My cat has an itchy, painful bump on her neck. What should I do?

An itchy lump on the neck could be due to an infection in the skin. They can get abscesses if something gets stuck in the skin, or he get bitten. It could also be a type of tumor. Mast cell tumors can be itchy, but are not as commonly seen with cats. Other causes of lumps in the neck could be an enlarged lymph node, enlarged thyroid gland and different types of cysts. However, none of these causes tend to be itchy. It's best if you have a vet examine him to ensure he does not have signs of the more serious causes. Usually we can find out the cause of these lumps on exam with minimal testing. It will be well worth getting it diagnosed sooner rather than later. It's not an emergency, but would be best to have her seen within the next week. I hope that helps and Skippy gets better soon.

If Pretinha is licking the area more than normal, it is probably bothering her (whether or not it is painful, or just annoying, is hard to say). I see the bumps to which you've referred. Lumps and bumps of unknown origin are impossible to diagnose without feeling them, and typically collecting a cellular sample. Overall, lumps fall into one of the general categories: -Abscess or infection -Mass or tumor -Cystic structure -Bug bites -Allergic reactions Determining which of these is the culprit will guide the course of therapy. In the meantime, you are going to want to prevent PRetinha from causing any self-mutilation. You can obtain a proper e-collar from a vet or online, or you can make a homemade one. There are many videos instructing just how to do this. Since she is doing great otherwise, there is nothing pressing about this. However, if her level of discomfort grows I would get her into the vet for assessment sooner than later. You can also monitor her temperature at home with a rectal thermometer (you might need a second hand to help out) to make sure there is no evidence of an infection. Anything above 102.5 is considered high. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Skin lesions like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin parasites (fleas or mites), an infection (bacterial or fungal), allergies, or another underlying medical issue. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his skin lesions, so he could start any treatment (antibiotics, anti-itch medications, parasiticide) that he may need. In the meantime, I would clean the area will diluted betadine if possible and then keep it dry, and trim his nails back as much as possible to keep him from scratching at it. Good luck!

Jasper could have allergic skin disease, which is very itchy, or a bacterial or fungal infection. Your vet may want to do a skin scraping or fungal culture to figure out what is causing the bump and how to treat it. She may need allergy medication like apoquel or steroids, or antibiotics. Hope that helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the images provided, it appears that there is a cyst / wart like skin mass on the head. If this keeps bleeding and opening up, I would recommend having it removed by a veterinarian in the near future. I would schedule an appointment with a veterinarian and have an exam done to evaluate this problem to plan appropriately. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Nefesh. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian to determine the source of the wound. Some cats will scratch this area if they have an ear infection. In the meantime, you will likely need to place an E-collar on her to prevent any further self trauma. I hope this information helps!

Your suspicions are right. This is a skin mass unfortunately. Due to the color, I would recommend having Nanni seen by your vet and the mass sampled to see if this is cancerous or benign (non-cancerous). Hopefully it is not cancerous and we can just monitor it. But if it does end up being cancerous (after viewing the cells that make up the mass microscopically), then removal of the mass can be discussed with your vet. I wish you all the best moving forward with Nanni. Take care!