Why does my cat have bumpy pimples on his nose? Is it allergies?

First of all Purrito is one handsome little guy! The bump on his nose is fairly prominent and also appears to be a bit red/inflamed through the fur. Cats do not often get as many lumps and bumps as dogs do, so when one pops up, we take a bit more notice. Some of the common causes of bumps can include benign or malignant masses, abscesses, granulomas, or in this case, even nasal cavity infections or tumors. The only way to determine the cause of this bump is through further testing, either including a needle aspirate (a needle draws out some cells for microscopic evaluation), x-rays, or even a CT scan or MRI of the head. Even though Purrito does not seem to be bothered by this bump, I still recommend taking him to the vet for further evaluation since bumps do not often go away on their own. It's better to address these issues before they grow larger and become potentially more problematic. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Pixie regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely a skin infection which may be secondary to something like allergies. The infectious component would have to be taken care of but it is crucial to take care of the possible allergy as well so this does not continue to happen. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!

I am sorry to hear about Moonbeam! A photo of the area may help give us a better idea of what is going on. Bumps can be a sign of a skin infection (often in cats we see what is called miliary dermatitis which makes little small bumps on the skin. This can often be related to an allergy. Skin lesions also make us worry about yeast/fungal infection (such as ringworm). Swelling over the bridge of the nose with lesions may be indicative of an infection with a fungus called cryptococcosis. And in some cats, unfortunately we can get tumors of the skin. I would recommend an examination by your vet to help determine what is causing the bumps in Moonbeam and figure out how best to treat them!

This could be a pustule which is a local bacterial infection or even a small cyst. If it is just one it may go away on its own. But if there are multiple, this one becomes larger or seems painful your cat may need medication from your veterinarian.

Hi there! It is hard to see in the picture and it would help to be able to examine Lara. It does look like Lara does have a small nodule/mass. This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is most of the time differentiated with a test called a fine needle aspirate which is easy, cheap and pain-free. Sometimes, a biopsy is required for a diagnosis. Have Lara evaluated by your veterinarian to have this test performed to try to sort out what the diagnosis is so that the best course of action can be determined. Keeping my fingers crossed that it is something benign!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Louie. I would recommend that he sees his veterinarian to ensure he does not have ringworm. It can start out looking like his nose does. True food allergies typically present with vomiting and diarrhea as well as red itchy skin and hair loss. If the lesion does not resolve within a few days, he will need to be seen. I hope this information helps!