What's causing my senior cat's scabby fur loss on her nose?

Dark scabby areas on the head and necks of cats are often attributable to a complex known as eosinophilic plaques. Many are allergic in origin, and respond to a change in diet (hypoallergenic diets such as those made with "novel" protein and carbohydrate sources or hydrolyzed diets such as Hill's z/d) and treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Some studies also point to a tie-in with feline herpes virus. Diagnosis is made via biopsy. These lesions can occur on the lips, inside the mouth, just about anywhere on the head or on the pads of the feet. I've also seen them on the abdomen. Again, it's really important to get a biopsy done, because the appearance can mimic some cancers (squamous cell carcinoma) and also some fungal diseases that are quite serious.

This can be seen in a few different cases, but I always worry about skin cancer in white cats, so it's best to have it checked out by your veterinarian. I have seen similar lesions when they rub their nose on something, or with certain infections, so I would not be too worried; just have it checked to be safe. It's not an emergency, but good to have her seen in the next week to ensure treatment is initiated early if it's something serious. For now, I do not recommend doing any sort of treatment at home. It's best to leave it alone until a vet can have a look. Here is a link with more information about skin cancer in cats: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/skin-squamous-cell-carcinoma-in-cats I hope that helps and all is well with Lily.

The scabs on Moonbeams' nose could be small wounds, or could be from something like allergies. If the scabs are on the pink part of her nose and if they appear ulcerative at all they could be a sign of squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that is more common in areas exposed to the sun. I would guess the black area near her mouth is normal pigment which sometimes forms as cats get older. I would recommend having Moonbeam examined by your veterinarian for a diagnosis.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It is difficult to say from the pictures but because it is black and is on an area where there is not much hair, I am concerned it could be a melanoma, which is a type of cancerous tumor. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine this and consider further testing on this to ensure it is nothing to be worried about. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

A picture of the skin would help a lot here to help classify what this likely is. With your description however, it sounds likely that this may be either a bacterial or fungal infection. Bacterial infections are often caused by a wound on the skin that didn't heal properly. I would have your vet take a look at the area or repost with an actual picture so that we can give you more advice on treatment. However, this likely will require oral medication due to its location and the tendency for cats to lick in this area. I hope that your furry friends skin heals well soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hello, as you may now cancer can only be diagnosed by looking at the cells of the area in question. Certainly, we can get a suspicion for cancer by assessing the gross appearance of the area in question. This means that although looking at Blue's nose I don't think it looks very aggressive to be considered a cancer, we are unable to tell unless we sample that area. Cats can get pigmentation changes with age, so this may very well be a normal change associated with his age and nothing you need to be concerned with. I would recommend monitoring the area for progression of this pigmentation change or any evidence of mass, ulcer, or thickening of the nose which would be more concerning for a cancer. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It is difficult to diagnose without actually seeing the lesion but it could be an infection or possibly a squamous cell carcinoma which is more common in white cats. If your vet is not able to diagnose then you should find another vet in your area that can examine your cat.