My cat's tail is black, irritated, and has particles. What's wrong?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. From your description, it sounds as though he is dealing with a condition called seborrheic dermatitis. In this condition, there is excessive sebum (the greasy stuff) that accumulates on the skin and hair, leading to inflammation / hair loss. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him so that the most appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment recommendations can be made. I would recommend using a shampoo that contains Benzoyl Peroxide (such as Dermabenz) and bathe him twice weekly until this resolves. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing him allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Even if you have not being able to see fleas, this could still be flea dirt but I agree that it is less likely. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello. I am sorry that Kiki has this rash. It is hard to tell from the photo however there are a few things I would try. Firstly, get a wet paper towel and pick up some of the dots. If they dissolve red then they are flea dirt (flea poop) and the problem is fleas. If they just remain black then they are just dirt present (less likely with an indoor cat). If they don't come off the skin or dissolve then it could be that she has skin allergies, or could be an endocrine disease. At this point I would be checking her bloodwork to see if she has hyperthyroidism. Also, is she excessively chewing or licking, because if she is I would be more suspicious of a skin allergy. This could be flea allergy dermatitis, so you wouldn't see fleas but just one bite could get her. IF you are in a high flea density area you could be bringing some in on your clothes that are biting her. Also, I would have her anal glands checked. I hope this helps, and that she feels better soon. Good luck with Kiki.

Hello! It's hard to say for sure, but generally speaking, I wouldn't be too worried, if the tail isn't sore, or itchy. Shaving was a great idea, for 2 reasons. 1) Because now you can keep an eye on the area to be sure it isn't getting worse and 2) Air can now get at the skin to help it to heal. If the area looks sore, or is itchy, I would suggest having her checked out by your vet. If everything seems pretty comfortable, it would be likely okay for you to keep an eye on this at home. Best of luck with Munchkin!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These look like small nodules. These could be either benign changes such as inflammation or infection or malignant such as tumors. I recommend you have Swiper evaluated by your veterinarian for a test called fine needle aspirate which is an easy, quick and pain-free procedure which in the majority of cases will help reach a diagnosis to identify what the best course of action is based on the findings. In some cases, a biopsy is needed for a diagnosis. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed that it is something benign.

I am quite concerned that the dark blue skin may be well on its way to a black color. Black colored skin is generally an indication that the skin has died. It is possible that some of the surrounding areas can die off as well, so I would make sure that the affected area is examined and trimmed away. An oral or injectable antibiotic would probably be very beneficial in this case to prevent further harm. Something else like an e-collar plus a steroid/antihistamine would help address some of the itchiness that Sunny is experiencing. If she continues to aggravate the lesion, the healing process can be slowed considerably or stopped entirely. Hope this helps.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be fleas, infection or mites.

First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation.

 If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy.

 Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). 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.