# Small lump on the back of cats neck



## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

Ive just felt a lump on the back of Millie's neck. At first I thought it was her microchip but it feels bigger than this, and normally a microchip feels exactly like a grain of rice.

It doesnt appear to hurt her, and moves around to an extent. She had her vax booster a month or so ago, and I have read some people online saying that it can be a reaction to this.

I know people will say get it checked out at the vets, and I will make an appointment tomorrow. I just wondered if anyone had encountered anything similar. I am such a worrier when it comes to my cats!


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

I've certainly had the same reaction post injection which only lasted a few days. I'm not saying it's anything serious and may well be something completely unrelated, but best to have it checked anyway. Hopefully though it will go away on it's own!


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for the reply.

Its almost exactly a month after her vaccinations, and is about the size of a pea. Id imagine if it were a reaction to the vax it would've come up before now? But then again, It may have done and I might just not have noticed.

I'll ring the vets tomorrow.


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

It could be a Lipoma, which is completely harmless....but your vet will be able to tell you for certain.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

I'd take her into the vet ASAP.

I'll make the same recommendations here as on another thread recently. There's been a report released which recommends that cats are vaccinated either into the ckin over the chest or into one of the rear legs, changing legs each year. This means that ifa sarcoma does happen, it can be removed.

Please, even if you think the risk is incredibly low as I do, just have it done this way. It minimises the possibility of losing a cat to sarcoma even more, and isn't that much more uncomfortable for the cat.


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

Thankyou for the advice. She was vaccinated a month ago and all I have read online abour sarcomas says that it becomes a concern if present after 3 months. Im considering keeping a very close eye on it for a week or two, and taking her to the vets if it is still there then, or sooner if it changes. 

I am also wondering if it might be her microchip - I have felt them in cats before and it feels a similar size, but a little fattier.


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Better have it checked ASAP.
If it is a sarcoma, the sooner it is removed, the better. And if it is harmless, you will not be worrying for nothing for the next couple of weeks.


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

You are right jiskefek - I am still worrying about it, even though it is tiny.
I 
think the thought of being charged £30 to be told its her microchip is niggling as I dont have any money until pay day, but I suppose that is the better option and worth it for peace of mind.


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

I took my kitten to the vet a couple of weeks ago with a lump in her neck. It was bigger than a pea size and very round. She had had a leukemia vaccination 2 weeks before and the vet thought it was probably a reaction to this although he did say usually the lump was not perfectly round like hers was. The vet did not charge me as he said if it was a reaction to the injection they felt they were to blame so don't charge. He did also say that reactions to vaccinations usually occurred around 3 weeks after so yours could easily be a reaction.


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

wind1 said:


> I took my kitten to the vet a couple of weeks ago with a lump in her neck. It was bigger than a pea size and very round. She had had a leukemia vaccination 2 weeks before and the vet thought it was probably a reaction to this although he did say usually the lump was not perfectly round like hers was. The vet did not charge me as he said if it was a reaction to the injection they felt they were to blame so don't charge. He did also say that reactions to vaccinations usually occurred around 3 weeks after so yours could easily be a reaction.


Your vet is absolutely right. If it is a reaction to a vaccination, you should not be charged. A lump like that is a result of their choice of vaccine and/or their style of injecting.
It is very good of him to admit to it, though.


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

We've just been to the vets and the vet says she thinks its her microchip, but when moving the device over her it was hard to pinpoint where it was as it beeped once on her neck but also beeped over her back! Im hoping its the chip - she's only been chipped 3 years, surely it wouldn't migrate that far down her back so quickly?

Anyway the vet recomended checking the size again in 2 weeks and bringing her back if it gets larger, so at least I know by waiting and watching I am doing the right thing.

Thankyou for the replies


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## impulce (Jan 9, 2009)

Its no good, I am still worrying about this even though its christmas eve 

After feeling around the area I think ive located her microchip, and it isn't this lump. Its much more 'rice' like and what I have felt in cats before. Its only been a few days since I noticed the lump so can't really tell if its getting bigger or not yet.

EVERYTHING I read about lumps in this area suggeste vaccina assosicated sarcoma  I know you shouldn't read things on the internet, but the majority of these articles are based on truth and fact and that can't be ignored.

I hate this waiting game just waiting to see if it will get bigger, and am going to spend my christmas break worrying


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## cariad65 (Dec 26, 2011)

something very similar happens to one of my two cats, I kept thinking it must be the microchip, but it did feel bigger than that and moved about, then I used to think it was a scab, it happened a couple of time that I realized it happened when? I used the flea drops on her in the same spot, it was a reaction to the flea drops, I thought I could get a flea collar for her, but I did not I was scared of her getting a reaction all around her neck area so I got a flea zapper its a comb which zaps the fleas as soon as it detects it I use it on both the cats they love it, I love getting the fleas zapped.


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