship. Any medical therapy and treatment should only be performed after an in-person examination with your veterinarian. While information may be discussed, this is not intended as an encouragement for you to self treat your pet. After we conclude this question, I can be requested for additional questions through my profile at: Dr. Andy
Experience: 2003 UC Davis Veterinary Grad
Hi Michele,I'm just following up on our conversation about Harley. How is everything going?Dr. Andy