My spayed cat has painful vaginal lumps and swelling. What is it?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is likely mammary gland hyperplasia which is benign growth of the breast tissue in cats. It can happen after the cat is spayed if they ovulated and were recently in heat before the surgery. It is secondary to hormonal influence. It should resolve on it's own. I hope this helps!

If the lump is new then I would call the veterinarian and discuss it. It is very likely they would want her back in sooner if a swelling has started to appear in the last few days. It could be a simple hematoma which will resolve, but it better to be seen if possible. You can apply a cool compress to the area in the meantime. if she will tolerate it.

It certainly looks like this surgery site is infected. This could be due to parasites or it could be a bacterial or fungal infection. I recommend you ask your vet to have the mass cultured to determine exactly what is causing the infection. That way he/she can ensure that the correct medication is being used to resolve the infection.

Hello there! There are a couple of things that come to mind with a hardened area at the spay site. The first and most common issue I can think of may be inflammation from a localized suture reaction at the incision site. When Soy was spayed, the vet most likely used a layer of absorbable stitches in her abdominal muscles below the skin. These stitches are meant to absorb over time (anywhere from 90-220 days, depending on the type of suture) and don't usually cause any problem, but sometimes the body's immune system reacts against this foreign material and causes swelling. This is not usually a medical concern unless the swelling is hot, red, or appears to be bothering Soy. If you see any of these symptoms, you should bring her to the vet as this may indicate an infection. It may take many weeks to go away - if you are at all concerned about Soy's well-being, feel free to give the vet that spayed her a call. If Soy will let you, placing a warm compress against the area for 10 minutes a day can also help reduce the swelling. There is also the possibility that this lump is a cyst or tumor, but this is much less likely considering Soy's young age. Good luck, and I hope Soy's lump goes away soon!

Some mild swelling is quite common but any pain, discomfort or discharge requires veterinary assessment. Monitor closely, it should reduce in size over 3-5days if fluid build up but may require surgical repair if not resolving

This sounds like it is likely a seroma (a fluid pocket under the skin), or a tissue reaction to the suture material - both of these are quite common in cats after spay surgery, and should not cause any serious problems. Less commonly, the swelling could be caused by an infection or even a hernia. If Leia is acting normal (eating and drinking fine, playful, etc.), you can monitor the bump until it's time for her stitches to be removed. Applying a warm compress like a warm wet washcloth to the area 2-3 times a day can help the swelling to resolve faster, as well as restricting her activity as much as possible. If Leia is acting very lethargic or not eating, or if there is any bleeding or yellow-green discharge from the bump, these may be signs of infection - in that case, I would take her to the vet today for an exam and antibiotics or other medication if needed.

It sounds as though Knox is exhibiting signs of a false pregnancy. Since she was spayed last month, it is not possible for her to actually become pregnant. Rarely, a portion of ovarian tissue (referred to as ovarian remnant syndrome) can remain after a spay, which then produces hormones and can cause signs of heat and possible pregnancy. I do recommend taking Knox to her vet for an exam and to consider blood hormone levels to determine if ovarian remnant syndrome is suspected. For further reading, take a look at this link: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3507. I hope that all goes well!