Bleeding Nipple in Male Cat (warning: photos)

[goholistic]

This could probably be posted in Cat Health, Behavior, or Care & Grooming, but since there is blood involved, I chose Cat Health.

For those of you who have been following Sebastian's many medical ailments, I fear your reaction will be, "OMG...what now?!" 

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• goholistic
• Sep 26, 2013

This is the nipple after I dried to clean it a little. Because the blood was so thick and crusty, it was difficult to get off and I didn't want to irritate it more, so I left it. I can't really tell where the blood is coming from. The hair on his abdomen is growing back which makes it hard for me to see.

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• goholistic
• Sep 26, 2013

Feeling stressed...I may need to take some of Caesar's l-theanine. 

 

[mservant]

No wonder you're stressed. I panic even if I think I feel one of Mouse's nipples and think it might be a little swollen or different to the others, or if it might be a 'skin tag', don't know why but I do.  

It is strange that it's been irritated on and off since it was clipped when they shaved him for the ultrasound. Had anyone noticed it, or been asked about it when he's been along for the more recent ultrasound or the Xrays?  

If you don't think there's any infection there I guess you could try giving him a little belly wrap with a bandage or something to stop him getting at it over the next 12 - 24 hours and see how it looks once it's had a chance to heal a bit.  If you want to stop the worrying, then unless it looks like it's healing really well and it settles after keeping it protected for a few days, I'd probably go for the checking with the vets.  - mostly because it seems that area of skin seems to have been bothering him for quite a few months. It could be lots of things I guess, may be he's just got in to a cycle of scratching and irritating that bit of skin a bit like people do with eczema, but without the vet seeing it and possibly doing some basic tests you won't know and will keep thinking the worst (like most of us do).

and    

  he's just got in to the habit of scratching and biting a bit and the skin's got in to a cycle of irritation that just needs to be broken. 

 

[vball91]

Oh poor Sebastian. I don't have any advice to offer. Just mega

for him and

 for you. I can only imagine how worried you must be with everything going on with him.

 

[goholistic]

Thanks!  When he had the most recent x-ray earlier this month, I didn't ask about it because it had almost healed and I thought we were done with this issue. But here we are again. No one has ever mentioned it to me as something that may have been seen on the ultrasound or x-rays, so I guess they didn't see anything.

I actually have copies of these x-rays images, so I looked at them myself this morning. Of course, I'm not a vet so I really don't know what I'm looking at, but I didn't see any masses near where this nipple would be. A mass would be kind of white-colored, right? I did call the vet today; spoke to the receptionist who would pass along my message to the doc. I offered to email the pics.

He doesn't like to be handled all that much. He's been very good for me for pilling, but he does not like me looking at and messing with his belly. The only way for me to get to this nipple effectively is to hold him on his back like a baby, and a lot of cats don't like that, including Sebastian. He doesn't even like to be picked up. He starts "swimming." 

 

[mservant]

 
................ he does not like me looking at and messing with his belly. The only way for me to get to this nipple effectively is to hold him on his back like a baby, and a lot of cats don't like that, including Sebastian. He doesn't even like to be picked up. He starts "swimming." 

  Life is very different in this house.  Mouse likes nothing better than to lay on his back - on the floor, on a chair, or in my arms, and have his belly rubbed for ages and ages. First thing he does in the morning when he sees me look out over the bed covers to find out which spot on the bed he's curled up on is to unroll his body and stretch out for his cozy belly fluff to be mussed up!  He gradually stretches right out with front and back legs extended so he can get maximum pampering including his throat.  

  Regular examination of boy-cat nipples possible here.  

Rest assured, he is very good at generating worries and vet bills in his own special ways.... 

 

[peaches08]

I have no advice on what kind of lesion this is, but 0.9% normal saline is a good thing to put on it. Many vibes that it is nothing serious!

 

[goholistic]

 
Regular examination of boy-cat nipples possible here.  

That's funny. 

Well, actually, Sebastian likes his belly rubbed, but on HIS accord. If he turns over on his back and puts his belly in the air for me, then I know he wants me to rub it and he enjoys it thoroughly. But it's like he can tell the difference between being nice and being nurse. 

  He more conscious of when I'm ready to stick him with a needle or shove a pill down his throat...rightfully so.

And thanks, vball91 and peaches08. I hope it's nothing serious. You know, I don't worry just to worry. I'm a very logical person, and I only worry when clearly there's an issue. It just seems to be one thing after another with Sebastian.

