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My cat has skin sores. Could it be eosinophilic granuloma? What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 8 lbs

I think my cat has eosinophilic granuloma complex. It looks a lot like this photo but a little worse. How can I help heal it? And how can I know for sure that it is eosinophilic granuloma complex? What tests are involved to get that result? Thanks

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on April 5th, 2018

Oh goodness! Poor Gizmo! Often looking under the microscope at a quick smear of the fluid from the lesion can give your veterinarian a good idea if eosinophilic complex is possible. If the cells do not support that diagnosis then a biopsy may be recommended. Often these lesions also have a secondary infection so often I use antibiotics as well as steroids to resolve the lesions. Often a hypoallergenic diet may also be helpful. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM
Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident
Published on January 1st, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, it could be a fungal infection though it could also be a bacterial infection or even a non-infectious lesion perhaps due to mild trauma. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Your veterinarian would be able to look at it under the microscope and determine what kind of infection this is most likely and treat accordingly. Good luck and happy new year!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on June 21st, 2017
It looks pretty bad, I imagine it's very sore. It could be duecto a number of things, it could be an infection, it could be a bad allergic reaction or cats get an immune condition called eosinophillic granuloma complex, that can present similar to this. I would take Shorty to the vet as this will need treated before it gets worse.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on March 18th, 2019
Unfortunately it's really hard to tell from the picture, because many skin issues look the same in a cat. I would be concerned about an allergy (allergies to fleas, food, or the environment being the most common causes), or possibly a skin parasite that is causing itching. I would recommend a vet visit for a simple test called a skin scrap in which they will look at some skin cells under the microscope to see if they can find any organisms, and then treat accordingly. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Hello. It is very difficult to diagnose a skin problem just by looking at it, & certainly harder by a picture. If this is similar to what your other cat has, then I might be suspicious of a mange mite called Demodex gatoi. I would first talk to your vet about treating both cats ( & any others in the house ) with Bravecto, just to rule this out ( it is also great for fleas). For EG, some cats will respond nicely to occasional steroid injections. You can also do a hypoallergenic diet trial to rule out a food allergy. Antihistamines sometimes will control symptoms, especially Certirizine ( your veterinarian can recommend a dose ), & some cats are being treated with a relatively new medication for allergies in dogs called Apoquel. So, once your veterinarian has confirmed what the skin lesions are, treatment can be started. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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