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My cat's lip is swollen after having kittens. What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 7 months old

My cat had a litter of 6 on the 27th of Feb and all kittens are healthy. However I noticed today that her bottom lip has gotten quite swollen, and I don’t know if it’s due to licking her kittens too much causing an infection. What should I do?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on March 11th, 2018

This could be the beginning of a condition also known as "rodent ulcer", it's basically an autoimmune reaction and it is not surprising if it starts to occur around pregnancy time. at the moment as long as it doesn't bother her and it doesn't become much larger, i would recommend just monitoring it, as treatment for this condition usually involve steroids which you can't give to a lactating mother.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 16th, 2018

    I am sorry to hear about your kitten! I would recommend getting him to a vet as soon as possible if he is having trouble eating. He could have an infection of the lip here, or it looks like what we call a "rodent ulcer" which is a granulomatous reaction of the immune system https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951528 . Either way, he needs veterinary care for this issue.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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