My cat has a hard lump on her tail bone. Should I take her to the vet?

There are a couple of things this could be on Lola. It could be that she hurt her tail at some point in the past, and that is a boney growth from the injury. It could be a benign or malignant tumor as well, although a malignant tumor is unlikely in a young dog. Any suspicious lump should be examined by a vet, and I would have Lola checked out to have the lump diagnosed. The vet can recommend treated if needed.

It is difficult to diagnose without seeing the bump but it could be an infection, cyst, mass, or an injury. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at it to determine the exact cause and best way to treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or other medications to treat. Your vet can do a needle aspirate, if necessary, to help diagnose the cause of the bump.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm so sorry this happened to Sweetie. If she will tolerate it, you can ice the tail for 5 minutes at a time, a few times a day for the next 2 days. There are no medications I can recommend you give. If after 2-3 days the tail still has the bump and seems painful then you should take her to your vet for an exam. She probably needs an x-ray to see if the tail has a fracture. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for posting again with the pictures! Yes, I would definitely get this lump checked. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. 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 its 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 of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give Patsy's vet a call to make her an appointment. Best of luck.

If Cali fights with other cats, she could have an abcsess on her tail from a cat bite. I would be concerned because it’s bothering her, so I would take her into a vet today or tomorrow to have it examined, diagnosed, and treated. I hope this helps!

The most common lumps on cats are pockets of infection, or an abscess from a cat fight. An abscess is generally hot to the touch and painful and may cause a fever and lethargy. It also could be a tumor which often are non painful but can be malignant and will grow if not removed. Also some cats get a skin reaction to a vaccination if it’s given in that location and the swelling should improve over a week or so. I recommend a veterinary exam so they can feel the lump, take her temperature and decide if further treatment is needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be a benign or malignant growth. This could even be an infection. This cannot be completely assessed just by looking at pictures and usually requires sampling such as fine needle aspiration to determine its origin. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!