Why is my cat acting strange with a head lump and cancer history?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Snow. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian. The veterinarian will examine him to determine why his behavior has changed. To evaluate the mass, a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. An infection under the skin known as an abscess can be painful. Skin cancer is possible or the mass could be benign. Based on these results, treatment can be started. I hope this information helps!

It’s hard to be sure what this is from the photo. The most common lump that come up quickly in cats is an abscess, or pocket of infection. They develop from a puncture wound usually. If it’s an infection it will be sore, hot to the touch, and feel soft. Due to Sampson’s age though this could be a mass or tumor. Those lumps are firm, non painful and do not feel warm. I recommend a veterinary exam to determine what the lump is. They can take a needle and examine some cells from inside the lump and get a diagnosis. If it’s an infection this should heal with antibiotics. If it’s a growth, depending on the diagnosis they may just watch it for enlargement or recommend surgical removal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Samson.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell what is going on with a skin problem by just looking at the skin since most skin problems look very similar. My best recommendation would be to have your veterinarian perform some simple skin tests to get a sample of the area to examine under the microscope. They will be able to evaluate for bacteria, yeast, mites, fungus and abnormal cells. Hopefully that will determine what is causing the problem and how to treat it. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for posting again with the pictures! Yes, I would definitely get this lump checked. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. Give Patsy's vet a call to make her an appointment. Best of luck.

It's likely that this lump is an abscess from a fight he had outside with another cat, you will need to take him to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, if it is an abscess it will need to be lanced and clean under sedation, he will also have an antibiotic injection to treat the infection.

Hi, and thanks for your question. Although a picture of the lump would help to give you more specific answers, this growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or 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!

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.