# Very strange lump under nursing cats nipple



## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

I've fostered and nursing cat before and I worked at a cattery for a while so I know that after a while nursing cats get a little lumpy.

As expected, Molly started getting bruised and swollen the day before yesterday (the kittens teeth just came in).. but one of her nipples has like a hard rectangular plate under it.. I'm going to draw the shape in MS paint so you guys can have a better idea.

It's about 2 inches by 3... and it stands an inch above normal skin level. I can clearly feels the edges. The skin around it is tight.

Has anyone ever seen this before?


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## Anjelica (Jun 9, 2009)

Rachael, what I have had in the past that a nursing queen can develop lumpy nipples.... and the milk turns sour..... and the kittens start throwing up...... Was an infection, so more than likely in this case too, and she'll need to go to the vets. And will then require a course of antibiotics. 
Good luck.


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

You would get a better response in the breeding section, if its hot and inflamed it could be mastitis,

Best to get it checked out, it can be very nasty


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## fifibelle (Jan 7, 2010)

is it hard like she engorged or hard like plastic/metal, she is a foster cat? could it be a foreign object, was it deffinatley not there before....the reason I ask is maybe something has somehow got in ther ie a piece of metal from an accident etc and healed over. Sorry I dont know Molly's history and Im sure you probably have thought of all this, just sounds odd for it to have corners and be rectangle, usually anything natural is blob shaped...hope its nothing serious


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

It's not a foreign object. I've never heard the word "engorged" before, but after googleing it that word describes it perfectly.

I immediately brought her to the vet after the first response. The thing is, she is a foster and not my cat so I'm not the one who speaks with the vet. I take her to a vet tech and if they tech suspects she needs to be seen by a vet, then they do so... 

Basically today was very stressful for me and it's a frustrating story of what I've been through. First, let me give you just a bit of background. A week ago, I took Molly to see a vet because she had a swollen cheek and her lips were fleshy. 

The vet wasn't there so Darla, a vet tech, looked at her. Darla has never seemed right to me.. She's just ... Off. Darla hardly looked at it and gave me Clavamox for the infection. I would have questioned her more, but I've dealt with several lip infections and I'm very familiar and comfortable with Clavamox so I didn't question her. This was last Saturday, so Molly has been taking Clavamox for 6 days now.

So today the vet tech brought Molly over to see the vet (which is across the street so I didn't speak with the vet personally. Usually I'd ask to go with, but she told me to wait there.) After about a half hour, she came back with Clavamox and told me it was an infection. I said, "but she's already taking Clavamox" and she began flipping through Molly's chart and said "She is?".. and I said "Yes. Darla prescribed it last week, did she not write it in the chart"... It turns out Darla never even looked at the chart. I can't begin to describe how angry this makes me.. What if Molly had a history of bad reactions to the drug? I mean for god sakes that's such a foolish mistake!... ANYWAY..

Andrea, the vet tech who I spoke with today, said "Well give her this Clavamox anyway"... And I said "If she's been on it for a week why would she have developed an infection yesterday?"... She said "Rachael, this is what the vet said to give her" and I said "Yes, but the vet had no idea that she's already taking Clavamox." ..... Andrea started getting annoyed and said "Just take it. If there's no improvement within 5 days then call us."... and I said "Shouldn't I call if there isn't an improvement in like 2 days?... She's already been taking this medication for a week.".... and she just said "Rachael. Just take it." and kind of rolled her eyes. I took the medication and left and called the vets office once I got home and asked someone to tell the vet that she's already on this medication. I haven't heard back (it's been almost two hours).... I'm going to call back now and ask...


I'm SO ANGRY! Doctors should ALWAYS be as safe as possible.. If this was just a small little thing like a swollen lip I wouldn't be nearly as upset.. But this is a mother cat with 5 kittens who aren't weened yet who has an infection right where she's nursing them!

Their laziness could so easily result the death of 5 innocent kittens! I'm not planning on waiting until they get sick to call in! At 3 weeks of age they probably won't be able to fight it! And she was so rude to me!

They're calling me now.. I'll keep you updated.


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

The vet says keep her on the Clavamox and apply a warm compress for 5 minutes, 4 times a day.


