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Sebaceous Cysts in Cats
Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 01/10/2017Updated: 01/13/2022
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
What are Sebaceous Cysts?
If your cat is bothered by their sebaceous cyst, or if it has become large, is oozing, or is at risk of rupturing, you should seek veterinary assistance for your cat. You should never attempt to treat your cat’s sebaceous cyst on your own as this can cause potentially harmful inflammatory responses in the surrounding tissues.
Sebaceous cysts can appear anywhere on the body of your cat, but most often occur on their trunk (chest and sides) or legs. These fluid-filled sacs are typically benign, meaning they are not cancerous, and do not cause much physical discomfort to your cat. Sebaceous cysts appear as raised bumps and are soft in feel. In some cases, sebaceous cysts can continue to grow until they rupture. When this occurs, infection may occur and your cat will need additional treatment. 
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Average Cost
$500

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Symptoms of Sebaceous Cysts in Cats
Sebaceous cysts may begin as small, raised portions of your cat’s skin. These bumps may be difficult to spot in early stages since your cat’s dense fur can mask their appearance. As they grow, cysts become more apparent and additional signs may appear. Symptoms of sebaceous cysts may include:
  • Raised, fluid-filled bumps on your cat’s skin
  • Oozing or ruptured bumps
  • Excessive scratching or itching of the area
Causes of Sebaceous Cysts in Cats
Sebaceous cysts in your cat are benign, harmless, and noncancerous fluid-filled sacs. These sacs occur when a hair follicle becomes damaged or clogged in your cat’s skin. When this happens, your cat’s immune system causes the surrounding tissues to wall off the damage, creating a small pocket that slowly fills with a yellowish substance called keratin, a substance commonly found in nails and fur. The sac becomes increasingly full of fluid over time. In some cats, the filling of the sac causes the cyst to stop growing. In other animals, the cyst will continue to grow until it ruptures and fluid leaks out. 
Diagnosis of Sebaceous Cysts in Cats
Diagnosis of sebaceous cysts in your cat will include a thorough physical exam in your vet’s office. Your veterinarian will go over your cat’s skin in a meticulous manner, checking approximate size and location of any bumps or raised portions of the skin. Sebaceous cysts often occur in multiples, and the size and number will help your vet determine the appropriate treatment method. You should provide your vet with an approximate timeline of the appearance of the cysts, along with any noticeable changes or growth. This will also help determine how aggressive the treatment should be for your pet’s cyst.
Because sebaceous cysts have a similar appearance to some cancer growths, your vet will likely want to perform a biopsy of your cat’s cyst to confirm it is benign and not a more serious condition. This will typically be done using a procedure called a fine needle aspiration and biopsy. For this procedure, your cat will not need to be sedated. Your vet will insert a sterile needle into your cat’s cyst and will collect a small amount of fluid and tissue to be sent to a lab. Your vet will do this individually with each cyst.
Treatment of Sebaceous Cysts in Cats
Treatment of sebaceous cysts can take several forms, from conservative to aggressive management. In many cats, sebaceous cysts will not affect your pet and there will be no discomfort or interference with their daily lives. In these cases, where the cysts have remained the same size, your vet may advise to leave the cyst intact and in place as long as it is not bothersome to your cat. This is especially true for animals that are unfriendly and difficult to manage in a vet’s office or that may have complicating health conditions that make them poor candidates for surgical treatments.
In some cases, cysts may continue to recur and grow. These cysts will require more complicated surgery in order to completely remove the follicle and the cyst wall. Here your cat will need to undergo full anesthesia and stitches will be used to pull the skin together over the missing area that has been excised.

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Recovery of Sebaceous Cysts in Cats
Your cat has an excellent prognosis of recovery from removal of sebaceous cysts. While surgical follow-up will sometimes be needed, draining or other removal will not affect the long-term health or lifespan of your pet. You should work with your vet to discuss preventative measures for cysts such as supplementation with salmon or other healthy oils and regular brushing to support follicle health.
Sebaceous cysts can be expensive to treat. To avoid high vet care expenses, secure pet health insurance today. The sooner you insure your pet, the more protection you’ll have from unexpected vet costs.
Sebaceous Cysts Average Cost
From 453 quotes ranging from $200 - $800
Average Cost
$500
Top
Sebaceous Cysts Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
unknown
Twelve Years

52 found this helpful

52 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Lump On Stomach
Hello. I took my cat to the vet a couple months back for a lump on her belly. The vet told me if it wasn't already cancer it would be and that it was because she wasn't fixed. He then said that treating it wouldn't be worth it at her age and to just let her live her best life... Anyways... This morning the lump started leaking a mix of clear fluid and blood. I am trying to figure out if I can treat it as an abscess and keep it clean. Or if I need to hurry and find a new vet
Dec. 24, 2020
Answered by Dr. Linda S. MVB MRCVS
52 Recommendations
I'm sorry to hear your cat has this issue. Presumably the lump is on the mammary gland? Sadly, most mammary lumps in cats are cancerous. If it has grown and ulcerated, a cancer is more likely. To know for sure, we would need to sample the lump (this is the only real way to tell if a lump is sinister or not). She likely needs some antibiotics and pain relief regardless, so should be seen by a vet ASAP.
Dec. 24, 2020
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Unknown-new kitten we found
4 weeks

