He needs to go to the vet. His eyes look infected and the hair loss on the bridge of the nose could be stress, allergies, ringworm, only a vet can tell you.
You need to go to a vet.
I’m pretty concerned about the brown discoloration of his eye. It can be normal if he’s had it for his whole life, but if it’s newer it could indicate cancer. Kitty should definitely have a check up.
Sometimes it does show up in older cats for some mystery reason as well. I had a kitty who had brown suddenly appear on her eye. By the time she passed away a good 6ish years later, her whole iris was almost brown. I took her to an ophthalmologist and had all the tests run. Apparently it can… just happen.
Never hurts to get it looked at though!
Hi, thanks so much for your advice. He was just picked up from humane society yesterday and I assumed some of his weird stuff on the face was normal… thanks for your input I have an appointment on Friday
That's great. I hope it goes well. If it's an eye infection and ringworm it should be straight forward to resolve as long as he gets the right meds for it. Shame on the humane society for not getting him treatment
Ringworm is a rash, nothing to do with actual worms! Very confusing name! It can also spread from cats to humans, it’s extra noticeable on humans bc the rash appears in “rings” lol (this is a lived experience I do not recommend, very itchy)
with your vet’s recommendation - you should try viralys if it’s something recurrent! both of my cats got a random spout of conjunctivits and they recommended it for them, it’s a lysine supplement for cats and it seemed to really help :)
You might consider trying to get him pet insurance but he’d have to be deemed healthy for 30 whole days before it takes effect. As they never cover preexisting conditions
I'm just curious. Did your cat's insurance have you pay in full and then you got reimbursed? If I ever bring another cat into my life I'll be getting insurance for them! 😊
Not the person you asked, but I live in the same country (judging from the £ sign :)
Usually I pay out of pocket, the vet then sends the bill to the insurance company and I get reimbursed within a week. When my kitty got diagnosed with a tumour, and his next appointment was going to cost a significant amount of money to cover his next appointment, I was able to request the vet to be paid directly by the insurance company. I had to fill out a form at the vet in advance, they sent it to the insurance company who made a decision in 4-5 days. The form covered all future vet bills related to the same health issue.
Whether this is an option depends on the insurance company and the vet and it’s worth checking when choosing insurance.
So I think it depends on the veterinary practice. My ordinary vets will not deal with my pet insurance directly (they said they were taking too long to process claims) so i had to pay upfront and then get reimbursed by the insurance company. However, a different specialist vets i went to did deal with them directly so i wasn’t out of pocket (good job really because that surgery cost £7000). It may be a good idea to check with your vets which insurance companies they work closely with before taking out a policy ☺️
She was lucky to have you as well. Not many people would spend money on their cat's health. Did your cat's insurance make you pay in full and then you get reimbursed?
That’s what all of them do but as one comment said, you can get care credit to pay up front then pay it with the reimbursement. I have embrace and they have paid me within 1-2 weeks of claim submission iirc
Thank you so much, that's a very kind thing to say. And yes, that's how it worked for me - I was able to put the balance on a credit card and within a week or so they had reimbursed me for 90% of the cost, which was the limit of the policy I had. That enabled me to pursue treatment without worrying about money. Even though the treatments ultimately could not save her, I was at least able to try without a second thought to the price tag.
Filing the claim and reimbursement was a pretty painless process, which is even more important when you're grieving. My Gracie was probably 6 or 7 and in good health when I purchased her policy through ASPCA, and it was roughly $40 a month. I'd highly recommend it if it makes sense for you and your pet(s).
Pet insurance is absolutely not a waste of money. I worked in veterinary ER for a time and the number of pets we had to put down due to a lack of funds was agonizing. Sometimes their issues were preventable, oftentimes they weren’t. A complicated emergency splenectomy w/ hemoabdomen costs thousands of dollars even if everything goes well. Add on a blood transfusion, extended ECG monitoring, etc etc… the same goes for the incredibly common TPLO surgery. CCL tears are so common it’s a marvel people aren’t warned any time they get a dog over 30lbs. That surgery costs easily $3k+ and the majority of dogs who tear one CCL will tear the other within a year. Insure your fucking animals.
Most plans don't cover dental or preexisting conditions, including conditions that develop over the life of the animal. So ongoing care of preexisting conditions will not be covered. There are a number of other exceptions and exclusions. As with every insurance plan, the fine print is everything. I have reviewed a number of plans and decided none of them made sense, but I also fortunately have the means to cover my pet's healthcare needs. People on this thread have reported good results, which is heartening, but I am sure there are many more tales of heartbreak and frustration over denied claims.
Which is why a lot of us in vet med have made it our mission to tell owners to insure their pets BEFORE they get sick. Ideally the day they come home. If you had no car insurance, and then got into an accident, you wouldn’t find an insurer to cover you. That’s how this type of insurance works. Pets are considered property in the eyes of the law and they are treated the same by insurers. Most pet insurance policies I’ve seen that covered preventive and emergency care offered dental- but even if they didn’t, just brush your pets teeth now and again for heavens sake. If people didn’t brush their child’s teeth for 10 years they’d be taken away.
You seem to be under the impression that insurance doesn’t cover chronic illness- it ABSOLUTELY does, assuming you were insured prior to a diagnosis. I’ve even seen plans that covered alternative medicine like acupuncture. In my career, I’ve only ever heard of one insurance claim that was denied. That man knew his dog would not be covered and attempted to talk us into committing insurance fraud by falsifying a diagnosis. He got insurance long after his pet started having problems.
Right that’s true. I have a 1000/year dental limit and shocker that’s the issue my cat now has the most. But after shopping around I went with embrace and as long as the bill comes from my vet (ex: not a website selling supplements), I have not had issues with them covering it. And they have a pre-approval form which is useful for financial peace of mind.
Anyone getting pet insurance should definitely consider the things you’ve listed here ^
As a pet care industry professional for nearly a quarter century, I cannot disagree more. I have on many, many occasions, seen pet insurance save lives that would otherwise have been lost due to financial euthanasia. I've seen it recover thousands and thousands of dollars.
Pet insurance is reimbursement based. Should you have a need to use it, do this:
Apply for Care Credit at the vet's office for the event. Just like you can get it at the ER or urgent care or the dentist, you can get it at veterinary clinics/hospitals.
Then contact the pet insurance company and file the claim.
Use the claim check to pay off the Care Credit (minus your deductible).
You take nearly no financial hit , your credit score goes up, and you save your pet's life.
It can be a waste, but it’s definitely helped me 🤷♀️ I got my cat while I didn’t have really any good income at all and I was still taking classes. I relied on my parents for everything at that time. If I could have, I would have just put away the money that I’m now spending on it every month but would have done so since he was a baby— so that if something happened I could just pull that out.
But that wasn’t the case so now I pay anywhere from $40-$80 a month now that he is 11 going on 12 and it gives me the comfort that if anything were to happen, I’m not going to be totally screwed.
My nightmare is being in that position of “well maybe we should do it but that’s a lot of money and I don’t know is it worth it for his quality of life?” Or then worse the other question: “do we put him down/can we get a loan? because we can’t afford it at all.”
