My kitten has a mouth growth & won't eat dry food. What should I do?

Hello, it looks like an abscess, probably a tooth abscess, it's an emergency as he is not eating, take him to the emergency vet as soon as you can today, the abscess will need to be drained under anesthesia first, then a course of antibiotics will be given.

Poor Flower! Since the growth on her upper lip has not dramatically grown, ruptured, or caused her to feel ill over the past few months, an abscess seems unlikely at this point. My biggest suspicion since it has steadily grown and another lesion is occurring on the left side as well is that this may be a benign or malignant mass. Unfortunately, the only way to definitively diagnose this type of lesion is by taking Flower to the vet to have a fine needle aspirate cytology or biopsy performed so that cells in the lesions can be examined microscopically. As these masses grow, my concern is that they may rupture and become infected, or grow so large that they make it difficult for Flower to eat. If you are able to pursue treatment for these masses, it is always better to start sooner rather than later. I hope that all goes well!

Mingming really needs to see a vet soon. It looks pretty bad, and could be caused by a fractured jaw, severely infected teeth, or cancer. All of these issues would be treated completely differently. She would also benefit from some pain medications. Since we don't know what is the cause, it is difficult to recommend a treatment, and it is illegal for us to prescribe medications.

It's hard to say without an oral exam why Cookie can't seem to eat or swallow. I would try different flavors or wet food as some cats don't like tuna and do better with chicken or beef. If if he typically eats dry possibly soaking his food in warm water to see if that is easier to get him to eat. But if he continues to not eat well he really needs an exam to find out why. The longer it goes on the worse he may get. This article from the humane society may help with ideas if you need to get him seen. Good luck. Hope he's better soon! http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is very likely a malignant tumor unfortunately. Cats are very well known for having a mouth tumor called squamous cell carcinoma which carries a poor prognosis. However, it could still be something else. The only way to know is by doing some sampling via fine needle aspiration or possibly a biopsy. If squamous cell carcinoma is confirmed, it is not likely to respond to medications much other than mild decrease in inflammation. Treatment for squamous cell carcinoma is limited by how aggressive this tumor is though sometimes surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are options. Sorry for the sad news. Let's hope it is more on the benign side. Good luck and have a great day!

I am sorry to hear about your kitten. It looks like she could have an infection of the skin around her mouth, such as perioral dermatitis. This requires treatment wtih antibiotics. I would recommend having her examined by a veterinarian who can then prescribe medication to treat this condition.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Pappy! I would have the Vet take a look to see if the wound needs to be stitched up and be sure it isn't a growth. It will likely heal faster with an antibiotic. Wounds in the mouth do tend to heal quickly. Good luck!