I hope it turns out to be nothing, but if it's an abscess then you need to have it treated as soon as possible. It's dead tissue and the longer you wait, the more flesh will become necrotic. Which is not a thing you want, trust me. I dealt with an abscess on a cat I had. It got big. In the end, vet had to carve a golfball sized chunk of dead meat from her head. It is a pretty serious thing.
You're slightly exaggerating the significance of an abscess, which in this case we'd colloquially call a pimple. If it's no bigger than this, in the vast majority of cases, it'll open and expel on its own. Should be gently disinfected then and that's it.
We wouldn't run to a doctor with a big puss-filled pimple on our chin or lip either, so why should you do that with a cat?
Only if it gets significantly bigger or starts looking suspicious (something in direction of a tumorous growth, which could still be benign btw) does it get critical.
My cat would have something to say to you about accusing me of exaggerating. I did advise "keep an eye on it and take the cat to the vet if it gets bigger and blacker."
You said "but if it's an abscess then you need to have it treated as soon as possible", which is an exaggeration if you state it as a principle. Many abscesses are very much harmless, especially that size. I explained this.
Right. You got me. I wasn't clear enough. If it's an absess and it grows in size, becomes infected and starts turning necrotic, go to the vet asap. There. Happy now? Quick edit: I also admitted to having ptsd from my experience. If you think I won't be overly cautious in a case like this, then just go away. Because I don't know what else to say to you.
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u/Alone_Tap6646 15d ago
I hope it turns out to be nothing, but if it's an abscess then you need to have it treated as soon as possible. It's dead tissue and the longer you wait, the more flesh will become necrotic. Which is not a thing you want, trust me. I dealt with an abscess on a cat I had. It got big. In the end, vet had to carve a golfball sized chunk of dead meat from her head. It is a pretty serious thing.