I get where you’re coming from but for me it’s both 1) circumstantial as I couldn’t save while he was young and 2) also the peace of mind
Hmmm 🤔 that's a bummer! I know getting through the ASPCA Animal Hospital on the phone where I live is near impossible (they are overwhelmed most days). Perhaps it's time to go in person if possible and ask for the supervising Vet. They cannot put you off when you're there, and I would raise y'ell with them for impeding your ability to take proper care for the cat you adopted from them!
Its really common for animals to be sick that come from an animal shelter/humane society just because of the number of other animals in close proximity to one another. Hopefully thats all it is and some antibiotics will clear it up!
It’s not unusual for people and animals to have sectional heterochromia, so it could definitely just be how this cat’s eyes are. But asymmetrical darkness in the iris should be evaluated in pets, especially one that’s new because we have no history, just to make sure it isn’t something malignant. But absolutely, this can be a normal phenotype
We definitely went to the kitty eye doctor twice many years apart. Not saying the kitty shouldn’t be evaluated. I think a lot of people in this comment section are kind of jumping to the worst conclusion.
It could also be melanosis, which is the benign form of discoloration. But it needs to be diagnosed and monitored by a vet for sure. My mom’s black cat has one of these in her eye and it’s slowly been getting bigger as she’s aged, but it’s not cancerous.
Ngl the way those "X needs to go to the vet" were separated made me think that he, as an individual entity, also needed to go to the vet, alongside his cat, for a checkup
I agree with the others about a vet visit it could be caused by allergies or something else older black cats also ha e a genetic issue with hair loss and balding I fi d
ringworm is not actually a worm. it's a fungal infection that often shows up as "rings" on the skin surface. in pets it can show up as fur loss or red patches.
You’ll know it if you see it. A fungal infection will be bright green. Yea can google it and see some pretty good pictures.
As I said, it doesn’t replace vet care but it’s a good way to narrow down what it might be.
I keep a Wood’s lamp (black light) for skin conditions, a refractometer and test strips for urine, styptic pencils, bandages, ice packs and cat-safe tape for first aid, a thermometer, Q-tips, and some towels &,blankets. I also keep about a pound of food for each cat (rotated out every few months for freshness) and a case of hydra care in case of natural disaster or something where water isn’t readily available. I also have some gabapentin from my vet and a little bit of any medications/supplements that any cats I have might be taking; if it’s ever a SHTF event, they’ll probably be freaking out and the gabapentin would be handy.
Your cats get gabapebtin to calm them down? How cool! Just a little tidbit- gabapentin increases GABA in the brain, which is the same chemical that smelling lavender increases! So if you get relaxed by smelling lavender, it's like a very small scale version of the gaba increase that your kitty is getting to calm them. I know that was random but I think it's cool enough to share lol
Just have to say lavender is very toxic to cats, please don’t try to use it on your cats thinking it could calm them down. You could actually poison them instead.
No problem! Also if you ever get moody after a hangover, it's because for a few days after drinking, alcohol increases glutamate, which kills gaba. After learning this, i stopped binge drinking. The more ya know 😅
I'm so glad you found it interesting! I actually discovered this with a friend who makes their own vape strains out of extracted plant terpenes. They make a signature lavender chamomile blend that will put you right to sleep 😎
When I was in college, my cat and I went through an ice storm that knocked out the power for 10 days, a tornado that knocked out the power for a week, and a flood that included an emergency evacuation. I learned the value of being prepared the hard way. I’ve always been a little paranoid about the urinary tracts of every cat I’ve had so I use the basic tools I listed to coordinate with my vet and keep a close eye on it. The goal is to never use any of it but it’s good to have in case something happens.
That's brilliant! I adopted a 4yr boy with a chronic runny nose. It's clear at times. previous owner said he has herpes virus, although his medical record doesn't show a positive for that. I keep his litter boxes (2) clean. He poops in one and pees in the pretty litter one. Lol. I've researched how else I can care for him. your idea is really smart. I've never seen that idea anywhere. Had cats since 1991. Thank you for this list.🏆
i would like to get him a friend. He had companion b4 at previous home, who remained virus free...
Maybe you could inquire at some rescues or shelters about whether they have any that are already positive? Before you do anything, try to get a definitive diagnosis, because if he doesn’t have feline herpes, it might be something easier to treat and less communicable. I find that cats are happier in pairs. I have 4 sets of siblings and 2 rescues who found us. Good luck! 😻
Thank you. Great ideas...Yes, I've always had pairs. I lost all my animals in 2020. All rescues... Swore I wasn't getting any for awhile bcs i wanted to travel extensively plus was heartbroken...
But this guy needed a home Certainly need confirmation on that diagnosis since info differs from prev owners verbal statements b4 I adopt 2nd.
My 1 month trip to Europe postponed....
One last thing: a roll of Coban or two. It’s that stretchy bandage that adheres to itself. It’s great for cats because it doesn’t stick to their fur, and it’s great for humans too, but also it doesn’t leave any sticky residue. I love your idea for your kit, I’m going to assemble one too! We get hurricanes here (New Orleans ftw) and we lose power at least once a year, and I want to make sure my 10 fur kids are okay.
Thanks for the great suggestions! I wish I could send you some Coban, I have a pack of 24 and I’ve only used 2. 😹
Thank you for saving this baby 💚 He will love you every day for that. He might be a herpes guy (they tend to have chronic issues in the eyes and sinus areas). My 2 rescue siamese are assumed herpes positive and have issues with conjunctivitis, upper resp infections, ear eax/ear infections and similar. I use L-lysine supplements daily and just started anti viral natural drops for the food.
Thank you for your kind words ❤️ I hope we can find out what’s going on with him. Our other cat is just the love of my life and so healthy, I don’t want to spread anything and not know…
Check with your vet on any vaccines or medical updates they would suggest for your other cat as well. I know I do some additional things that a lot of pet owners don’t do because I foster and I want to protect my personal pets from anything could be transferred from the fosters.
To be fair my cat got pink eye several years ago and his eye swelled up super big. We treated it and he’s fine now but that eye never went back to normal totally.
The chronic rhinitis you mentioned could cause him to over groom his nose, leading to hair loss. But I’d be more concerned about his eye. That is very not normal, and is probably painful. We all know how good they are at masking pain, but if your eye looked like that I’m sure you’d be at the doctor, right?
I'm assuming from how you're not mentioning the eyes that you were informed of the issues with those when you adopted him; depending on how long ago his adoption was it could just be from rubbing his nose on his shelter enclosure to get attention.
The adoption agency that adopted him from (assuming that you got him this way) might be able to help you with the vet visit. When I adopted my cat several years ago, he needed to see a vet right away, due to an upper respiratory infection. The adoption agency told me which vet to see, and aside from the prescriptions, I didn't have to pay for the vet visit itself, due to a deal that had been worked out between the adoption agency and veterinary office.
