Having a bonding moment with your cat is always a fun and exciting time. Petting your cat will make her feel comfortable for sure. However, when you are petting her, have you ever felt a lump on her skin? It might be small and it doesn’t bother your cat at all, but actually it might not be fine.
As you find this small lump on your cat’s skin, you need to contact your vet to check it out. It can be a sign of infection, parasite or even a more serious problem. Besides skin problems, you might also want to know more common diseases of cat.
One of the best ways to treat skin problems in cats is by feeding them fish oil. You can learn about the benefits of fish oil for cats.
Causes Lump on Cats?
Here are the common causes of lumps on cats.
- Trauma
Bumps can be caused by minor injuries. Fortunately, they can heal on their own, but they can also lead to infection. If your cat’s been given shot, then it might have a lump for a few days. If the lump does not go away, then you should contact your vet.
- Abscesses
An abscess is a swollen spot on the skin that is formed when your cat is bitten or scratched. It is commonly red and quite painful, so that your cat doesn’t really stay pleased with your touch.
When your cat has abscess on her skin, she might lose her appetite and seem more tired than usual. You might apply a warm compress to relieve the pain on her skin.
An antibiotic or anti-inflammatory medication may be given by your vet to treat the abscess. You have to keep in mind that antibiotics can only be given by your vet or with your vet’s recommendation. You need to understand the side effects of giving antibiotics to your pet dog.
Your vet might also suggest you to trim the hair around the abscess so that the wound will stay clean. However, if your cat has deep abscess, she might need to have surgery.
- Tumor
There are several tumors that might cause lumps on your cat’s skin. They are fatty tumors, mast cell tumors, fibrosarcomas and breast cancer. To check whether one of these tumors is present on your cat’s skin, your vet will take a sample by using a needle.
Fatty tumors are known as lipomas. They might appear on any parts of your cat’s body. They are not dangerous and cancerous and there is no need to be removed.
Lipomas are commonly found in an overweight or older cat. That’s why it is important to keep your cat in a good shape and not overweight. If you get one overweight cat, you can apply these ways to deal with cats obesity.
Mast cell tumor is another type of tumor that can occur on your cat’s skin. This tumor is commonly see around the neck or head area. It might be itchy and red. Surprisingly, 10% of these tumors are cancerous, so if you find any signs of this tumor, immediately check it to your vet.
Fibrosarcoma is the most dangerous and threatening tumor as it is a cancerous tumor. It can appear in any part of the body. The lump of this tumor occurs as the side effect of injection given.
If you find any lump on the shot area, then let your vet know. He usually will ask you to watch over it and if it doesn’t go away, you should immediately call him again. This tumor commonly happens long after the vaccination.
Another worst tumor is breast cancer. This is also one of the most common cancer types happen on cats. The nipples area is typically affected. Besides, this area is also commonly unnoticed until the size is growing bigger.
Spaying your cat before going into heat for the first time is suggested to lower the risk of getting breast cancer. Reasons why you should spay your cat will give you the idea about it.
How do I Treat Lumps on Cats?
Just as mentioned before, the mild lumps can be treated as easily as putting warm compress on the affected area. However, when the lumps are caused by more serious problems, such as cancer or tumor, then surgery for removing the cancer or tumor cells might be needed.
The best way to treat cats with lumps is by bringing them to the vet. Your vet will diagnose the causes of the lumps and find the best way to treat it. Your job as an owner is being aware of any signs of lumps on your cat’s skin. By being aware earlier, then you can prevent the condition from being worse.