pocket of fluid on my cat's side
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jasonowen
pocket of fluid on my cat's side
I have an 11 year-old cat that has a pocket of fluid on her side that my wife and I periodically have to drain. When we drain it, the fluid that comes out of it is purplish-brown in color. The fluid is trapped just beneath the skin, and yet on top of the muscle tissue. Does anyone have any ideas on what it might be and how we can cure it? Our vet is inclined to continue to drain it for $60 a pop, so we started doing it ourselves.
Well the most important thing is identifying this, what has your vet done or told you regarding this lump? Has he properly taken an aspirate and sent it off for a cytology? And did he give you the option of removal?
Purplish brown may indicate blood with infection, how are you draining it, are you using a needle or?
Purplish brown may indicate blood with infection, how are you draining it, are you using a needle or?
..........Traci
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jasonowen
pocket of fluid
Traci,
The vet did a test on it, but I do not recall it's title (cytology?) or results being necessarily foreboding. I wouldn't think that the results are too terribly sinister, because she is not inclined to remove it. And she has not removed it as such because it is not a solid mass - it is like I said a pocket of fluid that feels like a tightly filled balloon when it fills.
We use a sterilized syringe to pierce the skin (which doesn't seem to cause kitty any discomfort) and then draw the fluid out. Last night right before my first post we drew out about 10 cc's
The vet did a test on it, but I do not recall it's title (cytology?) or results being necessarily foreboding. I wouldn't think that the results are too terribly sinister, because she is not inclined to remove it. And she has not removed it as such because it is not a solid mass - it is like I said a pocket of fluid that feels like a tightly filled balloon when it fills.
We use a sterilized syringe to pierce the skin (which doesn't seem to cause kitty any discomfort) and then draw the fluid out. Last night right before my first post we drew out about 10 cc's
It would be interesting to know what the pathologist's remarks were, but I'm assuming your vet determined this as benign.
My only concern would be repeated manipulation with the needle aspiration, as in, this could eventually spread infection. Not stepping on your vet's toes here, just commenting. If this is the approach your vet has chosen, and she did so with confidence, then there really isn't much more to do other than removal.
Can you humor me and tell me your vet showed you the procedure for proper aspiration, yes?
My only concern would be repeated manipulation with the needle aspiration, as in, this could eventually spread infection. Not stepping on your vet's toes here, just commenting. If this is the approach your vet has chosen, and she did so with confidence, then there really isn't much more to do other than removal.
Can you humor me and tell me your vet showed you the procedure for proper aspiration, yes?
..........Traci
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jasonowen
pocket of fluid
I watched our vet perform the aspiration twice. She inserted the needle near the base of the pocket close to the muscle tissue and simply drained the pocket, reinserting the needle in the same spot and re-draining until it was essentially empty. I was not shown the proper procedure, as such, and would love to hear of a different way if there is one.
I do feel that the pocket's contents need to be re-tested for certainty. Should I have the doctor perform the procedure or take aspirate to her? Just a question. Do you feel that there could be something more sinister? I know that you did state that it could be an infection due to the coloring (or discoloring as the case may be). What else could it be and why does it keep filling? Is there a remedy?
The heartening thing is that it doesn't seem to bother kitty. Her appetite remains ravenous, her activity level is as high octane as ever, and her demeanor, while outwardly sweet only to me
and feigned indifference to others, has remained steady.
I do feel that the pocket's contents need to be re-tested for certainty. Should I have the doctor perform the procedure or take aspirate to her? Just a question. Do you feel that there could be something more sinister? I know that you did state that it could be an infection due to the coloring (or discoloring as the case may be). What else could it be and why does it keep filling? Is there a remedy?
The heartening thing is that it doesn't seem to bother kitty. Her appetite remains ravenous, her activity level is as high octane as ever, and her demeanor, while outwardly sweet only to me
and feigned indifference to others, has remained steady.Well, it sounds like you have the procedure down ok, just don't manipulate the needle too much, (don't move it around once inserted)....and always start with a sterile needle, never re-use one, ever. Also helps to use an pre-antiseptic measure before inserting a needle, like using a cotton ball or gauze pad with nolvasan or similar to swipe the skin before inserting the needle (your vet can provide these for you).
There are various types of "lipomas" that can occur that are benign, they are growths or cysts, if you will, that are sometimes poorly understood in origin. As long as it is not a hard mass-like growth, chances are it is a lipoma and benign at that. If your vet didn't feel the pathologist report warranted removal, she most likely assumes it is a cyst that may even exacerbate if removed. For that reason, sometimes the aspiration at home is better than removing it.
However, if your vet said anything about the pathology being inconclusive, I'd definately retest a cytology. While fluid can tell alot about a certain growth, ideally, tissue is better because the pathologist can utilize more to work with and detect any abnormalities on cell structure, infiltration, determine benign vs malignancy. Always best to have 100% confirmation on cysts or growths when nothing else is presented (i.e., symptoms, related conditions). As for the actual aspirate for cytology, no, this has to be done by your vet, fresh sample, placed in a 'vaccutainer' and handled carefully....
Don't want to alarm you, but I would talk to your vet again, get a clearer understanding of the previous cytology results, and take it from there on whether or not she feels a retest is warranted. She can also do a quick CBC to try to detect any source of bacterial infections, inflammation, etc.
There are various types of "lipomas" that can occur that are benign, they are growths or cysts, if you will, that are sometimes poorly understood in origin. As long as it is not a hard mass-like growth, chances are it is a lipoma and benign at that. If your vet didn't feel the pathologist report warranted removal, she most likely assumes it is a cyst that may even exacerbate if removed. For that reason, sometimes the aspiration at home is better than removing it.
However, if your vet said anything about the pathology being inconclusive, I'd definately retest a cytology. While fluid can tell alot about a certain growth, ideally, tissue is better because the pathologist can utilize more to work with and detect any abnormalities on cell structure, infiltration, determine benign vs malignancy. Always best to have 100% confirmation on cysts or growths when nothing else is presented (i.e., symptoms, related conditions). As for the actual aspirate for cytology, no, this has to be done by your vet, fresh sample, placed in a 'vaccutainer' and handled carefully....
Don't want to alarm you, but I would talk to your vet again, get a clearer understanding of the previous cytology results, and take it from there on whether or not she feels a retest is warranted. She can also do a quick CBC to try to detect any source of bacterial infections, inflammation, etc.
..........Traci