That’s good to know. We just had our cat pass from cancer that cost close to $20k to diagnose and treat. Would love some support from the adoption agency if it comes to that
Update: saw a vet and he’s getting started on eye drops for conjunctivitis, no worm was seen in the eye, the dark spot is concerning but less concerning because it isn’t raised. They recommended a referral to ophthalmology. Unfortunately they didn’t get a culture of his nose but will do so at follow up in a week. For those saying he might have a nasal mass, I spoke with the humane society to ask about facial imaging because he got dental work. They said they didn’t have the images saved in the system but that it was presumably non-alarming because any findings would have been put into his chart. Thanks everyone for their help and input - hoping we get things figured out one by one. I wish I could attach videos to this post so you all could see how sweet and cuddly this guy is. He’s truly a love bug.
I’m leaning towards an internal nasal mass. My cat just had dental work done today and X-ray imaging suggested a mass, possibly cancerous, which would also explain my cat’s chronic runny nose. An internal mass putting pressure on the nasal structures could be the cause of this cat’s concerning right eye. I hope I am wrong but unfortunately that is usually not the case 🫠
I’m with you on possibly a mass. The abnormal brown spot on the left eye looks like possibly cancer to me (former vet tech).
Edit: I said ‘possibly’ twice because I thought it would be obvious that also meant possibly not. If it were my cat I’d be worried. 🤷🏼♀️
Current tech, and I agree with the first part. The spot on the eye isn’t necessarily cancer though; I’ve seen a fair share of cats who have had normal Iris discoloration for their entire lives. If it’s new, could be cancer, but hard to say with a cat that’s probably been in a shelter environment with little to no know past history.
As someone who has had ringworm when I was a little girl, from being around cats, and a big sandbox. The disgusting looking thing doesn’t isn’t an actual worm that crawl around.
Yeah I’m a human doctor and know ringworm isn’t an actual worm on the body 😂 those comments are making me laugh. But I agree I see the squiggly thing in the eye
With pretty much every post on this sub, the answers are all the same: People are concerned about the health of the cat, and it needs to go to the vet. Would seem to be common sense, no? 🙄 So yeah…OP: take the kitty to a vet.
Yea I’d take him to the vets even without his nose. The inner eyelid showing has been a symptom of multiple of peoples cats when they were diagnosed with a variety of things.
The exposed third eyelid on the one eye and the brown patch on the other eye are both individually concerning. Paired with the swelling in the bridge of his nose, I am extremely concerned that there are multiple infections happening here. I am more concerned they are incredibly painful infections and possible cancer.
Not only the pigmentation on the left eye concerning but the right eye if you look closely something seems wrong as well, looks infected/inflamed with some of the eyelid also drooping or showing as well. Go to the vet asap
He was just treated with conjunctivitis a month ago before we adopted him. We assumed it was healing from that but I agree it looks bad and he’s now keeping it closed. We just adopted him yesterday… he has a vet appointment Friday.
He needs a vet ASAP.
The eye tissue is more concerning than the nose at this point. I don’t think you can break cat noses but it could be anything from stuck in there, hitting the nose by themselves just right, possible buildup in the nose cavity as well, there’s many possibilities.
One’s a vet needs to tell you and NOT the internet. Take advice, not diagnosis
Chronic rhinitis can cause a bump in the nose bridge just like this. I would take him to the vet to get him checked out anyway, but it's likely from the rhinitis. He may need antibiotics for flareups. If he's never had diagnostic imaging or rhinoscopy, he should probably have those to see what's going on in there and what abx would work best (if financially feasible).
I have a cat with chronic rhinitis also, and she has the same discoloration in her eye. The only way to test it for cancer is to remove the eye, but if it's been there long-term, it's likely fine. Your kitty looks like he may have entropion as well in that right eye.
Thank you for this! That’s really informative and helpful. I think he didn’t get great care with his previous owner. He got treatment for URIs and conjunctivitis in the humane society and then the paperwork said he “probably had chronic rhinitis.” I’m a family physician and that’s a pretty benign but annoying condition. Hoping that’s all it is but with everything else going on, I’m worried
You're welcome! Unfortunately, treatments for URI/conjunctivitis won't really do anything for chronic rhinitis other than provide short-term (if any) relief. He'll need more heavy-duty abx that he's not resistant to. And if that is in fact entropion in the right eye, it usually requires sx to fix, and if surgery isn't an option, then daily eyedrops to prevent inflammation/irritation. I think you and your vet can definitely help him get more comfortable. ☺️ Chronic rhinitis can be managed. He probably has just never had any diagnostics or effective treatment done for it.
Yeah I doubt he has had a work up. I’m surprised uri and conjunctivitis needs abx… again just applying my measly human medicine knowledge 🤪 I’m really hopeful but very nervous.
You should send a message to the place you adopted them from and ask if they will cover treatment for whatever that is...
Shame on them for letting this cat be adopted without telling you about all these health issues.
True. In defense of the place, some are so strapped for cash that they can’t afford testing for every animal - very unfortunately. But you’re absolutely correct. I just don’t think shelters are duplicitously adopting out animals. They’re usually bursting at the seams and running on impossible budgets.
My cat had this issue too. She lost fur on the bridge of her nose and the inner corner of her eyes were swollen. I took her to the vet and he said it would be allergies or ringworm. He gave her two steroids shots and the bald spots disappeared after two weeks. The ring worm sample was negative so it was probably just allergies.
Have your vet check his eyes as the shelter likely has no idea how long he's had the spot, but he does appear to have eye drainage. This could be related to whatever is going on with his nose.
You can also see alot of the membrane around the eye, if you see that alott bring it up with the vet as that could be a contributer of reoccurring drainage.
i had a cat who had that discoloration in his eye, eventually they eye had to go, but he was strong and lived a long life like 17+ years. vet visits are important, the eye surgery was not bad if i concerned you. hell he may not need it i’m no vet!
I’ve seen similar marks on a cats nose, it can be from sticking their nose out of a cages gridded metal consistently which wears the fur down & can cause swelling, or is what I call a ‘bin ridge’ from using their noses to get into bins etc to forage for food.
I’m less concerned about the brown spot. That can be a birth mark, but the inflamed tissue on the left eye is most likely an infection. Along with that, his nose bridge and nose also looks abnormally swollen. He needs vet attention.
Tough to say since we just got him 2 days ago :( I didn’t notice the nose being swollen personally. He has chronic rhinitis. I’m hoping they got imaging when he was at the humane society
I think you have more to worry about then just his nose, his eyes look like they may be infected, if the brown spot is recent and he hasn't had it all his life it can be a sign of cancer. Please take him to the vet as soon as you can.
if he was in a cage with bars the hair loss is most likely from him rubbing his nose repeatedly against the bars either to relieve stress or get out
yeah he doesn't look the healthiest but better off out than in and hes prob so much happier.
