My cat suddenly has a dark spot on his nose. Should I worry?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without being able to look at the lesions you describe. However, some cats can develop pigmentation or lack thereof in the nose which could be normal. This is not related to the surgery and it is unlikely to be something to be concerned about. If it does not appear to be a lesion or it does not appear to be bothering Happy, I would just have your veterinarian take a look at it next time Happy is due for an check up. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There may not be anything wrong with Mittens. Some pigment change in early kittenhood is not uncommon. I would mention it to your vet at her next vaccine appointment just to be safe. If, of course, you see anything else like a raw section, bleeding, or change in the texture of the nose, please see your vet sooner. Best wishes to you and Mittens!

Yes, we commonly see what we call Lentigo Simplex in orange cats. This should present as small discrete dark (pigmented) areas which it sounds like what you have seen in Bits. These areas tend to enlarge slightly over time and they tend to develop additional ones as they age. They are benign lesions, but they should always be flat. If Bits develops an area that is raised, it should be evaluated by your veterinarian. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for reaching out! That area does not appear abnormal. It may be that she scuffed a small amount of hair off or had a scab that fell off. The skin looks very normal and healthy. I would just monitor it for changes in color, itchiness, or if it begins to progress and notify your veterinarian if so.

It is pretty normal for a pink nose to change color. As the nose is a part of the body that is hairless and exposed, outside temperature and changes in blood circulation will show up as a color change. Dark pink means there is a lot of blood circulating through the nose, lighter colors mean there is less blood circulating. I would only be concerned if the nose is porcelain white with the gums also being white . This could point to anemia caused by parasites, a bleed or other causes of anemia and would need to be checked out by a veterinarian.

If the skin appears normal and the brown color is just a color change in the fur, it may be a normal part of growing up - I see that George is only a year old. Many cats will have some color changes in their fur as they become adults. If the skin appears sore, red, or otherwise abnormal in this area, then it could be caused by an allergy problem, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or even a tumor such as a squamous cell carcinoma, although this would be somewhat unusual in such a young cat. If you are concerned about the brown area, I would recommend having it checked by a vet when you are able to - he/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to determine if there is any problem.

I would not worry about that at the moment, as sometimes a nose can change color and become dry intermittently even nothing is wrong. However, monitor this condition and watch for sneezing, discharge from the nostrils or eyes. If this occurs, she needs to be examined by a vet as she may have a respiratory condition.