My cat has a dry hole on her whisker pad, no whisker. What is it?

It looks like your cat may have a small puncture wound on her face. It is pretty small and should heal on its own. If it gets larger or swollen then she may need some antibiotics to help it clear up.

This is often a bite wound abscess either starting or in the healing phase. Continue to monitor this area and if it swells up with fluid, it's an abscess and will need to be drained by your veterinarian. Other options are a skin infection like ringworm or mange, or an old healing scab from some kind of wound. Some cats have ear mites and they are so itchy that they scratch their face raw underneath the ear they are trying to reach.

Peanut could have an infected whisker follicle or hair follicle near the whisker. If it looks infected, if it's oozing, reddened or swollen, if it seems to bother her in any way, I recommend getting her seen by your vet. Cats do normally have raised whisker pads on their cheeks behind their primary whiskers with one or two whiskers growing from it. If you're concerned, certainly call your vet or get her in to be seen.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Nacho is beautiful! :) That does not look like an injury to me, but of course, it could be. I have not ever encountered a lesion that looks like this. I would be a bit worried about it. I suggest you just monitor it for now and if it makes any significant changes or it does not go away within about 2 weeks then you should have your vet check Nacho.

This type of swelling could be something fairly simple and harmless such as an ingrown hair or an insect bite, or something more serious such as a localized infection or even a skin tumor of some kind. If the swelling doesn't seem to be bothering her and she is acting normal otherwise, you could wait to see if it goes away on its own within the next week or two. If it doesn't, or if it gets larger or becomes itchy or painful, then I would recommend having her examined by a vet to determine what it is - he/she may prescribe antibiotics or short-term oral steroids to treat the swelling, or may do a simple test called a fine needle aspirate to diagnose the problem if it appears to be a growth of some kind.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Based on this picture, it looks like it could be a growth. There is a possibility that this skin defect can be closed but that depends on an examination and if it makes sense clinically. 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 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 there. While the bump on Peaches' face could be from a scratch from another cat, it could also be the start of an abscess (either from a cat fight or from dental disease) or could be a growth starting. I recommend taking Peaches to her vet to have it checked out. She may need antibiotics or a dental cleaning. Hope this helps!