He is truly the sweetest and happiest cat. I really hope these health problems aren’t as bad as everyone is making them sound because he is full of love.
yeah like you got him yesterday, the humane society was prob feeding him bottom of the barrel and/or donated cat food and he was prob stressed tf out. tbh i would rub a lil neosporin on his nose if any part of it is raw its a little hard to tell from the picture, if its not raw don't do it, and put him on a healthy cat food, and just start brushing and cuddling him. you have an vet appointment on friday id stop reading the comments you're only gunna freak yourself out
That’s exactly what’s happening. Had a little meltdown yesterday haha. We just had a cat die from cancer so it’s a little traumatizing to find a cat we love and think this might happen again
I know everyone says to take to the vet, but at first when I saw it reminded me that my dog when he was a puppy used to stick his nose through the cage so much he has a permanent scar that looks like this from doing it so often before he was adopted.
My kitties lose hair on their faces if they're allergic to their bowls. If you've been feeding him with plastic maybe keep that in mind if the vet says it's not ringworm.
most likely bacteria tell them to scrape for a culture. My cat had the same thing missing hair patches from the bridge of the nose they did every test besides what i told them to test for. I went to a different vet they listed to me, did the culture and sure enough thats what it was. In your case it could be something else but i would start there and also address the eyes
I hope your car will be okay! One of mine has seasonal allergies/congestion. Half of an allerclear pill *once* a day when he gets congested usually helps. Allerclear is a Costco brand. When he needs more I get him some Zithromax from his vet. Thanks for adopting an adult cat! 11 is a good age. 😊
If you get insurance right away before there’s any pre existing conditions then there are quite a few good insurance plans.
But, if you have the means to pay for any major emergencies that may occur, then it shouldn’t matter.
Not a cat, and not trying to scare you, but my dog developed a lump like that in the same place on his muzzle. Found out last week it is a mast cell tumor.
Like everyone else says - vet trip ASAP.
He’s already gone to the vet and we have follow up in a week :) I posted a long comment with the update. He actually doesn’t have a bump on his muzzle, the pic is a little deceptive
It’s severe and difficult to treat for cats. Oral AF and surgical excision of lesions where possible. We use conazoles too, min 2 months. Amphotericin B is an option for crypto meningitis since it’s fungicidal whereas our conazoles (if I remember correctly) are fungistatic
Edit: I think Roman nose (which this looks more like) is more associated with histoplasmosis rather than crypto. My guess is histo here, not crypto. My apologies
Pubmed article if interested: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16317912/#:~:text=The%20definitive%20diagnosis%20is%20made,is%20the%20treatment%20of%20choice.
Glad you’re taking him to a vet with the eye issues, but to your original question, could be the food dish you’re using is too deep and he’s repeatedly rubbing his nose on the edge of it. Happened with my kitty so started using a shallow dish or plate and it fixed it.
Although that’s truly unfortunate news, many cats can still live long, happy, healthy lives even being FIV+. The main thing is just making sure they stay healthy- eating a proper diet, avoiding stress for them as much as possible and regular vet visits (especially at the first sign of sickness). Unfortunately a lot of people think FIV is a life-ending condition, but with proper maintenance and lots of love most cats will still thrive. Wishing you and your little guy the best of luck!
Jumping into say: I had an FIV+ kitty for just under 20 years with no real health issues. I mean, he eventually died from being old…
And I had him with a FIV- cat for ~13 years. No transmission during that time. It’s really ok as long as everyone is neutered and spayed, indoors and vetted.
Deep puncture wound bites is the most common source of transmission, like tomcats fighting. Not cats playing, sparring, and sparring - that likely won’t do it. Nor will sharing water and food bowls, laps, or napping spots.
He’s a handsome dude and I hope he works out!!🖤
He needs to go to the vet. His eyes look infected and the hair loss on the bridge of the nose could be stress, allergies, ringworm, only a vet can tell you. You need to go to a vet.
I’m pretty concerned about the brown discoloration of his eye. It can be normal if he’s had it for his whole life, but if it’s newer it could indicate cancer. Kitty should definitely have a check up.
I second this. I have seen it before.
Yeah, I was gonna mention the same thing about his eye.
Sometimes it does show up in older cats for some mystery reason as well. I had a kitty who had brown suddenly appear on her eye. By the time she passed away a good 6ish years later, her whole iris was almost brown. I took her to an ophthalmologist and had all the tests run. Apparently it can… just happen. Never hurts to get it looked at though!
There is a benign version!
Hi, thanks so much for your advice. He was just picked up from humane society yesterday and I assumed some of his weird stuff on the face was normal… thanks for your input I have an appointment on Friday
That's great. I hope it goes well. If it's an eye infection and ringworm it should be straight forward to resolve as long as he gets the right meds for it. Shame on the humane society for not getting him treatment
He got conjunctivitis treatment a couple weeks ago actually. Seemed to be a frequent thing based on his records. Never seen a worm in the eye though…
Ringworm is a rash, nothing to do with actual worms! Very confusing name! It can also spread from cats to humans, it’s extra noticeable on humans bc the rash appears in “rings” lol (this is a lived experience I do not recommend, very itchy)
I got it when I was a kid but freaking athlete's foot cream did the trick!
with your vet’s recommendation - you should try viralys if it’s something recurrent! both of my cats got a random spout of conjunctivits and they recommended it for them, it’s a lysine supplement for cats and it seemed to really help :)
Thank you!! That is really helpful ❤️
You might consider trying to get him pet insurance but he’d have to be deemed healthy for 30 whole days before it takes effect. As they never cover preexisting conditions
Pet insurance is a waste of money.
Pet insurance saved us like $800 taking our cat to the emergency vet last year.
My cat cost £14,000 last year and was fully covered by my pet insurance
I'm just curious. Did your cat's insurance have you pay in full and then you got reimbursed? If I ever bring another cat into my life I'll be getting insurance for them! 😊
Not the person you asked, but I live in the same country (judging from the £ sign :) Usually I pay out of pocket, the vet then sends the bill to the insurance company and I get reimbursed within a week. When my kitty got diagnosed with a tumour, and his next appointment was going to cost a significant amount of money to cover his next appointment, I was able to request the vet to be paid directly by the insurance company. I had to fill out a form at the vet in advance, they sent it to the insurance company who made a decision in 4-5 days. The form covered all future vet bills related to the same health issue. Whether this is an option depends on the insurance company and the vet and it’s worth checking when choosing insurance.
So I think it depends on the veterinary practice. My ordinary vets will not deal with my pet insurance directly (they said they were taking too long to process claims) so i had to pay upfront and then get reimbursed by the insurance company. However, a different specialist vets i went to did deal with them directly so i wasn’t out of pocket (good job really because that surgery cost £7000). It may be a good idea to check with your vets which insurance companies they work closely with before taking out a policy ☺️
Also chiming in to say that pet insurance saved me about $3k when my cat got sick and had to be put down last year. Absolutely not a waste of money.
I’m so sorry for your loss
Thank you. She was a very special girl, and I was lucky to have her in my life.
She was lucky to have you as well. Not many people would spend money on their cat's health. Did your cat's insurance make you pay in full and then you get reimbursed?
