Cat with Hernia?

[kateliz]

My cat James was at the vet today for his 1 month check up after starting insulin and for continuing litterbox problems See here for the description of those. Yuck.

A month ago, the vet noticed his "pouch" between his back legs felt a little uneven but as diabetes was our most pressing concern, we didn't really spend too much time on it. I brought it up again while at the vet today, and they took an aspiration with the suspicion that it was a fatty tumor. The more the vet felt, however, the more she began to think that what she was actually feeling was a hernia, and not a tumor. I've felt that spot before too. It's about the size of my palm and it feels pretty fleshy and squishy (scientific description, I know) so I am afraid she might be right.

He's getting X-rays this morning to diagnose it, and we'll go from there. I just wanted to post here and see if anyone had experience with this, and wondering what I could expect in the way of treatment/recovery/complications. I'm looking around online, but any information/reading resources would be much appreciated.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Hernias happen. last year my vet some tumors on my Lightening's belly. He had surgery to remove the growths I also asked them to look at the pouch that he has had for many years since they were already nearby. What they found was a hernia which they repaired.
The pouch was there for over ten years and I first noticed it after the ER vet has to go in through the abdominal in order to insert a urinary catheter. They could not get the catheter in from the outside.

 

[Lisa and Merlyn (GA)]

Carly had a lump on her belly when she arrived at the shelter, and they did what was listed as a "punch biopsy" that showed it was fat, but my vet forgot that I told him that and he felt it was close to the mammary chain so during her dental he was going to remove it/investigate and found a fat hernia and repaired it. They happen sometimes post s/n surgery in girl cats and my vet felt it was probably from s/n for Carly due to where it was

Did they say it was a fat hernia or intestinal hernia? I would think if the intestines were coming out that it would have had serious consequences by now. But.. its possible that it hurtsor is uncomfortable to poop because of the hernia and hes associated the pain with the litterbox for poop?

 

[kateliz]

Larry, good to know it wasn't a big deal for your cat! Funny how they find one problem for the cat while dealing with another...story of my life right now.

Lisa, what the vet got from the aspiration was mostly fat, she thought, but they were going to do a stain (not sure anymore). James is well past his s/n days, but perhaps it's something that has been growing since then? (I've only had him for 2 years, and he's approx. 9-10 now). I know the vet mentioned intestinal hernia, but you're right, I would have thought he'd be vomiting/symptomatic of tummy troubles by now if that were the case, especially since it's been there for at least a month! When she mentioned the intestinal hernia, I did bring up the possibility of pain causing the litterbox issues. I guess an X-ray will show us what we're dealing with.