My cat has an armpit lump, is lethargic, and not eating. What's wrong?

A huge lump on his neck could be an abscess, a blicked salivary duct, inflamed or infected salivary gland, a cyst, a tumor, or a swollen lymph node. This needs to be examined by your veterinarian who will likely want to take a bit of tissue or check if and what kind of fluid is in the lump. He will do this with a very thin needle (painless) to determine what kind of mass or lump there is. Not eating is dangerous for a cat as this can cause liver disease in cats in addition to the original cause. Please take your kitty to a veterinarian for an exam today.

It sounds and looks like Lucy could have an abscess. When cats play too rough or get bitten by other cats they can develop an abscess. With an abscess comes fever and lethargy. I suggest you take Lucy to your veterinarian for exam. If an abscess is confined, you vet may need to drain the abscess and give Lucy antibiotics and pain mets. Good luck with Lucy.

Hello, sorry to hear about Nathan. If he has a bump on his abdomen and has a fever, then she may need to be seen on emergency basis. That bump can indicate an abscess or a tumor both of which can cause a fever. Based on your cats age I think its more likely to be an abscess. Other causes of this include things such as FIP, FeLV or FIV as well as mouth infections. Nathan should be evaluated by his veterinarian to make sure he does not have any major infection or abscess that is causing this. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. She will need to see a veterinarian. The symptoms you have described are very worrisome. Cats can actually develop a liver disease if they go too long without eating. The veterinarian will feel her belly and try to determine the source of the knot. She could be pregnant, have a wound under the skin that has become infected forming an abscess or even have a mass in her abdomen. Her veterinarian may recommend x-rays and bloodwork based on her exam findings. I hope this information helps!

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.

Yes, I would be concerned because it sounds like Scout is in pain if he's limping and shaking. He could have been injured causing the big knot under his armpit, or he could have an abscess, cyst, benign tumor, or malignant tumor causing the large lump. I would take him into a vet tonight given his old age and symptoms. The vet can examine him and diagnose what is causing his symptoms and the lump. Once the causes are diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options. Please do not give Scout any human pain medications, as many are toxic to cats and are fatal if given.

It is common in cats to see abscesses due to bites and scratches from other cats. I would bring him in to your veterinarian as they can evaluate it. An antibiotic as well as cleaning and flushing the abscess may be indicated. If it is not an abscess your veterinarian can help to determine what it it by collecting a fine needle aspirate. Certainly an abscess would describe many of the things you are describing.