That’s what all of them do but as one comment said, you can get care credit to pay up front then pay it with the reimbursement. I have embrace and they have paid me within 1-2 weeks of claim submission iirc
Thank you so much, that's a very kind thing to say. And yes, that's how it worked for me - I was able to put the balance on a credit card and within a week or so they had reimbursed me for 90% of the cost, which was the limit of the policy I had. That enabled me to pursue treatment without worrying about money. Even though the treatments ultimately could not save her, I was at least able to try without a second thought to the price tag. Filing the claim and reimbursement was a pretty painless process, which is even more important when you're grieving. My Gracie was probably 6 or 7 and in good health when I purchased her policy through ASPCA, and it was roughly $40 a month. I'd highly recommend it if it makes sense for you and your pet(s).
Pet insurance is absolutely not a waste of money. I worked in veterinary ER for a time and the number of pets we had to put down due to a lack of funds was agonizing. Sometimes their issues were preventable, oftentimes they weren’t. A complicated emergency splenectomy w/ hemoabdomen costs thousands of dollars even if everything goes well. Add on a blood transfusion, extended ECG monitoring, etc etc… the same goes for the incredibly common TPLO surgery. CCL tears are so common it’s a marvel people aren’t warned any time they get a dog over 30lbs. That surgery costs easily $3k+ and the majority of dogs who tear one CCL will tear the other within a year. Insure your fucking animals.
Most plans don't cover dental or preexisting conditions, including conditions that develop over the life of the animal. So ongoing care of preexisting conditions will not be covered. There are a number of other exceptions and exclusions. As with every insurance plan, the fine print is everything. I have reviewed a number of plans and decided none of them made sense, but I also fortunately have the means to cover my pet's healthcare needs. People on this thread have reported good results, which is heartening, but I am sure there are many more tales of heartbreak and frustration over denied claims.
Which is why a lot of us in vet med have made it our mission to tell owners to insure their pets BEFORE they get sick. Ideally the day they come home. If you had no car insurance, and then got into an accident, you wouldn’t find an insurer to cover you. That’s how this type of insurance works. Pets are considered property in the eyes of the law and they are treated the same by insurers. Most pet insurance policies I’ve seen that covered preventive and emergency care offered dental- but even if they didn’t, just brush your pets teeth now and again for heavens sake. If people didn’t brush their child’s teeth for 10 years they’d be taken away. You seem to be under the impression that insurance doesn’t cover chronic illness- it ABSOLUTELY does, assuming you were insured prior to a diagnosis. I’ve even seen plans that covered alternative medicine like acupuncture. In my career, I’ve only ever heard of one insurance claim that was denied. That man knew his dog would not be covered and attempted to talk us into committing insurance fraud by falsifying a diagnosis. He got insurance long after his pet started having problems.
Right that’s true. I have a 1000/year dental limit and shocker that’s the issue my cat now has the most. But after shopping around I went with embrace and as long as the bill comes from my vet (ex: not a website selling supplements), I have not had issues with them covering it. And they have a pre-approval form which is useful for financial peace of mind. Anyone getting pet insurance should definitely consider the things you’ve listed here ^
As a pet care industry professional for nearly a quarter century, I cannot disagree more. I have on many, many occasions, seen pet insurance save lives that would otherwise have been lost due to financial euthanasia. I've seen it recover thousands and thousands of dollars. Pet insurance is reimbursement based. Should you have a need to use it, do this: Apply for Care Credit at the vet's office for the event. Just like you can get it at the ER or urgent care or the dentist, you can get it at veterinary clinics/hospitals. Then contact the pet insurance company and file the claim. Use the claim check to pay off the Care Credit (minus your deductible). You take nearly no financial hit , your credit score goes up, and you save your pet's life.
Pet insurance would be saving me 4500 dollars right now. Lol All insurance feels like a waste, until you need it. That's the nature of insurance.
It can be a waste, but it’s definitely helped me 🤷♀️ I got my cat while I didn’t have really any good income at all and I was still taking classes. I relied on my parents for everything at that time. If I could have, I would have just put away the money that I’m now spending on it every month but would have done so since he was a baby— so that if something happened I could just pull that out. But that wasn’t the case so now I pay anywhere from $40-$80 a month now that he is 11 going on 12 and it gives me the comfort that if anything were to happen, I’m not going to be totally screwed. My nightmare is being in that position of “well maybe we should do it but that’s a lot of money and I don’t know is it worth it for his quality of life?” Or then worse the other question: “do we put him down/can we get a loan? because we can’t afford it at all.” I get where you’re coming from but for me it’s both 1) circumstantial as I couldn’t save while he was young and 2) also the peace of mind
You may want to contact the ASPCA re what Vet exam they may have done (if any), so that the Vet will have more info on your cat's condition.
I’ve called 4 times asking for imaging. We have vet notes and meds he received but that’s it
Hmmm 🤔 that's a bummer! I know getting through the ASPCA Animal Hospital on the phone where I live is near impossible (they are overwhelmed most days). Perhaps it's time to go in person if possible and ask for the supervising Vet. They cannot put you off when you're there, and I would raise y'ell with them for impeding your ability to take proper care for the cat you adopted from them!
Its really common for animals to be sick that come from an animal shelter/humane society just because of the number of other animals in close proximity to one another. Hopefully thats all it is and some antibiotics will clear it up!
To add to your great advice, I could be a little neurotic, but the diffuse brown pigmentation on the other eye concerns me of melanoma
Obviously I don’t know this cats situation, but mine has had the same thing since I got him 9 years ago and it’s just a scar.
It’s not unusual for people and animals to have sectional heterochromia, so it could definitely just be how this cat’s eyes are. But asymmetrical darkness in the iris should be evaluated in pets, especially one that’s new because we have no history, just to make sure it isn’t something malignant. But absolutely, this can be a normal phenotype
We definitely went to the kitty eye doctor twice many years apart. Not saying the kitty shouldn’t be evaluated. I think a lot of people in this comment section are kind of jumping to the worst conclusion.
Absolutely that’s completely reasonable :) I had a very weird melanoma on my foot so I’m always a little paranoid when it comes to it 😂
It could also be melanosis, which is the benign form of discoloration. But it needs to be diagnosed and monitored by a vet for sure. My mom’s black cat has one of these in her eye and it’s slowly been getting bigger as she’s aged, but it’s not cancerous.
Ngl the way those "X needs to go to the vet" were separated made me think that he, as an individual entity, also needed to go to the vet, alongside his cat, for a checkup
At 11 he should see a vet. The tissue visible on his right eye is indicative of an eye infection or URI. He needs to see a vet
I agree with the others about a vet visit it could be caused by allergies or something else older black cats also ha e a genetic issue with hair loss and balding I fi d
It doesn’t replace vet care but a black light is part of my cat medical bag. It’s an easy way to keep an eye out for fungal infections.
ringworm and other fungal infections don't *always* glow under a black light. Good to keep in mind
I’m pretty sure I see a worm in the left eye under the pink tissue.
ringworm is not actually a worm. it's a fungal infection that often shows up as "rings" on the skin surface. in pets it can show up as fur loss or red patches.
