What causes my cat's scabby bumps, black spots, and excessive licking?

Ouch! Those are some major hot spots in that photo. I would recommend having Lili seen by your vet so the area can be clipped and cleaned and any medications such as pain or antibiotics can be given to help it heal a bit faster. I'd also keep Lili from scratching or pawing at it as this can introduce bacteria and more inflammation which can slow healing. If only Lili is affected and you're not noticing other issues like parasites, etc, it is possible there is an allergy underlying. She could be rubbing up against something causing the itchiness, or could have an ingredient allergy to something in her food (or a treat if the spots correspond with intermittent feeding of a treat or wet food). Other issues such as an underlying illness like an immune or metabolic issue can also cause scabbing and skin issues that affect only one cat in the household. A vet visit is a good option at this point both to treat the current scabs and to see if a food trial, allergy meds, or additional testing such as bloodwork to rule out any underlying health issues may be beneficial in finding the cause.

I can't really appreciate the lump on your pictures. But with Midnight's history some potential causes for her signs could be allergies to food or the environment as well something called psychogenic alopecia. It looks like she has given herself a secondary skin infection, likely bacterial. The skin infection perpetuates the itch so it's like a vicious cycle. It's good to keep her on a flea preventative even though she's indoors but at this point I would recommend having your veterinarian take a look because she may need antibiotics and potentially steroids to help her itch. At that time your veterinarian can do a further exam on that lump and give you a better idea what it could be.

Hi there! The most common cause of excessive itching like this in cats is allergies - either food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment. You may want to talk with your veterinarian about allergy testing to help identify the source of the problem so that you can put together a treatment plan based on this information. If he's allergic to something in his food, he may need to be on a prescription diet like Hills z/d or Purina HA to help resolve the itching. If he has environmental allergies, you could consider hyposensitization injections or long-term daily medication like prednisolone or Atopica.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks like it may be the nipple and not a mass. She may be licking due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It sounds like Geronimo may have military dermatitis which is often an allergic reaction. This could be due to fleas or food allergy or environmental factors. I would recommend a veterinary visit to assess if he has any infection and get the appropriate treatment. Sometimes these cats may need antibiotics and/or steroids while trying to identify and eliminate the allergen. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-miliary-dermatitis Good luck. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This looks like a eosinophilic plaque. He needs to see a vet for this condition. Here is an article on this condition. Steroids and antibiotics are usually the treatment of choice for this problem. http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/c_ct_eosinophilic_granuloma_complex Based on what you described with the scabs at the base of the tail, I am guessing he has a flea allergy that may be the underlying cause. I hope this helps. Best wishes!

Pepper may be suffering from allergic skin where her skin will overreact to something such as grass, fleas or dust etc, then swelling and infection can develop. This tends to effect the skin in large areas rather than in smaller clumps. If it is random well defined areas that are breaking out I suspect she may have eosinophilic granuloma complex, which is a condition in cats where essentially the skin damages itself. It causes nasty red wet lesions and sometimes ulcers and lumps. I think either way Pepper needs treatment so will need to see the vet. They will likely give an antibiotic injection to tackle any infection. The key of treatment will be managing the immune system which will likely be done with steroids.