I haven't left work, yet. I'll be heading home soon to "inspect." I really hope he left it alone today! 

 

[goholistic]

Came home from work last night and the nipple looked a little crusty again, but not quite as bad. I dabbed it gently with a soft cotton ball dipped in saline to keep it clean. Then out of nowhere, it just starting bleeding really bad! 

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• goholistic
• Sep 27, 2013

 

[mservant]

Poor Sebastian, he really is having a hard time of it. 

  Do any of his other conditions / medications reduce his blood clotting?  It must have given you an awful fright when it would't stop, and him panicking at being held while you tried to sort it out would be even harder.  I hope it has dried up and he's not managed to catch himself on anything to set things off again.  He definitely looks nonplussed about that lovely collar of his but I guess that should give you a chance to see it if starts to heal if he can't get at it, or if it changes at all in other ways.   

 it now starts to heal and no other sign of swelling of unusual skin.  

  Thinking of you. Hope you have  a more peaceful 24 hours to come.  

 

[goholistic]

 
Poor Sebastian, he really is having a hard time of it. 

  Do any of his other conditions / medications reduce his blood clotting?  It must have given you an awful fright when it would't stop, and him panicking at being held while you tried to sort it out would be even harder.  I hope it has dried up and he's not managed to catch himself on anything to set things off again.  He definitely looks nonplussed about that lovely collar of his but I guess that should give you a chance to see it if starts to heal if he can't get at it, or if it changes at all in other ways.   

 it now starts to heal and no other sign of swelling of unusual skin.  

  Thinking of you. Hope you have  a more peaceful 24 hours to come.  

Yeh, I know. And he's such a sweet cat. He's a "gentle giant" and wants nothing more than to be loved and given attention. 

  I never considered his medications causing issues with blood clotting. The only prescriptions he's on right now are prednisolone and B12 shots. I don't know if pred causes a reduction in clotting. I'll have to look it up.

Well, I didn't panic when it starting bleeding pretty bad. I just said "crap" out loud; I didn't want to do or say anything to upset Sebastian. He seems to have left it alone since I put the collar on, but I will probably have to leave the collar on for a few days until it completely scabs over. I'm concerned about an infection at this point.

He actually doesn't seem to mind the collar, but gets depressed when he can't groom or clean his face. He had trouble walking up the steps last night because the collar kept getting in the way. I had to pop the collar forward to clear it away from his feet.  LOL.  Also, I almost forgot to take the hoods off the litter boxes!!!  I heard all this shuffling around, and he was trying to get through the hole with his collar on.  Whoops! 

 

[mservant]

 
.............. I almost forgot to take the hoods off the litter boxes!!!  I heard all this shuffling around, and he was trying to get through the hole with his collar on.  Whoops! 

  Please give my apologies to Sebastian, I had to laugh! 

 

[goholistic]

 
  Please give my apologies to Sebastian, I had to laugh! 

I laughed, too! He was all stressed, but mommy came to the rescue. 

 

[goholistic]

I still don't know what the heck he did to his frickin' nipple, but it's slowly healing. He still has the soft collar on.  

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• goholistic
• Sep 30, 2013

Saturday, 9/28:

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• goholistic
• Sep 30, 2013

His fur is all wet because I had just finished dabbing it with saline. I really don't want to take the collar off until it is completely healed, or else I may be back at square one. It's still a little swollen. I'm hoping it only needs a couple more days! 

 

[mservant]

Here and caring!  It looks much better!  

  I hope he doesn't still look as grumpy as in that photo with the blue collar on!  You have to feel sorry for him though.  Once it has healed could you use a little cloth/bandage vest if it looks like he's starting to bother with it again to try and stop him breaking the skin down?  He might not hate it quite so much as a collar???  Here's hoping this is it healing up and staying that way! 

 

 

[goholistic]

LOL....thanks for caring. 

  It is a very odd body part to discuss. 

 

  But yes, every night during the "inspection," I notice it seems to be getting a little better each day.

He's gotten more used to the collar, but I do feel sorry for him. I have to help him up the steps because the collar gets in the way. And it takes him a couple tries to step into the litter box (with the lid off!).

I had actually bought sterile gauze to do the "wrap-around," but the nipple is too far down and kind of sits in between his knees, so that didn't work.

