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What's wrong with my cat's lip? It looks bad but doesn't bother him.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered

What is wrong with my cats lips. Its been like this for a while. Doesnt seem to bother him but it looks bad. Hard to get to a vet.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Priyanka Thakkar, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 25th, 2017

Looks like a condition called esosinophilic granuloma complex which can occur in cats. It appears like it should be very painful. If you notice he is eating or grooming less, these are signs he is uncomfortable. Sometimes this is caused by an allergy. I would recommend changing food bowls and try a hypoallergenic diet. Ultimately seeing your veterinarian to have a biopsy performed to confirm the diagnose and starting some medications will be needed to help resolve the swelling. Good luck !

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi there. So sorry Peanut is having this issue. Peanut has what is called a "rodent ulcer" (eosinophilic granuloma complex). Here is a great article for you to read on this issue: https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=656 Unfortunately this is not something you can treat at home. There are some management issues you can try after he gets treated but those will not treat this current lesion. He needs a steroid injection (actually 2 injections a few weeks apart) and a course of antibiotics. After this is cleared up you can do some environmental/diet changes to hopefully prevent recurrence. This is not an emergency and I'm glad he doesn't seem bothered by it but it will only get worse so please try to get him to a vet as soon as you can so he can get some treatment. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you and Peanut!

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