???

[PirateParakeet]

my cat has a strange lump on her underside, between her leg and her belly. it isn't circular and doesn't feel very hard, it's just harder than her fat. I thought it was muscle at first. I've heard from a friend that it's probably a hernia and I was wondering if this sounds right with everyone else?

How much does it usually cost to get fixed? I don't have a lot but I don't want her to be sick.

[mjamie12]

It could be an abscess. One of my cats had a lump in the same place. We went to the vet the day after I found it, but it was gone by the time we got there. The vet just cleaned up the wound and I spent the rest of the day trying to find out where it ruptured. If you have a Petsmart where you are, call the in house clinic and see if they have any free clinic days. The one that we have here does free office visits on Thursdays. (They used to, at least. I know that Vetsmart became Banfield Animal Hospital, but they continued with the free clinic days after the changeover). If you do not have any free clinics around, any vet could check it pretty easily. Most of the vets here charge about $30 for an exam. An abscess is basically a large pimple, and most vets are familiar enough to diagnose that without doing a biopsy. If that's the case, it only takes a couple of minutes to drain and clean up, usually at a minimal extra charge, if any. I highly recommend seeing a vet immediately. If it's a tumor of some sort, you will want to get it removed as soon as possible. If it's an abscess, you will want to vet to rupture it before it becomes a bigger problem.

[opokki]

I agree...you'll really need to see a vet to find out exactly what it is and whether it needs treatment or not. Some vets will allow payment plans. My kitten had a hernia it was circular and you could feel where the lining ripped and the intestines were poking through. The actual hernia repair was $62 but then you have to also factor in anesthesia, catheter, blood work if needed, ect. The vet gave me discounts because he was a rescue so it only ended up costing $165 for the hernia repair and the neuter together.

[PirateParakeet]

I'm gonna work on calling places tomorrow. I love my kitty, I hope she can handle it until whenever I can get an appointment.

like I said in my first post, it isn't circular at all, it's more of a cylinder going parallel to her belly. I don't know what it is.. =!