My cat has a painful bump on his paw. Should I take him to the vet?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Domino evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good day!

This lump/bump/growth should be ideally examined by your local vet to have a diagnosis established. Your vet may want to perform an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy to sample the bump and determine its underlying nature. Differentials would include infections, a skin cyst, benign or more malignant type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Yes, I recommend you take him to a vet. There is something that cats on their feet called hyperkeratinization (keratin/cutaneous horns) but this does not look exactly like that; the lesions are usually thin and look like horns. So that fact that the left one is so flat and round is a bit concerning.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Callie. She appears to have a small growth on her pad. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She could have a mass, a poorly healing wound or an area of irritation from licking. Her veterinarian will examine her and determine how best to treat the issue. In the meantime, do not allow her to lick the paw. She should wear an E-collar if necessary. I hope this information helps!

It appears to be a mass- which could be completely benign (like a wart) or could be something of concern. I would recommend asking your vet to do either an aspiration or an impression smear to see if some cells can be sampled. This would allow you to know what kind of mass Moe has and whether they should pursue further treatment for it. I hope this helps!

That looks like either an abscess or a ruptured tumor. I recommend to have it examined and treated by the veterinarian. The kitty may need antibiotics and a special foot soak. The area also needs to be protected from any licking by having the cat wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for providing a picture of the bump on your cat, it's very helpful! It could simply be a benign growth, as it looks like it could be one in your picture, but unfortunately I cannot make the determination for sure without seeing him in person and doing tests on it. It is a bit concerning that it has grown up to 4x in size and is bleeding. It could be bleeding because he is scratching at it, but again I don't know unless I see him in person. Due to the fact it has grown in size and is bleeding for some reason, then yes I do think this is concerning enough to see the vet. It would be good to get the exact diagnosis of the bump; in addition, your cat is 10, which means he's a senior cat, and there is always a risk that any bump in a senior cat could be malignant. I'd give your vet a call to make an appointment. I hope this helps!