Why does my cat have a hard, painful lump on his side near his arm?

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to see a lump in the photo, but at Capernicus’s age, malignant growths are fairly unlikely. This may be a reaction to a vaccine if administered recently that should disappear with time. I recommend keeping an eye on it and having the spot seen by a vet if there is any discharge, bleeding, increase in size, or it seems to be bothering him. I hope this helps and that all is well!

Hi there. Without being able to see the bump and palpate it, I can't really say if this is normal or not. It may be that you're feeling a normal anatomical structure, but it could also be a growth or tumor, a hernia, or some other problem that needs medical attention. I would recommend taking Bumblebee to the vet for an exam. He/she can palpate the bump to help determine what it might be, and will advise you from there on whether anything needs to be done.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Creamy. Any new bump, especially if it is painful, should be evaluated by a veterinarian. He will be examined and typically a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate is performed. The doctor will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This helps to diagnose the bump and guide treatment. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This may even be an abscess. 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 day!

This bump on Elijah could be a cyst, a benign tumor, from an insect bite, or it could be a malignant tumor. Unfortunately without seeing him in person, I can't say for certain what it is. Any suspicious bumps 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 bump 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. I would take him into the vet on Monday to have this bump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. I hope this helps, best of luck!

Normally, there will be a small bump where a vaccination is given and this can persist for several weeks to months. If it persists for longer than 3 months and / or continues to grow in size, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Simba so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendation can be made. Sometimes, vaccines can cause cancerous tumors to grow in the area where the vaccine was administered. This is less common now, but still a risk. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.