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Cat has draining lump after flea treatment & seizures. What is it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 7 lbs

I put flea and tick topical treatment on my cat and it cased seizures, the seizures went away after a month, but now I noticed a swelling on his chest near his right arm a few days ago about the size of an egg, today I noticed it went down some and where he was laying there was a clear wet spot, so it must have drained some, what I would like to know is could it be a allergic reaction to the flea and tick treatment? or what could it be? I;m very concerned and haven't the money for a vet.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 31st, 2017

Many of the over the counter flea medications can cause seizures in cats (namely Hartz and Seargents). I would stay away from those for sure. In the future I suggest you get a flea medication from your vet that is a tablet. He should have seen a vet for the seizures as he may now have permanent neurological damage. I don't think the lump is related to the medication reaction. It sounds like the lump may be an abscess (infection) or a tumor (cancer) but there is no way for me to know that without examining him myself. I'm sorry but not everything can be fixed at home. Sometimes veterinary intervention is needed and this is one of those times. I suggest you look for low cost veterinary clinics in your area. Often times humane societies/shelters will have low cost clinics at their facilities. You can start there and ask them for recommendations if they can't help you. The other option is contacting the organizations on this website to see if they can assist you with bills. It says "dog" but the organizations help all animals. It is not fair to let the cat suffer. You need to find a way to get him treated. http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

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