small lumps

Question
My female spayed cat is 6 years old. In the last few months we noticed that she had been pulling hair off of her back around the upper part of her tail. The skin generally looks normal, but lately she's been irritating the skin somehow also. It is red and raw looking at times. We also found 3 small lumps ( approximately the size of an average marble) on either side of her spine running from the tail to about 3 inches up her back. Her behavior and appetite is normal. She has not been vaccinated this year. Her tail is 100% functional still. Please advise us on what action you think we should take. Thank you.

Answer
Kim,
there are so many things this could be, but since I don't know if she goes outside or where you live one of them might not be viable.

Any lump that large should be investigated by a vet. What ever they are, they could be pressing on some nerves that run to her tail and that is why she is irritating her tail head because it is irritated as well from the nerves. These lumps might not be more than small sebaceous cysts but without a vet evaluation you won't know for sure.

I would get her in and have it looked at soon. My cat had a problem like this at 13 and she suddenly disappeared and I was always afraid it was because something serious was wrong and we didn't diagnose it right. That was 13 years ago but I always have wondered.

So don't wait, get her in and have it looked at.