What should I do about my cat's painful, pus-filled neck bump?

Even though a picture would help to understand better the underlying cause, this presentation could be due to a trauma (bite wound) and/or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking/scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I'm glad to hear that Mr. Tibbs does not seem to be bothered by this bump. This lesion could be an abscessed wound, infected mass, infected cyst, etc. Anytime pus is present, this is indicative of white blood cells working to fight infection. I recommend taking Mr. Tibbs to his vet both for a course of antibiotics and to determine the cause of this lesion. He may need to have a needle aspirate performed to draw out a few cells with a needle and then examine them microscopically. Until you can get to the vet, you can try applying warm compresses to this area and be sure to keep an e-collar ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=20390 ) on Mr. Tibbs to prevent him from licking the area, because this will make matters worse. I hope that all goes well!

This is an abscess and the white substance is puss. These are often caused by something under the skin that gets infected. It could be a thorn or from a bite. It's best if a vet examines this and explores the wound, because if the cause of the infection is not removed, then the infection will never clear. Sometimes these infections have potential to cause infections elsewhere, or can get worse, so a vet may need to prescribe medication to prevent this. For now, keep the area clean by flushing with water twice a day. I hope that helps and Mittens gets better soon.

You can clean the area with hydrogen peroxide. I would then take a hot wet washcloth and massage the area. The heat and massage will improve the blood supply to the area so it will heal more quickly. If there is a pocket of puss the goal is to get the scab off so the infection can drain. If there is an open wound then I would apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it afterwards. If she becomes lethargic and not eating then I would bring her in for an exam as she may have a fever and need antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

This is likely to be an abscess that bursts open. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). If not resolving in 4 days a check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor little guy, he’s adorable! This looks like a deep skin scrape or abscess that is starting to heal. I would clean it with hydrogen peroxide and then apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. This should heal in a week or two. If it isn’t healing or Romeo stops eating then I would bring him in for an exam. He could develop an infection that may need antibiotics to resolve. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Romeo.

From the picture I can only say this may be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or fungal). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics or antifungal meds (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. More investigations like sampling and bacterial swabs would be needed to determine the underlying cause more specifically. In my experience I have seen large wounds like this one from Poxvirus infection (but usually other wounds are present as well). I would suggest to handle this wound always with gloves (you are doing it anyway as I can see from the pic). Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.