My cat has a burst lump on her skin. What is it and is it dangerous?

Hi there and thanks for posting! If you cat has a lump or mass that has appeared to have ruptured, I would visit your veterinarian right away. The mass may need to be removed or treated with antibiotics. Your veterinarian may also take a sample of the mass to determine what it is and if it needs to be removed. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Whoops is right! It could be that Bailey has a cyst and it opened up internally. I would keep an eye on the area for now, and if the lump starts to appear again, I would have her seen by a vet. If it is a cyst, they can reoccur and it may need to be removed surgically to prevent it from filling back up.

Poor Kitty! Mammary tumors can grow and rupture, so it is possible that she has a mammy tumor that has burst through the skin. It is important to make a decision quickly about treatment with mammary tumors in cats, as 90% of these tumors are malignant with rapid spread to nearby lymph nodes and mammary glands. The sooner she receives treatment if she has mammary cancer, the better for her. I would recommend making a decision as soon as possible regarding treatment for Kitty.

Thank you for providing a picture and for helping this start cat out! It is difficult to say based on the picture of it is a tick or perhaps even an ulcerated skin growth. For this reason I would be hesitant about trying to use a tick removing device. The risk of bleeding or infection could be high if the lesion is in fact not a tick. You could try a warm water bath over the lesion to see if you can visualise the area in greater detail and repost a picture. Thank you For using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and please post any further questions you may have here on the forum.

It should be just a cyst, it will fill up again with time. It shouldn't cause him any discomfort nor become red or inflamed . For the time being, you can keep an eye on it , obviously if you are worried have Kody assessed by your vet.

YEs this is quite likely a tick bite reaction and there may be part of the tick still there causing irritation. Bathing with warm saline soaked cotton wool will help to keep the area clean if she allows you, monitor closely for increasing redness, pain, lameness or fever which may indicate a widespread infection which would require additional treatment. I recommend using a tick prevention such as bravecto every 3months to prevent further incidents

Hi Lianne! From the picture, it appears to be a growth of some sorts, but because I can't see Elizabeth in person, I honestly can't say for certain. What concerns me is that you say it has gotten bigger since you first noticed it, and also her age. She is over 10 years old, and if it is a growth, at her age, there is always a chance that any growth could be malignant. In this case, I think it's very important that she gets this checked out by a vet. I'd take her into a vet first thing in the morning. I hope this helps!