Cat with black skin lump on chin
I have a ten year old gray female cat. She has been kept indoors her entire life. She has always been prone to feline acne, especially if her food bowl becomes too dirty (I try to keep it washed several times a week, but sometimes it gets icky before I notice). A little over two weeks ago, I noticed a very small, raised, black spot on her jaw line (about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen). It feels like a small pimple...similar to what her feline acne usually feels like. Its location is slightly different than usual...usually the acne is at the tip of her chin...this one is further back, along her lower jaw bone. At first I just assumed this was feline acne and didn't pay much mind to it. But I've noticed that while usually her acne goes away in less than a week, this bump isn't going away and it's been a little over two weeks. The bump has not changed in appearance (smaller or bigger or different colors) since I noticed it. It does not bleed and it is freely moveable. My question for you is...how long is it safe to watch this bump before I take her to the vet? She is a TERRIBLE patient, and really gets upset (to the point that our vet has gotten biten by her) if her head is touched. Our vet usually will not examine her head/mouth unless she is put under anesesthia. Since this bump is under her head, I dread the thought of having her examined there. Is it safe to wait a few more weeks and monitor this bump for a bit? I realize you can't diagnose the bump over the internet, but does it sound characteristic of skin cancer? Your thoughts would be appreciated. |
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Dog with problems walking
When I came home from work yesterday, Sparrow(6yo female neutered mix breed), who stays in my basement with access to the crawl space under the house, was having trouble going up the stairs. She seemed sick - hot nose & depressed. She has a knot midway up her tail about the size of a quarter. Her hindquarters are slightly swollen and tender. Her behind was dirty with dust, some fecal matter, and little black dots that looked like flea eggs (she doesn't have fleas - she's on med from the vet.) It seemed she had been dragging her bottom on the ground. My gut feeling is that she may have been bitten by a spider or god forbid a snake (in my basement?!!) but I'm also worried that she's hurt her back. She can still walk - even jump on the bed - but she is not moving correctly. She is still eating and drinking. She's not any worse this morning, but no better. She's not limping, but she acts stiff - is not moving her hind legs with ease, but I don't see where they look out of whack. For example, when she goes up steps, she just goes one step at a time, very slowly and carefully when she usually bounds & skips steps. It doesn't look like she's knuckling over, and her feet and legs look normal. Another thought after babying her this morning - she has had trouble in the past with her anal glands being blocked. Usually I try to massage & expel them when I bathe her. I haven't noticed her dragging her butt, which usually happens when her glands are filled and need expelling, but is it possible this could be the problem? Or constipation?
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