My outdoor cat has a hot spot & nose discoloration. OTC remedies?

Thank you for your question about Oliver. I doubt it's a hot spot as you mentioned he has had it for some time. Some things like mite infections, on going allergies or even something like a eosinophilic granuloma can all have this type of appearance and history. While you can try an at home treatment, it may not work as certain conditions need medications in order to clear. If you want to try anything at home, you first need to protect the area from trauma (Oliver's tongue is very rough) by making Oliver wear and elizabethan collar at all times. Try to wash the area daily with an antibacterial hand soap (rinse it well) as long as Oliver tolerates it. Cats can strike out when they are stressed so make sure to not get bitten or scratched. Alternatively, you can get some pet cleansing wipes and clean the area daily. You can apply a small amount of coconut oil and rub it well into the skin-make sure Oliver does not lick at it. Coconut oil has some antibacterial proprieties and conditions the skin. This may help the wound to heal a little faster. If this does not help within a week, I recommend to take Oliver in to see his veterinarian. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any further questions!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While I agree with your veterinarian that this can be due to an infection. However, I think a fungal infection like cryptococcus seems more likely and that would only respond to anti-fungal therapy. Another possibility is cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma. I recommend you consider having him reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. May be a biopsy could be done at this time since it has not improved. Good luck and have a great day!

A check up, appropriate disinfection and eventually antibiotics are ideally needed to solve the problem. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor guy. This is what we call a "hot spot". This is an infection of the skin usually caused by some kind of trauma to the skin. You can try cleaning this with Betadine diluted 50:50 to help antiseptically clean the area. THen apply a "hot spot spray" from your local pet store. It must be labeeld safe for cats, since they do tend to lick and groom themselves often. IF this does not improve within 2-3 days however, I would suggest taking Anbuis to your vet for stronger antibiotics to help this clear up. Best of luck and I hope that Anubis's wound heals soon!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like a wound or chemical / thermal burn to the nose. If Binx lets you clean the nose with antiseptic solution, you should do it every 8-12hrs. Please, take Binx to your local vets tomorrow as he may need treatment with a course of anti-inflammatory medications.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly an infection. However, this is a somewhat common location for a tumor in cats as well. I still think that a focal infection or traumatic lesion is more likely. You can use a topical medication like Douxo 3% PS pads which you may find online. You can apply this to the affected area twice daily for 2 weeks. If this does not resolve or appears to be progressing, have Lovey evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is very mild and probably does not require any further therapy. Keep a close eye on it and if it does not improve in the next week or so, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment though that is unlikely to be needed. Good luck and have a good night!