My senior cat has a growing scab on his eyelid. Is it cancer?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It is difficult to say from the pictures but because it is black and is on an area where there is not much hair, I am concerned it could be a melanoma, which is a type of cancerous tumor. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine this and consider further testing on this to ensure it is nothing to be worried about. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Oh, that looks bad on Fred's ear. Certainly it could be a malignant tumor such as a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This is a cancer of the skin that occurs on unpigmented (white) parts of the body like the nose and ears. Please keep in mind that I cannot say this for certain without seeing him in person, and he definitely needs to see a vet for as soon as possible. I would take him into a vet first thing in the morning. If this is a SCC, he may need to have the area surgically removed. Please take him into a vet as soon as possible.

Dark scabby areas on the head and necks of cats are often attributable to a complex known as eosinophilic plaques. Many are allergic in origin, and respond to a change in diet (hypoallergenic diets such as those made with "novel" protein and carbohydrate sources or hydrolyzed diets such as Hill's z/d) and treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Some studies also point to a tie-in with feline herpes virus. Diagnosis is made via biopsy. These lesions can occur on the lips, inside the mouth, just about anywhere on the head or on the pads of the feet. I've also seen them on the abdomen. Again, it's really important to get a biopsy done, because the appearance can mimic some cancers (squamous cell carcinoma) and also some fungal diseases that are quite serious.

These could be benign tumors or they could be malignant. 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. I'd give Shadow's vet a call next week to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

Hello, as you may now cancer can only be diagnosed by looking at the cells of the area in question. Certainly, we can get a suspicion for cancer by assessing the gross appearance of the area in question. This means that although looking at Blue's nose I don't think it looks very aggressive to be considered a cancer, we are unable to tell unless we sample that area. Cats can get pigmentation changes with age, so this may very well be a normal change associated with his age and nothing you need to be concerned with. I would recommend monitoring the area for progression of this pigmentation change or any evidence of mass, ulcer, or thickening of the nose which would be more concerning for a cancer. Hope this helps and best of luck.

This is actually very concerning. I suggest you get her to your vet as soon as possible. I would be very worried that this is skin cancer (like squamous cell carcinoma) because of her coloration (white), the location of the lesions and the duration of the lesions. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/skin-squamous-cell-carcinoma-in-cats

I would definitely have this swelling on Colby checked out by a vet. While it could be another mast cell tumor, it could also be a cyst. It could have ruptured internally and then grew back. Cysts often reoccur, and they may need to be removed surgically to prevent that from happening. The vet can diagnose what is causing the swelling, and can discuss treatment options with you.