My cat has a small, painless lump on their neck. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This may even be an abscess. 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!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect this is either allergic reaction or developing abscess. Please, take Sweet to your local vets for an appointment as she will likely need treatment with either antibiotics (for abscess) or anti-allergic medication (steroids or antihistamine medicine).

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The only way to know for sure what this little growth is, would be to have it tested in some way. The least invasive way to test is to do cytology, where your vet can use a needle to remove a few cells from the lump and look at them under the microscope. Cytology is not always 100% diagnostic, but it is minimally invasive and often allows us to gauge a level of concern, or diagnose certain types of common masses. The way to know for sure what that lump is, would be to have it surgically removed and send the lump itself in for testing (histopathology). Histopathology nearly always gives us a diagnosis, but of course is more invasive. While Silver's age (as a young adult) makes him less prone to scary malignant growths, and growths that are very slow to change may turn out to be benign, there is no way to know for sure what the growth is without having it tested in some way. You may choose to leave it that way, but doing so without having it evaluated in some way is a little bit of a gamble. I know this isn't an absolute answer - but unfortunately the only answer can come from testing the lump. I'd say it's worth having a vet take a look at the lump for peace of mind. Hope this helps.

Smok is a very handsome boy! See what you mean about this lump. It could be an abscess, it could be a cyst, it could be a lymph node swelling due to infection, or it could be related to a dental problem. It is concerning that is has kept on swelling for the past three days, and now is the time to take him into the vet. The vet is the best person to diagnose what is causing this swelling so it can be treated appropriately. I would take Smok into the vet first thing in the morning. Good luck, I hope this helps!

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.

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I cannot tell where the lump is on the photo but most if not all lumps needs to be evaluated by a vet. Especially in Simba's case since the lump has gotten swollen. Your vet will perform a full physical exam and determine if the lump needs to be aspirated. Lumps can be anything from an abscess, mass/growth, hernia etc. Your vet will determine after an exam what the next best steps and treatments are. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 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 him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!