My cat is biting his tail due to a bump. Does he need antibiotics?

Your vet is correct. You actually have a choice now: a fine needle aspirate where a little tissue is harvested from the lump and then examined to determine what kind of growth this is. Should it be benign, or just inflammatory, treatment would be either benign neglect or treating the inflammation or possible infection. Should it be malignant, then your vet will probably elect to amputate the tail well above the tumor and then this would often be curative depending on the type of tumor. In that case it is actually good that it is in the tail and not somewhere else on the body. Trust your vet, he is on the right track.

The lump needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Alex to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

It is difficult to diagnose without seeing the bump but it could be an infection, cyst, mass, or an injury. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at it to determine the exact cause and best way to treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or other medications to treat. Your vet can do a needle aspirate, if necessary, to help diagnose the cause of the bump.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Toby and for providing a picture of his lump, it's very helpful. That is quite a big lump, and he will be biting his tail because it's bothering him. This lump could be a cyst, abscess, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Unfortunately I cannot diagnose what it is without seeing him in person. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give his vet a call now to make him an appointment. Until he sees the vet, I would put an Ecollar on him to keep him from biting his tail further. If you don't have one at home already, you can buy one at a pet store. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rilian. He will need to see his veterinarian as he most likely has developed an abscess under his skin. Cat teeth are very sharp and puncture the skin introducing bacteria deep inside. The overlying skin heals quickly trapping the infection underneath. A visible swelling will develop. This is what I suspect has happened to Rilian. Most cats will develop a fever and may stop eating. He will likely need antibiotics and possibly to have the abscess lanced. In the meantime, it is fine to shave the overlying hair. I would not apply anything topically aside from water to cleanse the wound though. You can apply warm compresses for 5 minutes 3 times per day if he will tolerate it as well. I hope this information helps!

If Cali fights with other cats, she could have an abcsess on her tail from a cat bite. I would be concerned because it’s bothering her, so I would take her into a vet today or tomorrow to have it examined, diagnosed, and treated. I hope this helps!

This presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can possibly be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.