Cat swollen on one side of neck

moreknow

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I just noticed that my socialized semiferal male cat named Lionel has the left side of his neck/chin swollen. It doesn't feel hard to the touch but rather a bit soft, but i only touched it lightly. This lump is about 1.5 inches wide, and there also was a little brownish dry stain on the area. I noticed since Saturday night that he was acting a little different; didn't look to eat. But last night he ate the normal amount he usually does, but he hasn't purred. He's not showing anything completely out of the normal apart from not purring but he still shows the typical behavior of wanting to be outside during the day (even though I would like him to be a fully indoors cat), and he was rolling around a bit in the grass. He is currently in his little cave, a ditch tube under our neighbor's driveway and he's resting like he usually does and doesn't want to leave. I scheduled a vet appointment for Thursday morning, but I would like any feedback on this: If he has this lump on his neck but he's still behaving a bit normal, could it be a bee/wasp sting, or something else? I have to work from 2-11 today so I'll try my best to keep y'all updated

thank you,
uriel
 

FeebysOwner

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It could be a swollen lymph node as well, but why just one side, I am not sure. Probably does warrant a vet visit, just to see what it might be. Since he is outside it could very well be an abscess, but if so, it will need to be drained, cleaned, and treated - and, he may need antibiotics as well. Some cats can be allergic to bee/wasp stings too, which could explain the amount of swelling. Let us know how things go!
 
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moreknow

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Could be an abscess from a cat bite. A vet visit is a good idea.
There is a tomcat outside as well and sometimes he attacks Lionel but i havent noticed any scratches on his face. He will be going Thursday, hope it doesn’t worsen
 
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moreknow

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It could be a swollen lymph node as well, but why just one side, I am not sure. Probably does warrant a vet visit, just to see what it might be. Since he is outside it could very well be an abscess, but if so, it will need to be drained, cleaned, and treated - and, he may need antibiotics as well. Some cats can be allergic to bee/wasp stings too, which could explain the amount of swelling. Let us know how things go!
I just hope it is something minor like a sting or abscess, nothing life threatening. He’s been like this since Saturday i believe..
 
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moreknow

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So i just came home and it appears that this swollen area has burst. It smells bad up close and i have provided pictures of how he looks like currently. He is still moving normal, meowing and eating a bit; typical behavior. But he is licking his lips now and then so I know that he’s not entirely comfortable. I now believe that this could be an abcess from a cat fight, but i could be wrong. The vet visit is until Thursday, what should i do until then?
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hongducwb

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that look so worse, if it's my cats i would use betadine to clean it first and tetracylin 1% on that area

i also treat my white cats abscess in paw with above items, 1-2 daily cleaning with warm water and Hydro peroxide
 

catsknowme

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My vet has me wait until abcesses burst, just as has happened for your cat, before treating with oral antibiotics. Peroxide is now known to destroy/delay healing tissues, so a call to the vet is definitely in order. You have some good photos to send them which helps a lot. You can ask about using coconut oil as a topical antibiotic; there are several others sold at feed stores that work similar to human grade Neosporin. Please keep us updated!
 
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moreknow

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Thank you for your support, and I sincerely apologize for this habit of mine where I start a thread in worry of my cats' life, and then when once it gets better, I just forget to provide updates to the thread due to trying to catch up in school/work

It's been about 2 months and he has now fully recovered. I took him to the vet after it burst and they provided me with antibiotics and cleaned the wound. He had a big hole in his neck but it is now fully covered up and is completely back to normal.

I now have another issue involving a female cat, but as of now, I'm not sure how severe it is. But what's for sure is that I'll provide updates on her till the end. I'm going to start another thread regarding her wound/hole in her lower body

Again, thank y'all so much for helping me out, I am always truly grateful for you wonderful people
 
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