My cat is licking fur off her back and I feel a lump. Is it a tumor?

I can't really appreciate the lump on your pictures. But with Midnight's history some potential causes for her signs could be allergies to food or the environment as well something called psychogenic alopecia. It looks like she has given herself a secondary skin infection, likely bacterial. The skin infection perpetuates the itch so it's like a vicious cycle. It's good to keep her on a flea preventative even though she's indoors but at this point I would recommend having your veterinarian take a look because she may need antibiotics and potentially steroids to help her itch. At that time your veterinarian can do a further exam on that lump and give you a better idea what it could be.

That is good news that Maddie appears to be healing. It;s possible the lump and nibbling are related to something else like fleas or a skin tumor. Make sure to have her treated for fleas. Also have her wear an elizabethan collar at all times to prevent further licking/nibbling because this could make her skin worse. If the lump is still present in two weeks, have her examined again. She may need the lesion aspirated to check for any cancer cells or infection. Starting her on an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets may also help with over-all skin health. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The most common reason I will see hair loss at the tail base is a flea allergy. If there are any other animals in the house that go outside, I would certainly make sure that Squeaky is on a flea prevenative (even if you have never seen fleas on her). I have also seen seborrhea at that location in overweight cats that don't groom themselves well, but normally they will have more skin flaking than it looks like Squeaky does. That can cause hair loss and itching and can be treated topically. However, since you think there is a lump there, I would recommend having your vet evaluate it. They can perform a fine needle aspirate and insert a small needle into the lump to get some cells out and see what the lump is then decide on the best treatment plan for her. Good luck! I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

Pets can get many types of lumps and bumps. Most of these tumors will be benign but some will be malignant and you can't tell by looks. Here is a helpful link discussing the various types of skin masses in general: https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-and-bumps-on-your-pet/ Protect the area from licking or scratching. If the bump is still there in 2 weeks, I recommend to have it checked out to be safe. The doctor may recommend to aspirate the mass to examine the cells under a microscope. That is one of the best ways to know what it is and if further action is needed. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. The lump could be from a recent vaccination or it could be some type of tumor. If he was vaccinated recently, I would monitor the mass to see if it goes away on its own. Shadow could be dealing with an allergy or the licking could be due to pain as well. If the licking persists despite a steroid injection, I would recommend having an Cray taken of the back end to make sure there are no obvious bone changes that may be causing this. If there are not, then I would recommend starting a shampoo such as Douxo PS calm shampoo and bathe twice weekly. I would also recommend using welactin omega 3 fish oil and essential 6 spot on by dermoscent to help with a potential allergy. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding XiaoMi. It appears that she has a skin infection on her abdomen. Mammary tumors grow out of the mammary gland under the skin. The exception is if the tumor becomes large enough, the overlying skin can ulcerate and rupture. This does not appear to be the case though from the attached pictures. I do think that she should see her veterinarian. She will likely need antibiotics and a medication to control any itching. She will likely have to wear an E-collar to prevent self trauma as well. If the cause of the infection (if that is what it is) can be determined, this can help to prevent future recurrences. Allergies are common ok the abdomen. I hope this information helps!