My cat has a hard, leaking lump on his shoulder. What should I do?

Hello! This depends on how long the lumps have been present for. If they have been slowly growing (over a few weeks/months), then they could be some sort of skin tumour. If they just came recently (ie the last few days), it could be an abscess (which is an infection, trapped under the skin.) Would you be able to take Luna to see a vet? They would be able to examine him, and determine what type of lumps they are, and whether he can be helped with medication, or surgery. You can clean the area that he is bleeding from with warm water and a clean cloth.

You didn't include a picture so I cannot say for sure but the most common cause of leaking bumps on a cat would be an abscess, which is a pocket of bacteria, fluid, and inflammatory cells that is often caused by a wound (sometimes from a bite or scratch from another animal). I cannot rule out something like a cyst or a tumor that has grown too large and the skin has gotten stretched and broken open, or even a self inflicted injury from overgrooming, but the most likely answer is that this is an abscess. Pebbles should definitely be seen by her veterinarian, who will probably clean and flush the area and may recommend a culture of the area. They may also prescribe an antibiotic and maybe a pain medication, however in the meantime you can use warm compresses over the area to help it drain and to keep it clean if she allows you to. If you have an e-collar you can place that to prevent her from licking at the area and causing more bacteria (from her mouth) to enter the area. Good luck, I hope I could be helpful!

The most common lumps on cats are pockets of infection, or an abscess from a cat fight. An abscess is generally hot to the touch and painful and may cause a fever and lethargy. It also could be a tumor which often are non painful but can be malignant and will grow if not removed. Also some cats get a skin reaction to a vaccination if it’s given in that location and the swelling should improve over a week or so. I recommend a veterinary exam so they can feel the lump, take her temperature and decide if further treatment is needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.

This lump needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Blacky to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.

It's likely that this lump is an abscess from a fight he had outside with another cat, you will need to take him to the vet in order to get it checked and treated, if it is an abscess it will need to be lanced and clean under sedation, he will also have an antibiotic injection to treat the infection.

It's hard to tell the size but it looks like it may be a benign wart or growth. It appears to be more on the surface of the skin which is good, and it is well defined. Cats do get malignant skin growths so it is a good idea to have your veterinarian examine it and feel underneath also. They can easily remove this if necessary and do a biopsy. I'm not overly concerned looking at the photo but it's best to be sure. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Louis.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell what is going on with a skin problem by just looking at the skin since most skin problems look very similar. My best recommendation would be to have your veterinarian perform some simple skin tests to get a sample of the area to examine under the microscope. They will be able to evaluate for bacteria, yeast, mites, fungus and abnormal cells. Hopefully that will determine what is causing the problem and how to treat it. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.