Why is my senior cat losing hair, licking, and has a tail bump?

Question

My cat is about 12 years old and is losing her hair in clumps all of a sudden. She doesn't like when I touch her back closer to her tail and starts licking her fur when I do. I found a skin colored bump on her back and it looked to have some puss or something coming out. Any idea what this could be? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 20 lbs

Summer Walker, DVM, MS · Accepted Answer

The bump shown in the picture resembles the appearance of a benign skin tag or papilloma. These can occasionally become secondarily infected and cause the pet to become itchy at that spot. It is possible that Neema is experiencing an allergy to either something in her environment (pollen, dust mite, grass, etc.) or to an ectoparasite (fleas, mites). The response that you get when you touch her near her tail (begins to lick her fur) sounds like an itch response. Make sure Neema is on an appropriate flea preventative, and if the itching or losing hair continues she may need to be seen by her veterinarian for additional treatment to decrease her itchiness.

Why is my senior cat losing hair, licking, and has a tail bump?

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