My cat has lumps on her neck. How to check for fever and what to do?

I'm not sure how you've been monitoring Golam's temperature, as usually a rectal thermometer is the only accurate way, but a fever lasting a week is concerning in cats, just as it would be for a person. The skin lesions could be due to the scratches, or could be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above, just as they can be in humans. I recommend making an appointment to have Golam seen by your veterinarian to help determine the cause of the lesions you’ve noticed and the enlargement of the lymph nodes to make sure they are treated appropriately. The vet can also help you determine if what you are feeling are lymph nodes or salivary glands, as they are in the same general area. The vet will likely want to look at a sample from the skin under the microscope to determine if there is an infection and to figure out what medication is appropriate for treatment. In the meantime, you can bathe Golam in hypoallergenic shampoo for cats to clean the area, but this will likely not resolve the lesions. I hope that helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Nathan. If he has a bump on his abdomen and has a fever, then she may need to be seen on emergency basis. That bump can indicate an abscess or a tumor both of which can cause a fever. Based on your cats age I think its more likely to be an abscess. Other causes of this include things such as FIP, FeLV or FIV as well as mouth infections. Nathan should be evaluated by his veterinarian to make sure he does not have any major infection or abscess that is causing this. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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.

It is possible that it is a sebaceous cyst, but they do not typically get that large. Other types of cancer are still possible as well as an abscess. A fever makes me concerned that Luna is very sick. I recommend that she go to a vet as soon as possible for evaluation. The vet may decide to surgically open up the cyst to see what is inside and clean it out. A fine needle aspirate can be done to look at the cells of the mass and give your vet a hint at if this is truly cancerous or not. Bloodwork may be needed to assess overall health and check for other internal medical issues. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories may be warranted depending on the physical exam and diagnostics.

Miss Tazzi may have a cate bite abscess or another injury or a swollen lymphnode. IShe is likely running a fever as well. I suggest you take her to a per ER for an exam. She will likely need pain medicine, and antibiotics, especially if she has a fever due to an abscess or injury. No need to be scared, but certainly in need of an exam.

The thyroid gland in cats is normally not palpable. The lump may be localized infection, inflammation, fatty tumor or a cyst just to name a few possibilities. You can monitor it for rapid change or growth. See your veterinarian for an exam if it causes discomfort or impedes motion, breathing or eating. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect a sample for pathology if necessary.

A lump in such a young cat could be an infection, a small wound, an insect bite, a lymph node, or waaay less likely, a mass. If she's going to a full-service veterinarian tonight they can definitely give you a good idea of what's going on. If you're going to a vaccine clinic, they'll be more limited in what they can do but can still give you a good idea if it's something normal or concerning. Between now and then, just leave the bump alone so that doesn't get bigger from being messed with. Don't try to clean it or pop it or remove it in anyway. Good luck to you and Kitty!