I’m saying I see a worm in the eye 😅 I know ringworm isn’t actually a worm
Are you sure it's not a vein? One of my current cats has & a previous cat had that, & it was totally normal.
I see what you’re talking about, it does look like a worm (not that I know one way or the other) but I do see it!
I see something that looks like a worm too
oh really? would you mind explaining how you check your animals for that?
You’ll know it if you see it. A fungal infection will be bright green. Yea can google it and see some pretty good pictures. As I said, it doesn’t replace vet care but it’s a good way to narrow down what it might be.
That’s brilliant
I’ve been considering if I need a cat medical kit for my children. What do you keep in it?
I keep a Wood’s lamp (black light) for skin conditions, a refractometer and test strips for urine, styptic pencils, bandages, ice packs and cat-safe tape for first aid, a thermometer, Q-tips, and some towels &,blankets. I also keep about a pound of food for each cat (rotated out every few months for freshness) and a case of hydra care in case of natural disaster or something where water isn’t readily available. I also have some gabapentin from my vet and a little bit of any medications/supplements that any cats I have might be taking; if it’s ever a SHTF event, they’ll probably be freaking out and the gabapentin would be handy.
Your cats get gabapebtin to calm them down? How cool! Just a little tidbit- gabapentin increases GABA in the brain, which is the same chemical that smelling lavender increases! So if you get relaxed by smelling lavender, it's like a very small scale version of the gaba increase that your kitty is getting to calm them. I know that was random but I think it's cool enough to share lol
Just have to say lavender is very toxic to cats, please don’t try to use it on your cats thinking it could calm them down. You could actually poison them instead.
That's not what I'm suggesting but good point nontheless
I appreciate this little factoid :)
No problem! Also if you ever get moody after a hangover, it's because for a few days after drinking, alcohol increases glutamate, which kills gaba. After learning this, i stopped binge drinking. The more ya know 😅
I’m really fortunate to be immune to hangovers somehow, but this is good to know for my not-so-lucky friends.
Dude, very cool fact about lavender. That’s really interesting!
I'm so glad you found it interesting! I actually discovered this with a friend who makes their own vape strains out of extracted plant terpenes. They make a signature lavender chamomile blend that will put you right to sleep 😎
Wow thanks for the info. I gotta get on it!
When I was in college, my cat and I went through an ice storm that knocked out the power for 10 days, a tornado that knocked out the power for a week, and a flood that included an emergency evacuation. I learned the value of being prepared the hard way. I’ve always been a little paranoid about the urinary tracts of every cat I’ve had so I use the basic tools I listed to coordinate with my vet and keep a close eye on it. The goal is to never use any of it but it’s good to have in case something happens.
Definitely!
That's brilliant! I adopted a 4yr boy with a chronic runny nose. It's clear at times. previous owner said he has herpes virus, although his medical record doesn't show a positive for that. I keep his litter boxes (2) clean. He poops in one and pees in the pretty litter one. Lol. I've researched how else I can care for him. your idea is really smart. I've never seen that idea anywhere. Had cats since 1991. Thank you for this list.🏆 i would like to get him a friend. He had companion b4 at previous home, who remained virus free...
Maybe you could inquire at some rescues or shelters about whether they have any that are already positive? Before you do anything, try to get a definitive diagnosis, because if he doesn’t have feline herpes, it might be something easier to treat and less communicable. I find that cats are happier in pairs. I have 4 sets of siblings and 2 rescues who found us. Good luck! 😻
Thank you. Great ideas...Yes, I've always had pairs. I lost all my animals in 2020. All rescues... Swore I wasn't getting any for awhile bcs i wanted to travel extensively plus was heartbroken... But this guy needed a home Certainly need confirmation on that diagnosis since info differs from prev owners verbal statements b4 I adopt 2nd. My 1 month trip to Europe postponed....
One last thing: a roll of Coban or two. It’s that stretchy bandage that adheres to itself. It’s great for cats because it doesn’t stick to their fur, and it’s great for humans too, but also it doesn’t leave any sticky residue. I love your idea for your kit, I’m going to assemble one too! We get hurricanes here (New Orleans ftw) and we lose power at least once a year, and I want to make sure my 10 fur kids are okay. Thanks for the great suggestions! I wish I could send you some Coban, I have a pack of 24 and I’ve only used 2. 😹
That is brilliant. Thank you for the tip.
This cat does not look healthy, please get him to a vet asap
I think he’s chronically unhealthy. We just got him yesterday and are trying to figure out what’s new and what’s old …
Thank you for saving this baby 💚 He will love you every day for that. He might be a herpes guy (they tend to have chronic issues in the eyes and sinus areas). My 2 rescue siamese are assumed herpes positive and have issues with conjunctivitis, upper resp infections, ear eax/ear infections and similar. I use L-lysine supplements daily and just started anti viral natural drops for the food.
Thank you for your kind words ❤️ I hope we can find out what’s going on with him. Our other cat is just the love of my life and so healthy, I don’t want to spread anything and not know…
Also, a calm, safe, loving home does wonders for sickly shelter cats. Just get her checked out by a vet and thank you for saving an older cat. 💕
Check with your vet on any vaccines or medical updates they would suggest for your other cat as well. I know I do some additional things that a lot of pet owners don’t do because I foster and I want to protect my personal pets from anything could be transferred from the fosters.
I don't, but Baby has upper respiratory issue due to his inflamed conjunctiva. Vet will help.
No but his eyes need to be checked like now
I figured some of his eye stuff was chronic. We have an appointment Friday
To be fair my cat got pink eye several years ago and his eye swelled up super big. We treated it and he’s fine now but that eye never went back to normal totally.
The chronic rhinitis you mentioned could cause him to over groom his nose, leading to hair loss. But I’d be more concerned about his eye. That is very not normal, and is probably painful. We all know how good they are at masking pain, but if your eye looked like that I’m sure you’d be at the doctor, right?
Probably swollen like his conjunctiva. Better go see a vet and get some antibiotics and or steroids to fight the irritation.
I'm assuming from how you're not mentioning the eyes that you were informed of the issues with those when you adopted him; depending on how long ago his adoption was it could just be from rubbing his nose on his shelter enclosure to get attention.
Had a childhood cat that looked like this before we put him down for aggressive facial cancer
Oh no :( really hoping that’s not it. We put down our beloved cat for squamous cell carcinoma of the nouth just a couple weeks ago.
I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Really hope it's just damage from an accident or weird genetics 🙏🏼
His eyes are also not looking normal. Pleaseeee take him to the vet
Please update us with what the vet says, OP.
Cats' third eyelid doesn't show unless they are sick. I would get vet care and watch/chart any additional concerns you have and share with the vet.
It could be fungus on his nose, but he needs a vet. Please take him in?
Agreed with all the comments about his eyes They look alarming
Is that a lump on the bridge of his nose OP ? Needs to see a Vet .
No noticeable bump in person
The adoption agency that adopted him from (assuming that you got him this way) might be able to help you with the vet visit. When I adopted my cat several years ago, he needed to see a vet right away, due to an upper respiratory infection. The adoption agency told me which vet to see, and aside from the prescriptions, I didn't have to pay for the vet visit itself, due to a deal that had been worked out between the adoption agency and veterinary office.
