My cat has a head bump. Why is he not eating and losing weight?

Given his symptoms, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. This may determine if the bump is something that needs to be addressed or simply monitored. Your vet may recommend lab work (CBC, chemistry panel, urinalysis) to diagnose the underlying cause for the vomiting and weight loss. These symptoms have multiple causes. Abdominal x-rays may also be recommended. Supportive care (IV or subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics, anti-emetics, etc.) can be administered as indicated.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Im' sorry to hear Olliver hasn't been doing well. If he is reluctant to eat hard food but is willing to eat wet food, he may have some dental disease going on that makes him less willing to crunch on his regular food. As cats age, they can develop numerous issues that can lead to weight loss, including kidney disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, inflammatory bowel disease or another underlying medical issue. Many of these can be diagnosed via bloodwork. Finally, I do recommend any abnormal growth be evaluated by a veterinarian. While cats can develop many benign (non-cancerous) growths, there are others that are more concerning that we would want to address. I would have him evaluated by his regular veterinarian, have his teeth/mouth examined, have any necessary testing (bloodwork, xrays, needle aspirate of the mass) performed, and a treatment plan developed to help him feel better. Good luck!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your concerns about Ren. In a senior cat, there is always a concern that any growth could be malignant. Cancer would cause her to stop eating and lose weight. In addition, while the lump may not be malignant, there could be something else causing her to stop eating and lose weight. I would take her into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose what is going on with her, and what treatment options may be available. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

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.

I would be worried that Oliver has something going on that has the potential to be serious. Oliver needs to see the veterinarian ASAP for bloodwork and the check the mass and his teeth. Bad teeth, cancer, kidney or thyroid disease could all account for the weight issues. A painful mass does not always mean its cancer but you still need to be concerned. The doctor may recommend to aspirate the mass to determine what it is and what steps are most appropriate moving forward. I hope this helps!

Hello! That certainly is a big bump, and it worries me. Considering Walnut's symptoms and reluctance to eat, I an concerned that this lump may be an abscess. It is an unusual location, but abscesses are common in cats, and certainly could develop near or around the eye if he is fighting a viral or bacterial infection. The location of this lump could be dangerous for Walnut, so I highly recommend that you get him to the vet as soon as possible. There appears to be a vet open on Sundays near you: VCA Bonita Animal Hospital 3438 Bonita Road Chula Vista, CA 91910 Tel: 619-427-2233 I really do not think that this should wait until Monday. In the meantime, keep Walnut warm, offer water and stinky foods, and keep him in a small, quiet room. A bathroom works well for this purpose, and you can also run a hot shower in there to help his congestion. Good luck, and I hope that Walnut gets well soon!

I'm sorry to hear that your cat isn't doing terribly well. There are several different possibilities here. One is that his weight loss is completely unrelated to the masses. As cats get older, they're more likely to develop conditions like hyperthyroidism or kidney disease, which can lead to weight loss. While neither of these conditions can be "cured," both can be managed to some degree with certain medications or diet. The other possibility is, as you mentioned, that these masses could be cancerous. I completely understand not wanting to pursue extensive treatment for cancer, but before making the assumption that it is cancer, I'd try to get some more information. For starters, I think it's perfectly reasonable to take your cat to the vet for an exam and some bloodwork to check his organ function. There's a chance that your vet may find something that's not terribly difficult to manage, but you don't know unless you look. I would expect that your vet would recommend trying to diagnose the masses in order to be thorough, but if you are clear that you don't want to look into them further, it shouldn't be an issue. At the end of the day, you own your cat and are responsible for making choices for him. Your vet's job is to present those choices to you and help you to find the approach that works best for you and your cat. I hope this helps and that everything goes well.