My cat has a red, swollen, itchy lip sore. Does she need a vet?

I am very sorry that Kitty has his sore near her lip. Thank you for proving pictures, it is difficult to know precisely what caused this lesion it may have been a cat scratch, a traumatic puncture from for example a fence, or possible a primary skin like feline acne, or allergic disease. At this stage it appears to be slightly crusted and inflamed and I would suggest a trip to the veterinarian. The vet will most likely clean the wound and debris any necrotic material. The vet may also send home pain relief, anti inflammatory medications and / or antibiotics. The vet will also be able examine the area and reach a diagnosis. Best of luck to you both and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

From the photos it looks like Xena has a "rodent ulcer" (aka: eosinophilic granuloma complex). It is best to have her checked out by your regular veterinarian to get a definitive diagnosis and treatment. ( https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951528 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

She could have an eosinophilic granuloma which is common in cats and can be caused by an allergic response. The lesion may become ulcerated and is typically treated with a corticosteroid. If she has any fleas then she should be treated for fleas. You could also put her on a hypoallergenic diet and see if that helps. Try to find a low cost clinic or a vet that would take a payment plan so you can get her treated. If she just needs a corticosteroid then it shouldn't be very expensive. Hope she gets better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Sage! Possible causes are: allergies, trauma from excessive grooming (rodent ulcer), allergic reaction, or from licking a caustic toxic substance. Without seeing a picture or examining Sage it is hard to tell you much more. Since cats can not tolerate human medications it is best to have Sage examined by a Vet today so she can be treated. I hope this helps and I wish you and Sage the very best!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. I don't think it looks like an ulcer. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). 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!

It is difficult to tell form the picture alone what is going on with your cat's lips unfortunately. It almost looks like she/he has a sore or even infection in her/his whiskers and commissure of the mouth. I would recommend you take your cat to your vet for an exam. She/he may need antibiotics to resolve this and possibly pain medication is she/he is is uncomfortable. I would also be concerned there may be sores in the mouth that need to be addressed if you are seeing them along the outside. It is possible your cat licked something toxic or caustic causing these problems. I would look around your home to see if there is anything she/he could have gotten in to. I hope your cat improves quickly!

This looks to be a rodent ulcer (eosinophilic granuloma complex). She really needs to see a vet for this issue. This is not something you can treat with over the counter medications. Also, there are not many over the counter medications that are safe for cats. These lesions are treated, typically, with antibiotics and steroids. Likely the reason for it is hereditary or an underlying allergy. Please refer to this article for further information. ( https://www.thesprucepets.com/rodent-ulcers-in-cats-5093328 ) The sneezing is not likely related to the swollen lips. That seems to be a separate issue. Either way, Luna needs to see a vet.