Why is my cat's chin swollen, lumpy, bloody, and she's less active?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as the skin is intact and the area is not painful to touch and is not getting more swollen, you should monitor Wonky at home. I suspect the missing fur could be self-inflicted from scratching or it is an abrasion from trauma. In this case, Wonky will just need some time for the fur to grow back. However, if the neck becomes painful, swollen, hot to touch you should take Wonky to your local vets for an appointment as the symptoms would suggest trauma to the deeper structures of the neck or a growing abscess.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect this is either allergic reaction or developing abscess. Please, take Sweet to your local vets for an appointment as she will likely need treatment with either antibiotics (for abscess) or anti-allergic medication (steroids or antihistamine medicine).

Hi and thanks for your question this morning. From the picture, it looks like a puncture wound or bite wound that has become infected although it could be other skin issues like a fungal infection, parasitic infection, or a bad bacterial infection. Keep the area clean with a mild cleansing cloth a few times daily or 3% hydrogen peroxide on the wound until you can take Snowie into your veterinarian- snowie may need to have fungal or bacterial culture done on the wound and may need to be on antibiotics or another medication for a while. I hope she has a speedy recovery!

Hello, Thanks for the good photo. This looks like it may be either a bad chin acne lesion or a small abscess or infection. You can gently clean the area with a warm saline or epsom salt water solution. Otherwise, keep it dry and don't apply any ointments, as these can sometimes trap bacteria and worsen infections. If it's not significantly improved within a week, I'd have Freya seen by her veterinarian when possible. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

She is a cutie! This could be from an insect/spider bite that has cause a local infection/abscess which is why is has started to swell. This could potentially be a cancerous mass that has caused an inflammatory reaction as well. Since it has recently become swollen, I would strongly recommend for your vet to take a look at it. Your vet will be able to aspirate the mass or swelling if needed. They can even take X-rays if needed if they are concerned about sinus or honey involvement. They will also be able to start her on some antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory if needed. I hope this helps!

This lump/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!