I’ve just returned home for the weekend from school and was informed my cat had “something on his neck”. Upon petting inspection I did indeed feel a bump, no, two, no a few lumps. At first I suspected they were from him scratching his own neck with his hind legs. (You know how a cat will lay on their side and scratch away with their hind claws, I thought maybe he went a little too vigorously at it.) I can’t really inspect the lumps because his hair is so long and thick; the brief glimpse I did get was of a raised lump which was reddish.
When I went to pet him again, however, I felt more tiny lumps behind one of his ears. Basically on top of his skull, beside and slightly behind one of his legs. Petting him all over revealed no other lumps, though I am certainly concerned about the lumps on his neck and head.
He’ll let me pet and touch the lumps / bumps all I want, so they obviously aren’t causing him physical discomfort. Also, my parents inform me, and my current observations confirm, he is acting like his usual 12 year old self. He sleeps a lot, but still wants to get pets, fight, and be fed treats when he is up.
I am loathe to take him to a vet, mostly because of the freaking bill, but obviously I will. Right now, well, I’m wondering if anybody can give me a clue as to what it might be? Is it possible it is something innocuous? Is it possible it is cancer? Can cats get rashes?
Bring him to the vet to make sure it is not something malicious, and administer and meds as needed. Our male siamese has feline acne, and when he has flare-ups it feels like bumps on his chin and his forehead. Cats definitely get rashes, but I would think many go unnoticed because of their fur…
Take your kitty to the vet ASAP and hope for the best. At 12 years old, it could be - quite literally - almost anything. If it is cancer, with that many lumps (tumors) around the head a decent vet will recommend euthanasia, and soon. That isn’t a huge amount of money, unless you want him cremated with the ashes back, and you will feel better (through the grief) that you did the best thing for him.
I’ve been through sending pets to the Rainbow Bridge too many times, and it’s never easy. But there are many circumstances in which it is the most responsible - and most loving - thing to do. One of my Danes got a lump on her skull. It turned out to be cancer - and she was only five at the time.
OTOH, it might just be something allergic, which could be fairly expensive, but shouldn’t be huge amounts at any given time.
It doesn’t sound like he’s suffering. But I had no clue that one of Missy’s great-granddaughters had cancer in her lungs some years later until she caught parvo from a neighbor’s pup. But Lollypop was ten (quite old for any large breed). I wasted no time giving her release, but grieved deeply for a long time - and still tear up when I talk about her - and it’s 17 years later.
Anyway, you won’t know anything until you take him to the vet. Don’t waste time, okay? With luck, you could have him around for another 5-8 years.
Are the lumps scabby? Does he scratch a lot? Does he have fleas. It could be something like Miliary Dermatitis.
It could also be many other things and you really will have to have him checked out. If it is Miliary Dermatitis it is treatable and the sooner you get him treated the better he will feel. Untreated the scabs can spread and the cat will get pretty scruffy and miserable.
Yep, miliary dermatitis is highly likely given your description. Effective flea control is usually enough to treat, although sometimes a short course of a corticosteroid is needed.
My father dropped by the Vet today and was told to just monitor the cat. If it spreads, bring him in, otherwise just wait and see.
I would be hesitant to say it is miliary dermatitis only because he isn’t scratching at it, at all. We’re taking the wait and see approach right now. If they spread or he becomes concerned about them, we’ll definitely be at the Vet immediately.
poor kitty. At least he is getting all the cat nip in the world at the moment.
(cat, thinking to himself),“Hmm, I’m getting bored. I think I’ll keep scratching myself, when spezza is not looking, until I can raise a bunch of bumps. Then, keep at it until he gives me catnip.”
Allergic reaction to fleas. One of my cats gets it around her neck – they feel like scabby pimples. She doesn’t scratch her neck, but does scratch like the devil when she has fleas. After applying Frontline, they gradually go away and are gone in about a week. Comb your cat over white paper and see if you get flea dirt (poop).
If he’s an outdoors cat, fleas will be a constant problem. Also, if a cat accidentally eats a flea while grooming, the flea may pass on worms. I agree with Wile E. – use Frontline or Advantage.
Vetbridge - Is it possible that fleas can get resistant to Frontline? I treated my english setter about two weeks ago, but he’s suddenly crawling with fleas. I’m seeing a lot more now than I did before he was dosed with Frontline.
This is the second dose this summer for Frontline. The package says that it should kill fleas for 90 days but ticks for only 30. I usually wait until I see them start to scratch or I find ticks, then I re-treat them. I buy the largest size and dose it by weight. The setter weighs 56 lbs at his last visit.
If you only treat the animal, other fleas will return. His bed, doghouse, etc. are all filled with flea eggs & immature fleas, which will hatch and then get on your dog whenever he lays down there.
At the same time you use frontline, you need to treat all the places where your dog commonly lies down with flea powder insecticide. Any bedding or dog blankets there should be treated, washed in hot water, or completely replaced. Otherwise the dog will continue to be re-infected with fleas from those places.
My personal flea regime (for my dog) involves rotating products at a three week interval. So, I apply frontline, wait three weeks and apply advantage, wait three weeks and apply promerise, wait three weeks and start over. My dog is always flea free.
t-bonham - He’s an inside dog, but has run of a farm. I can’t kill all the fleas on lots of acres. I thought the Frontline concept was that it would kill the fleas on your dog, and their eggs, causing a flea massacre. I don’t have carpet in my house, although I have a couple dog beds. I try to treat all my animals (5 large dogs, 4 cats) and hope the cumulative effect is a reduction of the flea population. From the Frontline website:
Vetbridge - That sounds expensive, but I can see the benefits of changing products. I can’t afford every three weeks, though. I’m treating 400 lbs of dogs.
I carry a number of flea products, and Frontline is the only product I hear any dissatisfaction about. In some cases of flea product dissatisfaction, questioning the client reveals that they failed to apply the product as directed.
Vetbridge - Maybe it’s user error? A stripe between the shoulder blades and at the base of the tail, right? I use a syringe which parts the hair pretty well.
I just went to the Merial website and it says to put it in one spot, not a strip and not at the base of the tail. I’ll have to re-apply, I guess.