When a strange structure or lump appears on your pet’s body, it’s normal for this to cause you concern. And when it comes to lumps, it’s common to think of something serious as a tumor. However, lumps can have several causes and can be more or less severe. When you feel a lump in the cat’s belly under the skin or on the skin, it’s common to be afraid and seek help.
In this article by Animal Expert, we will discuss the blows on the cat’s belly, what it can be and how it should proceed in this situation.
- These bumps may be smaller (papules) or larger (nodules in cats or lumps in cats) and appear on the body of a cat with different characteristics.
- Origin.
- Size.
- Shape.
- Location and degree of severity.
- Therefore.
- It is very important to identify early the appearance of a lump in cats because the sooner it is discovered.
- The sooner it can act and treat.
Benign nodules usually develop slowly and are located in an area. On the other hand, malignant nodules develop very quickly, can be distributed in several places and be very invasive in the surrounding tissues. These types of malignant lumps are usually placed at the top of the diagnostic list when it comes to older or elderly cats.
Keep in mind that not always a change in the skin of the abdomen may develop granules or bumps in the cat’s belly.
The better you know the cat’s body, the sooner it will identify the presence of something strange.
In this article we will focus on the lumps in the cat’s belly, but remember that there may be lumps in any other area of the animal’s body that you should not ignore.
The belly of most cats, unlike dogs, is a very sensitive area that many keepers cannot touch or touch for long. For this reason, periodic checks at the veterinarian are essential to monitor the occurrence of such skin changes and others. Here are the most common causes of bullets in the cat’s belly:
Ticks are parasites that itch and lodge on the cat’s skin and can be mistaken for skin bumps. In addition to associated dermatological symptoms (such as itching, redness, hair loss, or seborrhea), they transmit diseases when they are stung.
It is very important that these parasites are carefully and completely removed, even from the mouth of the tick, which is often left under the skin, continuing to cause skin reactions and causing a lump that becomes an abscess or granuloma.
Ticks can stay in different parts of the body, but generally as areas with more hair, the belly being a place with little hair, is unlikely to be there.
The skin of the animals changes over the years and when the animals are older, the skin loses its elasticity and becomes thicker, with the appearance of structures such as warts with possible appearance of lumps in the cat’s belly.
Warts in cats (or papillomas) are also a cause for concern in guardians, they are round lesions, usually multiple, that resemble a cauliflower and are caused by a papillomavirus. Baby and elderly cats are more susceptible to this type of granules because they occur in animals with weakened immune systems.
They can appear throughout the body, including the belly, english, mucous membranes (such as gums), nose, lips, or eyelids. Cats with this type of papilloma usually do not present other clinical symptoms and are benign masses, some within a few months can go back and disappear completely, affecting only the life of the animal.
This is a very common problem in the feline clinic when it comes to blows to the cat’s belly. Cats have very sensitive skin and some injections or subcutaneous vaccines, such as rabies and feline immunodeficiency (FelV), cause this type of lumps dorsally in the neck (where they are applied).
These drug or vaccine inoculations can cause so-called fibrosarcome (or inoculation sarcomas) that we’ll talk about later. While it is rare for it to appear in the womb of cats, this is a situation that needs to be dealt with quickly before it becomes very invasive.
It is important to note that this reaction is often not related to the technique of the veterinarian or to the aseptic level of the material, since however careful the body of the animal, it may react poorly to injection or inoculation. In addition, it is normal for a small lump to appear in the area within a few days of administration, the problem is when the lump persists and continues to grow.
Allergic skin reactions (allergic dermatitis) can cause localized or multifocal lesions in the form of nodules or blisters in areas with heavy hair or, conversely, in areas where hair is rare, such as the belly.
Allergic flea dermatitis (DAPP) is common in dogs and cats and occurs after the animal has been stung by fleas.
In addition to fleas, insects such as mosquitoes and spiders, plants, pollen, chemicals or sudden changes in the animal’s diet can cause skin reactions that can be really scary, with dermatological signs such as:
This type of dermatitis is caused by constant licking of one or more areas of the skin as a result of a behavioral problem or associated with pain or stress. The cat can lick non-stop, even by tearing off its hair and causing an ulcerated lump on the skin. It is more common in the limbs, but it can also appear in the belly or groin.
It is very important to treat and control this behavior, as the wound will not heal until the cat has stopped licking.
Lymph nodes are small structures distributed throughout various parts of the body that belong to the immune system, which act as blood filters and alarm when something goes wrong. In case of disease or infection, the lymph nodes are one of the first signs of growth and pain to the touch. The easily identifiable lymph nodes, if enlarged, are located next to the jaw, neck, armpits, and groin.
Bruises are the buildup of blood in tissues or organs and, in some cases, can cause blood to build up under the skin. If the cat has had a fight or fall that may have injured something in the belly area, it may be a bruise.
Abscesses are encapsulated or non-encapsulated masses, with purulent content inside. These are localized infections resulting from scratches, bites or poorly healed wounds and can be located throughout the body, with varying sizes and can cause pain, fever and apathy.
Treatment of this lump in the cat’s belly usually involves drainage and disinfection with an antibacterial cleaning solution and antibiotic treatment may be necessary. Before they can be drained, abscesses can break and filter their contents by drainage points and have a very characteristic appearance and smell.
Cysts are structures full of fluid or other material that I haven’t put on. These are semi-rigid or rigid masses, usually smooth, rounded and hairless that appear under the skin of dogs and cats and, unlike abscesses, are not caused by infection, but can become infected.
They can be caused by the blockage of the sebaceous glands (skin glands that produce an oily substance that lubricates the skin and hair), taking the name sebaceous cysts. If one appears in the cat’s belly, it could be cysts.
This condition is usually benign and does not cause discomfort to the animal, so the tutor chooses whether he prefers to remove these masses by surgery or if he prefers to keep them. Some of these masses can burst and release their contents.
Granulomas come from infections and/or chronic inflammations and are solid masses in the skin composed of inflammatory cells, binding tissue and irrigated by blood vessels. Cats are predisposed to a specific type of granuloma: the eosinophilic granuloma complex, linked to allergic processes, bacterial or genetic infections.
This type of lump in the cat’s belly is a localized accumulation of fat. There is a higher prevalence in sterilized cats that tend to gain weight and in obese cats and usually accumulate in the belly like hard balls. Keep in mind that adult cats with an ideal weight may also have lipomas.
Unlike dogs, benign skin tumors are not common in cats and the presence of bumps should be carefully evaluated. Malignant skin tumors can appear suddenly and evolve very quickly. They look like bruises that never heal or blisters that increase in size, shape and color.
In all the other causes mentioned above, early diagnosis is very important, but skin tumors are even more important. The sooner it is discovered, the sooner treatment is diagnosed and started, which can increase your chances of recovery.
The main cat skin tumors are
In order for the veterinarian to make an accurate diagnosis, it is important to report:
After all these questions, your doctor will perform a full physical exam and use additional tests to determine what type of mass is 😕 Aspiration cytology (aspiration of the nucleus content with a needle and microscopic observation); Footprint (a microscopic blade is placed against the nucleus if it is ulcerated or releases fluids and is observed)? Biopsy (take a small sample of tissue or take the entire mass); X-rays and/or ultrasounds; computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Once the diagnosis is made, it is necessary to start the treatment, if necessary, so that the animal can heal as quickly as possible and have quality of life.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
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