My cat has a fast-growing neck lump and won't eat. What should I do?

A huge lump on his neck could be an abscess, a blicked salivary duct, inflamed or infected salivary gland, a cyst, a tumor, or a swollen lymph node. This needs to be examined by your veterinarian who will likely want to take a bit of tissue or check if and what kind of fluid is in the lump. He will do this with a very thin needle (painless) to determine what kind of mass or lump there is. Not eating is dangerous for a cat as this can cause liver disease in cats in addition to the original cause. Please take your kitty to a veterinarian for an exam today.

Smok is a very handsome boy! See what you mean about this lump. It could be an abscess, it could be a cyst, it could be a lymph node swelling due to infection, or it could be related to a dental problem. It is concerning that is has kept on swelling for the past three days, and now is the time to take him into the vet. The vet is the best person to diagnose what is causing this swelling so it can be treated appropriately. I would take Smok into the vet first thing in the morning. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for your request. This lump should be checked asap by your local veterinarian as it could be tumor (fibrosarcoma). Your vet will perform some analysis to understand its nature and suggest best course of action in terms of treatment.

Oh goodness. I bet you are very concerned about her. I would be concerned that the lump could be an abscess, or fungal infection, or even a tumor. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. They will be able to give you a better idea about what they think the lump maybe when they are able to feel it. They may recovery a biopsy to help decide how to best help SweetPea. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Mog! It is very concerning that this mass has grown rapidly, and she has a poor appetite as well. It would be rare, but there is a possibility she could have a malignant tumor. That would account for the rapid growth and poor appetite, as well as her failing. I would take her into a vet immediately for this growth. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of it's cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you. I'm sure this isn't something you want to hear, the chance it could be malignant, but that unfortunately does pop into my mind. Take her into a vet now.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pillu. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian for an examination and a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will help to diagnose the mass. He could have an infection under the skin, a benign growth or even skin cancer. Based on these results, treatment can be started if needed. I hope this information helps!

Poor Jinx! This could be a few different things like a tooth root abscess, an abscess from a bite wound, or a benign or cancerous growth. Since it is growing so rapidly, I would strongly recommend to have your vet look at it soon. Your vet will be able to do an aspirate of the mass to see whether it needs to be surgically removed or if medication may help it go down. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better soon!