My cat has a painful, bleeding belly growth with fur loss. What is it?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. Based on its location, this could also be a mammary gland tumor which in most cases are malignant. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is likely from her mammary gland. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Dahlia evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

Hello! This depends on how long the lumps have been present for. If they have been slowly growing (over a few weeks/months), then they could be some sort of skin tumour. If they just came recently (ie the last few days), it could be an abscess (which is an infection, trapped under the skin.) Would you be able to take Luna to see a vet? They would be able to examine him, and determine what type of lumps they are, and whether he can be helped with medication, or surgery. You can clean the area that he is bleeding from with warm water and a clean cloth.

Thank you for providing a picture of the bump on your cat, it's very helpful! It could simply be a benign growth, as it looks like it could be one in your picture, but unfortunately I cannot make the determination for sure without seeing him in person and doing tests on it. It is a bit concerning that it has grown up to 4x in size and is bleeding. It could be bleeding because he is scratching at it, but again I don't know unless I see him in person. Due to the fact it has grown in size and is bleeding for some reason, then yes I do think this is concerning enough to see the vet. It would be good to get the exact diagnosis of the bump; in addition, your cat is 10, which means he's a senior cat, and there is always a risk that any bump in a senior cat could be malignant. I'd give your vet a call to make an appointment. I hope this helps!

This is likely a mass and it should be examined by a veterinarian. Since it is apparently growing and bleeding because the skin is overstretching, it should also be removed surgically, whether it is benign or malignant. this should happen very soon, as the wound will be prone to bacterial infection. This is not heartworm. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian. She is a beautiful cat!

Hi, and thanks for your question. Although a picture of the lump would help to give you more specific answers, this growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or malignant type of tumors. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!