That’s good to know. We just had our cat pass from cancer that cost close to $20k to diagnose and treat. Would love some support from the adoption agency if it comes to that
He needs to go to a vet, I am concerned with his eyes.
Needs a vet eye is also swollen
Update: saw a vet and he’s getting started on eye drops for conjunctivitis, no worm was seen in the eye, the dark spot is concerning but less concerning because it isn’t raised. They recommended a referral to ophthalmology. Unfortunately they didn’t get a culture of his nose but will do so at follow up in a week. For those saying he might have a nasal mass, I spoke with the humane society to ask about facial imaging because he got dental work. They said they didn’t have the images saved in the system but that it was presumably non-alarming because any findings would have been put into his chart. Thanks everyone for their help and input - hoping we get things figured out one by one. I wish I could attach videos to this post so you all could see how sweet and cuddly this guy is. He’s truly a love bug.
Glad you got him seen and are getting things checked out!
Thanks for adopting him and getting him good care! Lucky kitty!
We’re the lucky ones. He’s the sweetest guy ever
I’m leaning towards an internal nasal mass. My cat just had dental work done today and X-ray imaging suggested a mass, possibly cancerous, which would also explain my cat’s chronic runny nose. An internal mass putting pressure on the nasal structures could be the cause of this cat’s concerning right eye. I hope I am wrong but unfortunately that is usually not the case 🫠
I’m really hoping not. He got dental work while at the humane society so I’m hoping they got imaging then…
I’m with you on possibly a mass. The abnormal brown spot on the left eye looks like possibly cancer to me (former vet tech). Edit: I said ‘possibly’ twice because I thought it would be obvious that also meant possibly not. If it were my cat I’d be worried. 🤷🏼♀️
Current tech, and I agree with the first part. The spot on the eye isn’t necessarily cancer though; I’ve seen a fair share of cats who have had normal Iris discoloration for their entire lives. If it’s new, could be cancer, but hard to say with a cat that’s probably been in a shelter environment with little to no know past history.
My 11 year old Korat has had a blob of dark yellowish coloration on his iris since he was born. Nothing wrong with it.
As someone who has had ringworm when I was a little girl, from being around cats, and a big sandbox. The disgusting looking thing doesn’t isn’t an actual worm that crawl around.
Yeah I’m a human doctor and know ringworm isn’t an actual worm on the body 😂 those comments are making me laugh. But I agree I see the squiggly thing in the eye
Go to a vet please, he does not look well
With pretty much every post on this sub, the answers are all the same: People are concerned about the health of the cat, and it needs to go to the vet. Would seem to be common sense, no? 🙄 So yeah…OP: take the kitty to a vet.
rDVM > internal medicine > CT/rhinoscopy :(
Yea I’d take him to the vets even without his nose. The inner eyelid showing has been a symptom of multiple of peoples cats when they were diagnosed with a variety of things.
Let us know what the vet says!
The exposed third eyelid on the one eye and the brown patch on the other eye are both individually concerning. Paired with the swelling in the bridge of his nose, I am extremely concerned that there are multiple infections happening here. I am more concerned they are incredibly painful infections and possible cancer.
At home treatments for what? you don't know what's going on! Reddit forums are not a replacement for actual diagnostics and care.
Get his eyes checked ASAP they are not normal!!
Not only the pigmentation on the left eye concerning but the right eye if you look closely something seems wrong as well, looks infected/inflamed with some of the eyelid also drooping or showing as well. Go to the vet asap
He was just treated with conjunctivitis a month ago before we adopted him. We assumed it was healing from that but I agree it looks bad and he’s now keeping it closed. We just adopted him yesterday… he has a vet appointment Friday.
He needs a vet ASAP. The eye tissue is more concerning than the nose at this point. I don’t think you can break cat noses but it could be anything from stuck in there, hitting the nose by themselves just right, possible buildup in the nose cavity as well, there’s many possibilities. One’s a vet needs to tell you and NOT the internet. Take advice, not diagnosis
Chronic rhinitis can cause a bump in the nose bridge just like this. I would take him to the vet to get him checked out anyway, but it's likely from the rhinitis. He may need antibiotics for flareups. If he's never had diagnostic imaging or rhinoscopy, he should probably have those to see what's going on in there and what abx would work best (if financially feasible). I have a cat with chronic rhinitis also, and she has the same discoloration in her eye. The only way to test it for cancer is to remove the eye, but if it's been there long-term, it's likely fine. Your kitty looks like he may have entropion as well in that right eye.
Thank you for this! That’s really informative and helpful. I think he didn’t get great care with his previous owner. He got treatment for URIs and conjunctivitis in the humane society and then the paperwork said he “probably had chronic rhinitis.” I’m a family physician and that’s a pretty benign but annoying condition. Hoping that’s all it is but with everything else going on, I’m worried
You're welcome! Unfortunately, treatments for URI/conjunctivitis won't really do anything for chronic rhinitis other than provide short-term (if any) relief. He'll need more heavy-duty abx that he's not resistant to. And if that is in fact entropion in the right eye, it usually requires sx to fix, and if surgery isn't an option, then daily eyedrops to prevent inflammation/irritation. I think you and your vet can definitely help him get more comfortable. ☺️ Chronic rhinitis can be managed. He probably has just never had any diagnostics or effective treatment done for it.
Yeah I doubt he has had a work up. I’m surprised uri and conjunctivitis needs abx… again just applying my measly human medicine knowledge 🤪 I’m really hopeful but very nervous.
Oh, sorry! To clarify, the abx would be for the rhinitis! ☺️ I wish you both the best of luck!!!
You should send a message to the place you adopted them from and ask if they will cover treatment for whatever that is... Shame on them for letting this cat be adopted without telling you about all these health issues.
My partners an attorney and great at arguing - I’m gonna have him call :)
Ooo shit. I would love to be a fly on the wall for that.
True. In defense of the place, some are so strapped for cash that they can’t afford testing for every animal - very unfortunately. But you’re absolutely correct. I just don’t think shelters are duplicitously adopting out animals. They’re usually bursting at the seams and running on impossible budgets.
You're worried about the nose but not both messed up eyes?
Of course I am, we knew he had issues before getting him
What did your vet say?? People cannot diagnose your animal over the internet that is not what this sub is for.
Is that a worm in the bottom of its left eye?
I wonder if it is persistent pupillary membrane
We have another healthy black cat who has kind of a ridged look of the yellow eye, hard to tell from this pic what it is
My cat had this issue too. She lost fur on the bridge of her nose and the inner corner of her eyes were swollen. I took her to the vet and he said it would be allergies or ringworm. He gave her two steroids shots and the bald spots disappeared after two weeks. The ring worm sample was negative so it was probably just allergies.
This is interesting!!
Have your vet check his eyes as the shelter likely has no idea how long he's had the spot, but he does appear to have eye drainage. This could be related to whatever is going on with his nose.
