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My cat's eosinophilic granuloma is back. Is it cancer? What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 12 lbs

My cat was treated for eosinophilic granuloma 2 months ago. I noticed now that he has it again but looks black and feels like a lump. Can this become cancer? What do I do?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

Veterinarian

Published on January 4th, 2018

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Eosinophilic granulomas typically do not become cancerous, although they can return. Sometimes they can appear like an ulcer that is red or pink an sometimes it can look like a bump. They usually have an underlying cause such as an allergy such as to fleas or perhaps a food allergy. Other times, their cause is unknown. I would recommend seeing your veterinarian to help determine if there is underlying allergy that is contributing to the recurrence and also to ensure this is truly an eosinophilic granuloma and not something else (such as a different skin condition or a mass of some kind). I hope this helps and best wishes to you and Phineas!

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    Answered By Catherine Stecyk

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 25th, 2019

    Hello and thank you for reaching out to PetCoach. This looks like what is known as an eosinophilic granuloma, which is a mass of immune cells. Typically these resolve on their own with time, however, this should absolutely be investigated by your primary veterinarian to ensure it is not a more malicious tumor such as a squamous cell carcinoma, which carries a worse prognosis. I've attached a link from Cornell which has more information about cat eosinophlic granulomas for your information: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/eosinophilic-granuloma-complex I hope this is helpful!

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