Our cats can develop lumps on their body just like it happens to us humans, in some cases they can be harmless while other lumps can be malignant or potentially malignant and can affect the quality of life of cats. our feline companions due to the general weakness and potential for extension that some lumps can have. When they occur in the subcutaneous space, they are called subcutaneous lumps and can be of a different nature, while many are small lumps of fat or lipomas, others can be the result of infections, parasites or malignant tumors that require rapid diagnosis and veterinary treatment.
Continue reading this article on our site to learn more about the main 5 types of subcutaneous lumps in cats, their causes and what to do Check out fatty lumps, inflammatory lumps, infectious lumps, cystic lumps, and neoplastic lumps.
Fat lumps or lipomas
Fatty lumps in cats, also called lipomas, are masses of mesenchymal origin with an accumulation of adipocytes or fat cells that They usually develop in the subcutaneous tissue. These lumps generally have a spongy, soft and firm consistency and may appear singly or in multiples and may be displaced on palpation.
These tumors are benign but must be removed in time as they can grow to the point of causing discomfort to the animal or compromising certain structures organic due to their rapid growth, but in no case do they have the capacity to produce metastases to other nearby or distant structures.
Cats at higher risk of developing lipomas are older, neutered cats and are more commonly seen in the Siamese cat breed.
Treatment of feline lipomas
Removal surgery is the way we have to remove lipomas in cats, you can choose to remove them or wait if the lipomas develop in areas where they do not bother the cats or are expected to cause discomfort in the future, but always check them at the routine check-ups that cats should have at the veterinary center.
Of course, you should bear in mind that the larger the cat, the more scar tissue the cat will have once operated and the longer the recovery time.
Inflammatory Lumps
Inflammatory lumps in cats can be the result of many different causes and can develop in this type of tissue as in the case of allergic processes or hivesIn these cases, inflammatory lumps or hives develop on the cat's body and are the result of exposure to an agent that is allergenic to the cat, frequently seasonal, such as pollen, or non-seasonal, such as some irritating products, mites or certain foods.
Panniculitis can also cause inflammatory lumps in cats and involves the fatty layer under the cat's skin, i.e. feline subcutaneous adipose tissue becomes inflamed. This generally occurs on the back, in the form of single or multiple nodules that are firm or soft and move easily, measuring from a few millimeters to several centimeters.
It can be the result of blows or trauma, as well as viral or bacterial causes and can excrete a bloody brown or yellowish discharge, form ulcers and crust over once they heal.
Treatment of inflammatory lumps in cats
These inflammatory lumps are treated Depending on the cause, requiring immunosuppressive therapy in the case of allergic processes or with drugs more specific to the etiology in the case of panniculitis. In addition, anti-inflammatory and topical treatment may also be necessary in some cases to control the symptoms of the lumps.
Infectious Lumps
Cats can also suffer lumps or nodules related to infectious processes The most common infectious lumps are abscesses, which are accumulations of pus that are encapsulated and contain dead defensive cells and degraded bacteria. Its causes are usually bites between cats due to inoculation of bacterial pathogens from the mouths of felines under the skin.
On other occasions bacterial lumps may occur secondary to mycobacteria, actinomyces in contaminated wounds or nocardia. Another etiology of infectious lumps are those caused by fungi such as dermatophytes, opportunistic saprophytes or cryptococcus.
Treatment of infectious lumps in cats
Feline infectious lumps should be treated with drugs specific to the infectious agent In the case of bacteria, the ideal is to perform a culture and an antibiogram to find the most effective antibiotic while preventing the worrying antibiotic resistance.
In the case of fungi, drugs with safe antifungal potential in cats should be used. In addition, the daily cleaning of the area and the use of antiseptics. will be recommended.
Cystic lumps
Subcutaneous lumps in cats are sometimes caused by cysts that consist of sacs or cavities that are filled with fluid although air-filled cystic lumps may also appear. They differ from another series of packages like the ones we have been commenting on previously because they are very soft and mobile and do not adhere to nearby structures.
Treatment of cystic lumps in cats
Cysts in cats are treated by removal or aspirationonce they have been diagnosed by cytology and other infectious, inflammatory, fatty or neoplastic. As they are not malignant or bothersome processes in general for cats, you can choose to wait for their evolution over time, which is generally good, or remove them easily at the veterinary center.
Malignant or Neoplastic Lumps
In the worst case, the lumps that your cat presents have a malignant neoplastic origin, being produced by skin tumors such as the following:
- Basal Cell Carcinoma: This is the most common skin cancer in cats and forms small nodules under the cat's skin generally in the areas of the back, chest and upper part of the head that measure from several millimeters to 10 cm in diameter. They tend to appear in older cats and the Persian breed seems more susceptible. We tell you more about skin cancer in cats: symptoms and treatment, here.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: This is a type of cancer associated with exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. It occurs especially in white or poorly pigmented cats and it is an aggressive malignant tumor that can spread beyond the surrounding tissue to the lymph nodes or lungs. It affects areas where the skin is poorly pigmented or there is not much hair. At first, pink areas appear that evolve into scabs and lumps that can ulcerate and bleed.
- Melanoma: this tumor is possibly the one that most familiar to you but it is also the least frequent in the feline species. They can develop anywhere on a cat's body, even inside the cat's mouth, and often cause an expansion of pigmented areas that can bulge and bleed.
- Mastocytoma: The mast cell tumor appears as small lumps or nodules. It is common that they can appear on the legs, abdomen or scrotum of males. The big problem is that these tumors can produce metastases more frequently than other subcutaneous neoplastic lumps in cats, affecting other organic locations of our little feline and seriously affecting its he alth.
Treatment of neoplastic lumps in cats
Tumor lumps in cats must be treated quickly as they can have serious consequences on the he alth of your little feline. Treatment generally consists of the use of surgical removal techniques as well as chemotherapy protocols depending on the type of tumor. In some cases these tumors can also be treated with techniques such as cryotherapy, electrochemotherapy or radiotherapy.
You may be interested in taking a look at the following article on Cancer in cats: types, symptoms and treatment on our site.
