My cat's nose looks infected. When should I take them to the vet?

Poor, Tommy. His nose looks very painful! There can be many potential causes for this, including fungal infection, bacterial infection, mites, contact allergy, autoimmune disease, or cancer. I recommend that he see a vet as soon as possible. The vet may recommend diagnostics like cytology to look at cells under the microscope, or cultures to figure out what could be growing there. Medications may be prescribed, like antibiotics, anti-fungals, or ant-inflammatories.

It may be Leonidas has an infection on his nose causing this skin issue. I would not be worried but it should be checked up by a vet. I would have him seen by a vet on Monday to have this diagnosed and treated. I hope this helps!

Green mucous is a sign of infection. Poor Zena. She may be showing early signs of an upper respiratory infection (URI). If that is the case you may be able to stop things from getting too bad if you act early. Other possible causes are a fungal infection or parasite problem (not as common). Most cats URI's are initially caused by a viral infection that later on turns into a secondary bacterial infection. To help boost Zenas immune system you can give her over the counter Lysine (antiviral medicine) from your local pet store. Then visit your local vet to get her examined and treated (i.e. Antibiotics) if the green mucous continues or if Zena starts sneezing, coughing or having difficulty breathing. Hopefully this is a mild URI and nothing more.

HI and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to see that Zeus is having a problem. The light haired area between the eye and ear is completely normal and is more noticeable on certain cats. The nose is a different story. It appears that there might be some type of infection or dermatitis there caused by many things including irritation, trauma, bacteria, viruses, nutritional, UV exposure, etc. You should have a veterinarian evaluate this so that treatment can be started after a good history and physical exam. Good luck with Zeus.

Thank you for the pictures, they are very helpful. Poor Vivaldi, this could be a skin infection causing the inflammation and he may have a scab there from rubbing his nose on things. You are right, you do need to contact your vet to make him an appointment to get this diagnosed and treated. You can give his vet a call in the morning. I hope this helps!

It's probably an eye infection, it is very common in young cats. you will need to take Zeus to the vet ASAP in order to get the eyes checked, he will probably need antibiotic eye drops in order to solve this problem.

It does look like a fungal infection but the location is not good for a cream (he will lick it instantly), i recommend that you take Arthur to the vet in order to get it checked, this is best treated with oral antifungal medication (prescription only).