Cat has a growth in its ear. Can I treat it without a vet visit?

Ouch! That unfortunately should be checked out by a vet in person, especially if it's growing in size and looking more inflamed than usual, as this could indicate something such as an infection or growth that requires treatment. Typically, a vet will be able to take a sample of the area to determine the exact cells present and what treatment is needed. Until you can get to the vet, placing an Elizabethan (cone) collar on Sebastian may help keep him from rubbing or pawing at it to help it heal. Keeping the area clean and dry may also help. If you're having trouble affording veterinary care, these resources may also help so that you can get Sebastian in to see a vet: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/are-you-having-trouble-affording-your-pet , https://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to see well in the pictures. 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 day!

A picture may be helpful. If its not bleeding or bothering him, it is not an emergency. However, I would recommend that you get it checked out, as it may be a tumor. Skin tumors can be benign or malignant, and surgery can many times be curative. Get him in to the vet when you can! thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This is a skin growth and is not going to go away without surgery. That being said, I’m not sure I would rush into surgery on an older cat for what is most likely a benign growth that is more of a nuisance than it is a health problem. I would monitor it, keep it clean and if it is really a constant bother to her, discuss the potential of surgery to remove it with your veterinarian.

In a senior cat, there is always a chance any lump could be cancer unfortunately. If it is cancer, the vet will likely want to do further tests to see if it's spread. There may be chance this is just a polyp, and removing it is curative. You need to be aware that any surgery carries risks due to anesthesia, but the vet wouldn't recommend the surgery if they didn't feel it was safe for him. I do recommend having the surgery done. I hope this helps!

Your suspicions are right. This is a skin mass unfortunately. Due to the color, I would recommend having Nanni seen by your vet and the mass sampled to see if this is cancerous or benign (non-cancerous). Hopefully it is not cancerous and we can just monitor it. But if it does end up being cancerous (after viewing the cells that make up the mass microscopically), then removal of the mass can be discussed with your vet. I wish you all the best moving forward with Nanni. Take care!

This definitely could be a skin tag and nothing to worry about, but since it is new, I would have your vet take a look at it once to ensure it doesn’t need to be removed. There are other types of skin masses that can look similar to skin tags but are actually cancerous so it is always better to just have someone confirm. I hope this helps!