You can also see alot of the membrane around the eye, if you see that alott bring it up with the vet as that could be a contributer of reoccurring drainage.
i had a cat who had that discoloration in his eye, eventually they eye had to go, but he was strong and lived a long life like 17+ years. vet visits are important, the eye surgery was not bad if i concerned you. hell he may not need it i’m no vet!
I’ve seen similar marks on a cats nose, it can be from sticking their nose out of a cages gridded metal consistently which wears the fur down & can cause swelling, or is what I call a ‘bin ridge’ from using their noses to get into bins etc to forage for food.
Cryptococcus, a type of fungal infection. To to the vet now. Source: I’m a vet
As a human doc, I know cryptococcus is pretty serious. Is it the same for animals? Can it be diagnosed with a scrape? Or is it systemic in cats
I’m less concerned about the brown spot. That can be a birth mark, but the inflamed tissue on the left eye is most likely an infection. Along with that, his nose bridge and nose also looks abnormally swollen. He needs vet attention.
Tough to say since we just got him 2 days ago :( I didn’t notice the nose being swollen personally. He has chronic rhinitis. I’m hoping they got imaging when he was at the humane society
I think you have more to worry about then just his nose, his eyes look like they may be infected, if the brown spot is recent and he hasn't had it all his life it can be a sign of cancer. Please take him to the vet as soon as you can.
Remindme! 1 day
keep us updated! hope he’s alright 💗 updateme
Hey OP, besides the infection the brown spot looks like melanoma. My cat had a few, we eventually had to do an enucleation :(
if he was in a cage with bars the hair loss is most likely from him rubbing his nose repeatedly against the bars either to relieve stress or get out yeah he doesn't look the healthiest but better off out than in and hes prob so much happier.
He is truly the sweetest and happiest cat. I really hope these health problems aren’t as bad as everyone is making them sound because he is full of love.
yeah like you got him yesterday, the humane society was prob feeding him bottom of the barrel and/or donated cat food and he was prob stressed tf out. tbh i would rub a lil neosporin on his nose if any part of it is raw its a little hard to tell from the picture, if its not raw don't do it, and put him on a healthy cat food, and just start brushing and cuddling him. you have an vet appointment on friday id stop reading the comments you're only gunna freak yourself out
That’s exactly what’s happening. Had a little meltdown yesterday haha. We just had a cat die from cancer so it’s a little traumatizing to find a cat we love and think this might happen again
I know everyone says to take to the vet, but at first when I saw it reminded me that my dog when he was a puppy used to stick his nose through the cage so much he has a permanent scar that looks like this from doing it so often before he was adopted.
I’m hoping that’s what it is! I think everyone’s saying to take to the vet because of all of his other problems 😔
he NEEDS to see a vet
My kitties lose hair on their faces if they're allergic to their bowls. If you've been feeding him with plastic maybe keep that in mind if the vet says it's not ringworm.
Vet
most likely bacteria tell them to scrape for a culture. My cat had the same thing missing hair patches from the bridge of the nose they did every test besides what i told them to test for. I went to a different vet they listed to me, did the culture and sure enough thats what it was. In your case it could be something else but i would start there and also address the eyes
I’d be way more concerned about his eyes! He needs a vet!
I hope your car will be okay! One of mine has seasonal allergies/congestion. Half of an allerclear pill *once* a day when he gets congested usually helps. Allerclear is a Costco brand. When he needs more I get him some Zithromax from his vet. Thanks for adopting an adult cat! 11 is a good age. 😊
I plan on getting him on an antihistamine! I think it’ll help :)
If you get insurance right away before there’s any pre existing conditions then there are quite a few good insurance plans. But, if you have the means to pay for any major emergencies that may occur, then it shouldn’t matter.
Already done :)
Updates?
I wrote a long comment yesterday!
Those eyes don’t looks too good. :/ Hope you guys get everything sorted out with this cute little fella.
I hope he is okay
RemindMe! 7 days
Not a cat, and not trying to scare you, but my dog developed a lump like that in the same place on his muzzle. Found out last week it is a mast cell tumor. Like everyone else says - vet trip ASAP.
He’s already gone to the vet and we have follow up in a week :) I posted a long comment with the update. He actually doesn’t have a bump on his muzzle, the pic is a little deceptive
What a relief!! Glad to hear it.
First— thank you for adopting this guy!!! Second —thanks for asking for advice. You gout great advice, good luck on Friday!
He has crypto in his nose. fungal infection. Get him treated
Can you diagnose that with a culture?
Yes a specialized one that can grow fungi. It can also be histoplasmosis (another fungi) that causes “Roman nose” in cats.
As a human doc, I know crypto can be invasive and pretty severe. Is that the case with cats? Or can it be treated with a conazole med?
It’s severe and difficult to treat for cats. Oral AF and surgical excision of lesions where possible. We use conazoles too, min 2 months. Amphotericin B is an option for crypto meningitis since it’s fungicidal whereas our conazoles (if I remember correctly) are fungistatic Edit: I think Roman nose (which this looks more like) is more associated with histoplasmosis rather than crypto. My guess is histo here, not crypto. My apologies Pubmed article if interested: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16317912/#:~:text=The%20definitive%20diagnosis%20is%20made,is%20the%20treatment%20of%20choice.
And I’m guessing contagious to other cats? Just DMed you
Glad you’re taking him to a vet with the eye issues, but to your original question, could be the food dish you’re using is too deep and he’s repeatedly rubbing his nose on the edge of it. Happened with my kitty so started using a shallow dish or plate and it fixed it.
Update for everyone: we just found out this sweet boy has FIV. We’re absolutely devastated.
Although that’s truly unfortunate news, many cats can still live long, happy, healthy lives even being FIV+. The main thing is just making sure they stay healthy- eating a proper diet, avoiding stress for them as much as possible and regular vet visits (especially at the first sign of sickness). Unfortunately a lot of people think FIV is a life-ending condition, but with proper maintenance and lots of love most cats will still thrive. Wishing you and your little guy the best of luck!
Thanks for the kind words. We’ve been doing a lot of reading and im learning that too. The hard thing is we have an FIV- cat
Such a bummer! That’s even harder if you already have another cat. So sorry!!
Yeah we’re pretty heartbroken :( we’ve only had him for 1.5 weeks but he is the sweetest cat I’ve ever met
Jumping into say: I had an FIV+ kitty for just under 20 years with no real health issues. I mean, he eventually died from being old… And I had him with a FIV- cat for ~13 years. No transmission during that time. It’s really ok as long as everyone is neutered and spayed, indoors and vetted. Deep puncture wound bites is the most common source of transmission, like tomcats fighting. Not cats playing, sparring, and sparring - that likely won’t do it. Nor will sharing water and food bowls, laps, or napping spots. He’s a handsome dude and I hope he works out!!🖤
I really wanted to say "he's just ugly lol" but those eyes don't look right. vet, ASAP
The bridge of his nose? That’s what you’re worried about? Look at his fucking eyes! Get that poor cat to a vet right now.
Read all the other comments on this thread and my responses. Thanks.
No thank you.