My senior cat has a soft, red lump on his throat. What is it?

Poor guy. This appears to be a mass that has ulcerated and is now bleeding. When masses rupture like this they are a constant source of infection and discomfort for the pet. I recommend scheduling an appt with your vet to discuss having this mass removed surgically at this point. In the meantime you can try cleaning it with Betadine diluted 50:50 with warm water to antiseptically clean the area and prevent infection. You can also place an e-collar on Harley to deter him from chewing or licking at it , which will only make it more irritated. Best of luck with Harley and getting this mass removed. Take care.

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 night!

A huge lump on his neck could be an abscess, a blicked salivary duct, inflamed or infected salivary gland, a cyst, a tumor, or a swollen lymph node. This needs to be examined by your veterinarian who will likely want to take a bit of tissue or check if and what kind of fluid is in the lump. He will do this with a very thin needle (painless) to determine what kind of mass or lump there is. Not eating is dangerous for a cat as this can cause liver disease in cats in addition to the original cause. Please take your kitty to a veterinarian for an exam today.

An itchy lump on the neck could be due to an infection in the skin. They can get abscesses if something gets stuck in the skin, or he get bitten. It could also be a type of tumor. Mast cell tumors can be itchy, but are not as commonly seen with cats. Other causes of lumps in the neck could be an enlarged lymph node, enlarged thyroid gland and different types of cysts. However, none of these causes tend to be itchy. It's best if you have a vet examine him to ensure he does not have signs of the more serious causes. Usually we can find out the cause of these lumps on exam with minimal testing. It will be well worth getting it diagnosed sooner rather than later. It's not an emergency, but would be best to have her seen within the next week. I hope that helps and Skippy gets better soon.

It could be that Trouble has an abscess from scratching his neck causing the lump. Abscesses are pockets of infection which should be treated with antibiotics, so it is possible that the vet did the right thing if they suspected an abscess. It's good that Trouble is acting normally, and I wouldn't worry just yet. Keep an eye on the lump and if it doesn't go down, then I would have him seen by a vet again.

Mammary growths in cats have a high chance of being a malignant cancer. Since they are open and draining, they may also be infected It would be best to have a vet check the area to see if surgery is an option to remove them or at least medication to help clean them and clear the infection. Peroxide can actually delay healing after the first use. You are safer with mild soap and water to wipe it clean

I would recommend at least having the lump evaluated with a physical exam. The vet may be able to do a fine needle aspirate to get some cells to assess what this may be. Draining masses can potential he be abscessed or infected also which should be addressed. Once you have more information after an exam and possible cytology you and your vet can discuss if you would like to pursue removal or anythig further for Cruzee. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.