My cat has a blue spot on her skin. What could it be? Is it serious?

Some discoloration/skin changes can be normal with age, however if the area is rapidly changing color, the spot loses hair, is painful, or you notice signs of cuts or infection (open wounds, oozing debris, pain to the touch, etc) it is best to have your vet take a look to rule out issues such as an infection or injury to the area. I would keep an eye on the spot to monitor for any changes, and keep Sweetie from licking or chewing at it with the use of an Elizabethan (cone) collar as needed, as well as keep the area clean and dry. If the spot doesn't improve or worsens, a vet visit is best.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see a flat, dark brown spot on Mewtwo's neck. It is somewhat concerning that the spot has gotten darker, so you should definitely keep an eye on it and have it checked out if it gets bigger or starts bleeding. Your vet can either remove the spot completely or take a needle and collect some cells from the area to send off to a lab. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it is hard to tell just in these pictures, I think cancer is less likely and something more benign like allergies and dermatitis is more likely. Ultimately, this requires further investigation to know for sure. This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi, I can see the dark pigmented mass on the photo and I would be more cautious then to say in certainty what any mass is by simply looking at it. If it hasn't been done yet I suggest to go to your vet and consider trying to take a sample. This usually means collecting samples of the material inside the mass with a needle (fine needle aspiration=FNA). Taking a sample and analyzing at it under the microscope or sending it to a pathologist for identification is crucial in most cases for a definitive diagnosis. If FNA is not effective (or if your vet thinks it's not the best option) the next recommendation is usually a biopsy.

Hello. Cats can develop pigmentary spots similar to freckles in people. The spot do show up more often on the lips & the pink skin around the eyes. If you could post a very clear picture, I might be able to be a little more accurate, otherwise, just point the spot out to your vet at Tiffany's next visit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for your post! Unfortuneately, there are no pictures attached. It is hard to say exactly what the red spot on Artemis's back may be without examining Artemis first, but I can offer some insights. It could be a fungal infection, a cyst or small tumor, flea allergy, or other environmental allergy, Your veterinarian can diagnose these potential conditions with an exam and a few simple skin tests. I would recommend Artemis visit her vet soon to have the possibilities above ruled out. Best to you and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, as you may now cancer can only be diagnosed by looking at the cells of the area in question. Certainly, we can get a suspicion for cancer by assessing the gross appearance of the area in question. This means that although looking at Blue's nose I don't think it looks very aggressive to be considered a cancer, we are unable to tell unless we sample that area. Cats can get pigmentation changes with age, so this may very well be a normal change associated with his age and nothing you need to be concerned with. I would recommend monitoring the area for progression of this pigmentation change or any evidence of mass, ulcer, or thickening of the nose which would be more concerning for a cancer. Hope this helps and best of luck.