6 found this helpful

6 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
She Has A Fluid Filled Cyst That Ruptured And Now It Is An Open Wound
She is healthy and nursing but the wound is open and red...not bleeding but been putting Neosporin on it. Will she survive? What is a at home remedy?
July 28, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
6 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, without seeing the kitten, there isn't a way that I can comment on whether she will survive or be okay. I don't know what caused the cyst, and it may be infected. It would be best to have her seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine the kitten, see what might be causing the problem, and get treatment for her. I hope that she is okay.
July 28, 2020
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Domestic cat
Miggy
1 Year

5 found this helpful

5 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Lump
Lump On His Stomach
Hole In The Stomach
Miggy is my rescued cat. Then he went outside our home until two days. He came home having a hard time to walk and a lump in his stomach. I thought it was just because he fought with another cat. Until, the lump in his stomach became a blood lump. And right now, My cat has a hole in his stomach looks very deep, but doesnt has blood on it. He still eats food and drinks water.
Sept. 23, 2018
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Black Tabby
Heath
5 Years

10 found this helpful

10 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Unsure
Hi my cat recently disappeared for 5 days. He is an indoor cat who has only justvrecently been venturing out due to moving to another home 3 months ago. He returned and seems fine but I noticed he has hair missing the size of a pea on the top of his head and now there is a with soft lump there. I can’t get close to it to properly examine. What do you suggest.
Aug. 16, 2018
10 Recommendations
If you’re unable to get near the lump to examine it, you should keep a close eye as best you can; but if it gets larger, there is more hair loss, discharge appears or anything else concerning visit your Veterinarian for a close up examination. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 17, 2018
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Main Coon
Marbles
7 Years

37 found this helpful

37 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Oozing
Open Cyst
Our cat has/had a sebaceous cyst that popped two weeks ago. We took him to the vet the next day and they said it would heal nicely. They put him on oral antibiotics for two weeks to be safe. We are nearing the end of the antibiotic treatment with only one day left. However, the cyst is still open. Leaks puss/keratin every day. He doesn’t lick it or bother it at all. We’ve been wiping it clean and keeping his hair out of it. At what point do we need to return to the vet? Shouldn’t it have healed and closed up by now? What’s the usual time frame on these cysts healing after being popped? Should we just continue to give him the oral antibiotics until it closes or we run out of it? We have half a bottle still left. Thank you!
July 30, 2018
37 Recommendations
Sebaceous cysts heal at different rates, some seem to resolve quickly especially when handled nicely whilst other may persist and require surgical excision; you shouldn’t give any more antibiotic without consulting your Veterinarian as they were the prescribing Veterinarian, a simple phone call to the surgery to explain what is happening may be enough for them to make a decision in absentia. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 30, 2018
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Cat
MJ
1 Year

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Itchy
hi, my cat recently, like just last night grew a bump on her head like on her nose and right above almost between her eyes, it hurts when it’s touched, and it seems to be filled with fluid, the only thing i’ve noticed her do is lightly rub it with her paw. but she seems moody, like it may be hurting her. i don’t know what to do, i don’t necessarily have the money to go to a vet :(
domestic short hair
Sox
15 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Large Bloody Lump, Bleeding
Our 15-year-old Maine Coon has a sebaceous cyst on her bottom lip that is about the size of a dime in diameter. The vet's test confirmed it wasn't cancerous, but he said her weak heart makes surgery to remove it too dangerous. It's heartbreaking to see her with this lump that bleeds fairly frequently. It doesn't affect her too much although she often tries to scratch it off. I wish there was something I could do to reduce it or make it less bothersome to her. I plan to take her back to the vet soon to see if there is something more I should do to help with its treatment.
Male
Kitty kitty
3 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Cat
I have a male cat that came in my yard as a baby so I keep him and he out outside cat well there other cat around and they fight so the cat jump on my cat and bite his foot now there a lump under my cat upper leg it’s just a limp nothing coming out of it he can’t put pressure on it at all he still eating and drinking I don’t know what to do can someone tell what this is
tabby
Misty
2 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

I have a 2 year old tabby which was kitten when someone left her,so we started feeding and taking care of and took her to have her fixed so she couldn't reproduce and about six weeks later I noticed a little bit so we were told to watch it,so within a few months it began to grow and it burst we took to emergency vet and they removed leaving 32 stitches. The stitches were removed two weeks ago and I was petting her today and now there's already another one in same area where stitches were and about 9 more. It cost us 850 we didn't have, but we love her an so much and so we talk to our little small children because it was there Christmas,whom are still very small age 4 and 5 and they choose to save cat and have no Christmas, now it looks like we won't have either. We are all so devastated not to mention can't afford to take back to vet again and children won't have Xmas or cat for long. What could have caused. Please help explain.
Domestic long-haired cat
Shadow
16 Years

0 found this helpful

0 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Slowly Growing Bump
My 16, almost 17, year old cat has a lump that is growing quite slowly in size right above his lip (above the opening of his mouth). It still has short hairs on it but has what seems to be lighter pink under hair, it has recently developed a darker dot at the point of it and it’s is semi-hard. It doesn’t seem to bother him at all but I’m still concerned it could be harmful to him.
Sebaceous Cysts Average Cost
From 453 quotes ranging from $200 - $800
Average Cost
$500

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