My cat has lumps on her neck. How to check for fever and what to do?

Question

Polar Bear has a few large lumps and a small lump under her jaw on her neck. How do I know if she is running a fever without doing a rectal thermometer? I will make a vet appt Friday when we get paid, will she be okay until then? How likely is it cancer vs infection? Pet's info: Cat | Siamese | Female | spayed | 13 years and 2 months old | 7 lbs

C. Rathjens, DVM · Accepted Answer

That is definitely concerning and it's good that she can go to the vet on Friday. I'd recommend calling now to schedule the appointment rather than waiting until you're paid. As long as she's breathing normal, eating, and moving around it's not an emergency, but going in as soon as you're able to would be wise. As far as the fever, there isn't much value of doing this at home since you're already going to take her to the vet as soon as you can. Taking her temp under her arm pit and adding two degrees can give you an approximate temperature, but really won't help you with much. If she's feeling really crappy, that's more helpful information (the crappier she feels, the more worried I am about her getting to the vet soon). It's really impossible to tell if it's cancer or an infection. I would be concerned about cancer at her age, but cats can get large lymph nodes for other reasons just like humans. At the vet, they will do a general exam and also sample the masses to try to get a better idea of what's going on.

My cat has lumps on her neck. How to check for fever and what to do?

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