My cat has recurring lumps after vet visit. Are they cancerous?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Judging from the photo, it looks like a wound or a mass that has opened up and is potentially infected. I would recommend having him seen by a vet for further testing so that the most appropriate treatment can be recommended. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fiona. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. Her veterinarian could perform a simple procedure known as a fine needle aspirated. The doctor would use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can lead to a diagnosis in some cases, but can be inaccurate. For a more accurate diagnosis, the mass would need to surgically removed and the whole mass submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to review. I understand your hesitancy to do so given her age. That being said, cats have a higher rate of cancerous mammary tumors compared to dogs. Furthermore, the mass appears ulcerated in your picture. This can can associated with malignancy as well. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that it is cancerous. I hope this information helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. That type of behavior of coming and going is typical of a mast cell tumor though of course that is not the only possibility. Another possibility is a recurring infection. There is no way of knowing what it is just based on its appearance. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!

In this case it is very likely that the tumor is aggressive and it is coming back. To be able to give you a specific answer in this case, I would need to have more informations about the tumor (name of it if it was analyzed after removal) and other clinical investigations that have been done (if any).

The shape and appearance of this mass makes me more suspicious of a tumor. If there is a similar lump on her back, then this would help to confirm the suspicion, but the only way to tell for sure is to have it tested. Unfortunately, we can't tell exactly what this is from appearance alone, because many different tumors can look like this. I recommend taking Sasha to the vet sometime soon to have this further evaluated. It's best to have this done earlier rather than later, because treatment will be less complicated and more successful the earlier it is diagnosed. Below is a link to an article with more helpful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-and-bumps-on-your-pet/ I hope that helps and all is well with Sasha.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very hard to see in these pictures. This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sadly a lot of skin masses can look the same. I always worry about Mast Cell tumors when I see a pink raised hairless skin mass. But since you said your Vet removed fluid and drained it means it could be a cyst. But just removing the fluid doesn't make it go away. The entire cyst would have to be removed. Since Winnie is still healthy and the mass seems small I would discuss surgically removing the mass and seeding it for biopsy. I hope this helps and I wish Winnie the best!