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kitten enlarged breasts

My 8 month cat had an injection a couple of months ago to stop her having kttens for 3 months.  About 3 weeks later the teats between her back legs grew large and quite hard - then the next ones forward.  Now only one is unaffected, near her front leg.  She is in no pain and feeds OK though she is a bit clingy.  She has had a course of antibiotics but they remain the same - they are mauve instead of the pink of her other skin.  The vet tried to suck fluid from one, but there was no fluid.  When I pick her up its like she had a load of hard boiled eggs under her.  Any thoughts, my vet has never seen this before.  Mastitis and cancer don't seem the right diagnoses because there is no liquid and she is young. Anyone know about this and what I might do?
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Avatar universal
pericles is the name of our favourite pet - now long deceased - he was a little charmer, everyone on our holidays (in Crete) wanted to take him home with them.  
Greeks get everywhere!  Chicago is the local favourite around here and Toronto.
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506791 tn?1439842983
You share a 1st name with my wife's paternal great-uncle, that part of her family is from Levidi.

Her maternal uncle Demetrios (her mother's side is from Athens) married Koula was was Cretan...there's a big Cretan social club in the city where we both were born back in Massachusetts.

Otherwise, looks like you have been trying to do what is right for your cats and I'm glad that the folks here have been of use to you.  It's a fine community.

May kitty heal well and fully.
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Avatar universal
We have never spayed our cats because it is really expensive here and we do like to have kittens sometimes so we have a whole genealogy of cats and know who looks like who and if they behave like their grandmother etc. Once I was thinking of paying for the ops and then the following week one of our females was run over and died - that in a rather sad way decided me.  Black humour - what a waste of 200 euro!
To our little one now:  she is comfortable and running around - though we kept her caged in a rabbit cage - we live in an agricultural area and her adopted sister who nursed her and calmed her.  They stayed together in the cage which we lifted in and out of the house depending on weather.
Her lesions have healed because she was quiet and slept a lot.  Fortunately I am a massueur so now she is all healed over I do lymphatic drainage which is a very light touch to help the skin stay supple and not clogged with old lymph.  This she likes and the skin is now more flexible, even if she is still grossly enlarged underneath.  We have kept off all treatment except for antibiotics as the vet thinks because it was the hormone injection that brought this on that hormone treatment may not be good.  So we are treating it very conservatively.
I am so glad to have had friends on the net to help us through this.  While I appreciate the vet's frankness in saying he hadn't seen anything like this before it certainly led me to spend time (and money) asking questions and getting advice.  I have appreciated your imput.
The bit of advice that was probably least helpful to me was to change vets because they don't come on every street corner here - we already go 30 miles for one.  That's far enough to take any kitty that isn't a house cat and used to confinement (ours live in the garden). THANK YOU SO MUCH
And I'll keep you posted.
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874521 tn?1424116797
oh thankyou so much for the update, we worry so much about kitties when we never hear back about their condition.
I am glad she is getting some good care and is recouping well.....
tell me why did you decided to use the hormone injections rather than have her spayed? are you planning on having her bred in the future?
I don't think it would be a good idea to use this method again in the future b/c of her reaction.
So your location is Crete.....wonderful, we don't have any members from that part of the world.
I am located in Canada and here it is our winter season...not much snow here this year though and the temperatures are still unseasonally mild.
you all take care♥
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Avatar universal
Our cat with the large breasts has come home.  She spent two nights with the vet and is much better.  He gave her penicillin injections and another injection too.  He is reluctant to give her any more hormone changing medicines because of her reaction to the birth control drug.  So no cortisone or hormone suppressants - at least as yet.  We all know she is not out of trouble yet but she is home, feeding and her adopted sister is looking after her and that is helping her so much.  They are in a large cage, calm and can't get into too much mischief.  I feel the quality of life is good - partic as its bad weather at the moment here in Crete.  They are both content.  The swellings contain no liquid, it seems to be hyperplasia and she still has 4 small lesions but they are not weeping.  We rae hoping the swelling will diminish, but the main thing is she is happy.
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your comments.  I will see the vet tomorrow and suggest a prolactin suppressant.  She is still feeding but is uncomfortable.  I am hoping she will come around.  the drug has only 2 weeks about to run and if we can keep her going till the drug dies away then maybe she will get better?  
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874521 tn?1424116797
http://www.petplace.com/cats/contraception-in-cats/page1.aspx

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/servlet/CVMHighLight?file=htm/bc/repfs901.htm&word=feline,mammary,hyperplasia

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/112005.htm&word=feline%2cmammary%2chyperplasia

sending some photos and more reading on Feline Hyperplasia....I am very worried about your poor kitty....
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874521 tn?1424116797
ok I found more info....I sure hope you get this reply b/c your kitty is in serious need of some medical attention...asap

these drugs cause a sudden drop in progeterone and this stimulates the cats PITUITARY GLAND to secrete the hormone PROLACTIN responsible for enlarging mammary glands. can lead to a very serious condition called MAMMARY HYPERPLASIA and/or high risk of ULCERATION or LIFE TREATENING MASTITIS.

THERE ARE MEDICATIONS the Vet can try to reduce the  enlargement if these don't work sometimes a complete surgical removal of the teats is required....please take this kitty to a good Vet for some follow up care asap.



  







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874521 tn?1424116797
hi....sorry its taken so long for a reply. I can't understand why your Vet wouldn't know whats happening to your poor kitty. I will send you a site that I found without much trouble. please read down to 10c. and you will see IF the drug used was a 'progesterone product' than its been found that some queens can develop EXTREME Mammary enlargement or even mammary tumors(cancer) by using this product.
I would copy or email this site to your Vet so they can read up on some of the disastrous side effects....I certainly hope something can be done to reverse the side effects on your poor kitten...please keep us updated. I think you need to consult another Vet...

http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/spaying-cats.html#alternatives-spay
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