 

[angels mommy]

Poor Sebastian. Yea, he does not look happy in that picture. Angel will chew on his along w/ his belly sometimes.  He doesn't do it as much as he used to, but still occasionally will. Never to the point of bleeding like that though.  Usually a spot on his belly that he's been chewing will be pink, irritated, & sometimes include a nipple. There might be a very tiny scab on the tip of it, but that's it.  I think he is just a itchy boy. Despite the fish oil he gets in his food every day, along w/  1/2  of a generic clariton allergy pill at night. (Vet recommended). I was trying to only feed him "cooling foods" as according to Chinese medicine, but w/  having to stay on Rx food from the cystitis last year, I can't control that anymore. (so it could be the chicken (warming) that is what the Purina UR is).  I've gotten to where if I see him grooming & he starts to stay a little too long on the belly, I give him a
"no, no,  no chew the belly"  & he's gotten to where he listens pretty good & will stop. "Usually." If not, I will gently remove his head from the area to redirect him & say another gentle no, no.

I hope Sebastian heals up soon & it's nothing serious. 

Here's a picture of Angel's when it was really bad. Now if it happens it's just one small spot. (thank goodness it's not this bad anymore!)

This was just from chewing. (He's been indoor only for over a year now, & even when he used to go outside he was on Advantage-Multi,, so it was never fleas).

I bought some of the Hydrocortisone spray from Pet meds, but hardly ever could use it, because it wasn't safe if he licked it, & I don't have a collar, so I'd have to make him stay

in the room w/ me (Yea, right!)  so I could watch him. (Also it says not to put on if a wound is open).

Now if I have to put it on him I will dip a Q-tip in it & apply it when he is sleeping belly up. Otherwise the spray scares him.

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• angels mommy
• Sep 30, 2013

 

[ldg]

I completely missed this thread. Poor cone-boy! :rub:

...and because I'm late to the thread, I don't know if it's worth bothering with now or not, but when Carolina's Bugsy had allergy-related grooming sores, her vet recommened a product called Neo-Predef, and it healed the sores up really quickly - so quickly, she didn't need a cone (and he kept biting/scratching them raw). So just information to file away, perhaps.

he won't have that cone on much longer!

 

[goholistic]

 
Poor Sebastian. Yea, he does not look happy in that picture. Angel will chew on his along w/ his belly sometimes.  He doesn't do it as much as he used to, but still occasionally will. Never to the point of bleeding like that though.  Usually a spot on his belly that he's been chewing will be pink, irritated, & sometimes include a nipple. There might be a very tiny scab on the tip of it, but that's it.  I think he is just a itchy boy. Despite the fish oil he gets in his food every day, along w/  1/2  of a generic clariton allergy pill at night. (Vet recommended). I was trying to only feed him "cooling foods" as according to Chinese medicine, but w/  having to stay on Rx food from the cystitis last year, I can't control that anymore. (so it could be the chicken (warming) that is what the Purina UR is).  I've gotten to where if I see him grooming & he starts to stay a little too long on the belly, I give him a
"no, no,  no chew the belly"  & he's gotten to where he listens pretty good & will stop. "Usually." If not, I will gently remove his head from the area to redirect him & say another gentle no, no.

I hope Sebastian heals up soon & it's nothing serious. 

Here's a picture of Angel's when it was really bad. Now if it happens it's just one small spot. (thank goodness it's not this bad anymore!)

This was just from chewing. (He's been indoor only for over a year now, & even when he used to go outside he was on Advantage-Multi,, so it was never fleas).

I bought some of the Hydrocortisone spray from Pet meds, but hardly ever could use it, because it wasn't safe if he licked it, & I don't have a collar, so I'd have to make him stay

in the room w/ me (Yea, right!)  so I could watch him. (Also it says not to put on if a wound is open).

Now if I have to put it on him I will dip a Q-tip in it & apply it when he is sleeping belly up. Otherwise the spray scares him.

Aw....poor Angel! I'm glad it's not this bad anymore! I really don't know what happened with Sebastian. Part of me thinks his back claw caught it. I know this is weird to imagine, but when he sits, he kind of starts out with his back legs tucked under his belly and then he'll kind of "roll" to this side. I've watched him do this several times and noticed that his left back foot is tucked in right where this nipple is. I plan to pick up some nail clippers and trim them up a bit.

 

[goholistic]

 

[ldg]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but it sure looks like it's doing better!

Yeah... given his mouth is full of bacteria, you might want the Neo-Predef, actually. Maybe it's got a mild infection that needs something a little stronger than saline solution. You have any neosporin around, as he can't lick at it now?