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## fifibelle (Jan 7, 2010)

OMG rachael you must be soo fed up! I have never had this problem with a cat before but I know with humans like they said a warm compress helps to "dissolve" the engorgment. if she will let you try gently massaging it towards the nipple with the compress just enought so any thing can be moved down (easier said than done) hope its better soon, I know from personal experience how painfull it can be  hope she's feeling better soon x


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

They said it's infected and to use a warm compress for 5 minutes 4 times a day.. The mom doesn't like the warm compress, though.. I found a thermal heating wrap in the bathroom that activates itself when the package is opened. It acts like an ace bandage and lasts for about 8 hours. I've used it before with muscle aches and it can be put directly on the skin as it doesn't get too hot, it just stays nice a warm. I wrapped it around mommy and it was a perfect fit. She didn't even seem to notice it until she went to groom a half hour later. I took it off so the babies could nurse (because it covers her belly) and I'm about to put it back on.

The heat really helps with reducing the swelling.

The vet tech said that the vet said the babies can keep nursing but she said this with a question mark at the end and made a weird face like she didn't think it was a good call.

It is only the one gland/nipple that is infected. Would it be wise of me to put a band aid over the one nipple so the babies don't nurse from that one? I don't know if this is a dumb question so I'm not going to do anything until there is a reply.


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## Anjelica (Jun 9, 2009)

Rachael, I do not know what to suggest now..... But one suggestion I can offer is, go to another vet. Get a proper second opinion. And see a vet, not one of his or her "minions". Just because the lump concerns only one nipple, it does not mean that the infection is not affecting the rest of her body. And thereby also affecting her kittens. This needs doing sooner than later.
So, yeah, I'd get me off to another vet practice, and ensure that I'd be seeing a vet, and talk with him/her, and not a vet tech, or anyone else.


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## fifibelle (Jan 7, 2010)

Oooh thats a difficult one, if they dont feed from it will it just carry on getting more engorged? The infection will pass but then come back if the blockage hasnt come down I think, (this is all going on humans again so might be wrong) Ive googled it and it sounds like they need to not be feeding from that nipple! I wonder if the milk in that nipple will just dry up? Can that happen individually? 
I found this old thread hope it helps

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-breeding/6545-mastitis-weaning.html


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## rachael (Jul 30, 2008)

I have wonderful news! Her booby is COMPLETELY better! I felt it in the middle of the night and it was about 50% better and this morning it is perfect! .... I'm so happy!



Anjelica said:


> Rachael, I do not know what to suggest now..... But one suggestion I can offer is, go to another vet. Get a proper second opinion. And see a vet, not one of his or her "minions". Just because the lump concerns only one nipple, it does not mean that the infection is not affecting the rest of her body. And thereby also affecting her kittens. This needs doing sooner than later.
> So, yeah, I'd get me off to another vet practice, and ensure that I'd be seeing a vet, and talk with him/her, and not a vet tech, or anyone else.


I was planning to watch and see if it got even the slightest bit worse and if it did I was going to take her back and insist that I speak with the vet in person. My other plan was if it didn't get better at all in two-three days then I'd go back and see the vet in person.

Since I'm fostering, I don't have to pay for anything. Safe harbor isn't only a cattery, they have a dog adoption section, boarding and grooming section, a vets office, and they just opened a thrift shop to help pay for supplies.

Safe harbor provides me with food, litter, food bowls, litter boxes, towels, ... treats, toys.... If I need something they're sure to have it. They also provide all medical attention and medicines.

Right now my family and I are in a really tough financial situation and I simply don't have any spending money. I need to take them to the Safe Harbor Hospital because I simply can't afford to do anything else. If I felt like they would die if I didn't take them somewhere else then I'd take them somewhere else.

Even though I don't have any spending money, I do have savings in the bank because I'm saving for my first car. The reason I'm telling you this is because I don't want you to think that I'm irresponsible and not ready for an emergency. I have a kitty of my own and I know that sometimes the unexpected will happen.

In fact, I took $200 out of my savings just a month ago because my cat, Mikah, sprained her ankle and I wanted an xray even though the vet said it probably wasn't broken.

I didn't think twice about getting that x-ray even though I needed that money and the vet said it probably wasn't a break. The way I see it is, if my kitty was a person, they'd do an x-ray.

Anyway, Mommy is all better now and I'll of course be continuing the antibiotics as directed.


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