My old cat has a growing, discolored tumor. What are my options?

That's a good size growth on Mowe's face. No, she may not be too old for surgery. There are plenty of cats who are older who successfully have surgery. She does need to see a vet to discuss having this removed, and the vet can do a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to assess her anesthetic risk for surgery. Those tests will let you know if it's ok or not to proceed with surgery. Give her vet a call now to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!

At her age and the fast pace of which it is growing, it may be a cancer. If surgery is not an option, then you are looking at keeping her comfortable which is very reasonable given her age. As long as she is happy and not in pain and has a good appetite, then just let her keep going as she is. When she no longer wants to eat or no longer seems to enjoy life or the tumor begins to limit her mobility, then it will be time to consider euthanasia.

That's a complicated recommendation to give, especially since we don't know the type of cancer. It is possible that local excision could be curative. It is also possible that after local excision and a diagnosis from histopathology, we find that amputation is needed. In my opinion solely based on the pictures, I would probably remove the tumor and not try to get aggressive clean borders and wait to see what the tumor is before doing anything more drastic.

You are right, there is always some risk with surgery. However, you may want to visit with your veterinarian about the anesthesia monitoring they do. It may surprise you how low the risk is and how much effort is put into safety. As far as the mass goes, I do get concerned anytime a mass is changing. I do recommend surgical removal any time there is a big change to an existing mass. However, there is always the possibility that it could remain quiet and never cause a problem. I would recommend visiting more with your veterinarian and making that decision together. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fiona. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. Her veterinarian could perform a simple procedure known as a fine needle aspirated. The doctor would use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can lead to a diagnosis in some cases, but can be inaccurate. For a more accurate diagnosis, the mass would need to surgically removed and the whole mass submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to review. I understand your hesitancy to do so given her age. That being said, cats have a higher rate of cancerous mammary tumors compared to dogs. Furthermore, the mass appears ulcerated in your picture. This can can associated with malignancy as well. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that it is cancerous. I hope this information helps.

First off, I'm very sorry that Mama Kitty has mammary tumors! Unfortunately, 90% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant. I think your best option in this case is to enjoy the time you have left with her. Spoil her, give her lots of love and attention, feed her favorite foods (but not ones that are toxic!). Spend as much time with her as you can. Monitor her in regards to her quality of life, and if that starts to decline (i.e. she stops eating, stops drinking, loses more weight, becomes very lethargic, appears to be pain), then it's time to discuss with your vet humane euthanasia. It's a hard thing to do, but it will allow her to go peacefully and without any further pain. You can keep in touch with your vet to discuss her quality of life which will help you make an informed and objective decision. I work for a home euthanasia service and help owners with these decisions all the time, so if you'd like to talk with me further, you can request a consult with me. Just click the consult online button under my answer. Otherwise, again I'm sorry and I hope this helps somewhat.

I am so sorry that your and Gingers are both going through this. Mammy tumors in cats can be malignant or benign. Unfortunately, studies show that 90% of them are malignant and aggressive where only 10% are benign. The normal treatment would be a full mastectomy on the side that the tumor is located. With her age, this is still an option but you may just consider taking off just the mass to make recovery easier. The other option is to do nothing and just keep her comfortable. I am sorry that she is going through this and I know it isn't easy on your as she is part of the family. My thoughts are with you during this time and whatever you decide, just know you are doing it with her best interest in mind. I hope this helps!