How do I clean his nose? (Caution: Close up of a raw, bloody nose)

On Friday I noticed that Capones nose looked a little odd. I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t think much of it though at the time. The next morning it was very noticeable and I asked my boyfriend to take a look with me (Hes a squirmer) we saw that it was bloody, scabbed up and it had swollen up three times the size. Being that we noticed this Sat night, and knowing the vet was not open on Sunday we decided to wait it out until today and see what happened.

I called first thing this morning and could only get an appointment tomorrow late afternoon. However, his nose has either gotten better or worse… This morning it looked like it was infected, so we dabbed it with some hibitain (not sure of spelling) the cloth came away red and yellow. Today at lunch when we got home there was blood on the floor along with a chunk of something (scab, Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] assuming) now his nose looks raw and bloody...but not yellowish.

My vet office is not being very helpful and the vets are too busy to talk to me (they must be busy because trust me… I can be a huge pain in the butt when I need something and I was very persistent). The only thing they offered was their after hours clinic which is $80 to even book the appointment…. I canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t afford this at the moment.

They didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even give me advice on how to clean it, or if I should do anything. Any advice? Should I dab it? How much Hibitain to water should I use, should I hold it on his nose? Should I leave it? How often should I clean it? Anything to make it until tomorrow afternoon. He is sneezing like crazy, rubbing his nose on everything… I feel so bad for him.

Poor baby! That looks painful.

You can use some ice to bring down the swelling. A bag of peas may work well. Its a hard area right under the nose like that.

You are doing the right thing keeping it clean. Soap and water works just fine. You can also apply a dab of OTC antibiotic ointment, if your vet has a pharmacy you can get it through them or ask them if you can just use what is used for humans.

I would say apply a dressing but am unsure of how you could with the it being located where it is. I guess just keep an eye out that he is not fiddling with it too much, making it worse.

Feel better Capone!!

Originally Posted by fifi1puss

Poor baby! That looks painful.

You can use some ice to bring down the swelling. A bag of peas may work well. Its a hard area right under the nose like that.

You are doing the right thing keeping it clean. Soap and water works just fine. You can also apply a dab of OTC antibiotic ointment, if your vet has a pharmacy you can get it through them or ask them if you can just use what is used for humans.

I would say apply a dressing but am unsure of how you could with the it being located where it is. I guess just keep an eye out that he is not fiddling with it too much, making it worse.

Feel better Capone!!

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The only thing I would add is that if you use OTC antibiotic ointment, like Neosporin, be sure it is plain jane Neosporin. That isn't toxic in small amounts, however they also have a +Pain Relief that is toxic to cats.

Poor Capone! That looks like a bad owie! and gentle

Does he go outside at all? If so, my first guess would be an infection from a rodent bite. About the right place, right look, etc.

He is an indoor cat only. Thanks guys for the advice. Ill go get some non-toxic ointment for him. The problem is that he is constantly licking his nose… Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not sure how long that would last. I will attempt to freeze it tonight… I think that will make him feel better. Poor guy =( I know it must be painful.

My thoughts on how he got it are that one of the cats must have kicked him in the face with their nails… they are always doing that. Probably the new girl since he was alright with her but yesterday she came near him and he hissed and they swatted each other.

I just went through the same thing!!My cat Trouble miscalculated a jump and scraped his nose, and it looked exactly like your cats!!I kept it clean ( a few times a day) with just soap and water ( I used dove) I also applied a triple antibiotic ointment.Could he have maybe scraped his nose on something?Troubles nose cleared up within a few weeks.

I have to say - I'm a fan of plain old warm salty water. I use that for myself, and I use it for kitties as needed as well. Get some cotton wool nice and wet, and gently dab it on.

Ramsay somehow ended up with a nose like that once. I didn't do much of anything for it other than keep checking it to make sure that it wasn't looking infected. He wouldn't have tolerated me "helping" him in any way. It healed relatively quick.

what about some cold sore ointment? I know it is not a cold sore, but it would still help to heal, and not toxic as it is supposed to be used on the lips (humans?)? Just an idea....

Thanks for all of the advice guys, you guys are great. It turns out my poor little guy has Eosinophilic Complex Ulcer in his mouth…. Poor little guy. The vet did not seem too concerned and gave him an antibiotic and a steroid and told me not to touch it and it will go away in 2 weeks.

Ill research this ulcer tomorrow so I have more knowledge about it. I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have time tonight and it does not seem like a pressing matter. Anyone dealt with this before?

I think it is the proper name for what is often called rodent ulcer. Rodent ulcer is a misnomer coming from farmers believing that the cat was bitten by a rodent. They aren't really sure what causes them. The leading beliefs is that it is some kind of hypersensitivity with a genetic predisposition. Even though they look like something that could be serious they aren't. They often will disappear on their own but antibiotics are probably a good idea to prevent infection and an anti-inflammatory will probably make the cat feel better.