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"Dirty nose?"

post #1 of 13
4/11/10 at 5:04pm
Thread Starter 
Flambe has very light skin and fur, so any dirt shows on him a lot. I've been noticing what looks like dirt inside the edge of his nostrils. I thought at first he might be getting into something in the garage (which is dusty and where he sometimes gets to go) or some dust from his litter. But it's too consistent. I'm beginning to think it even looks a little like blood, but that doesn't seem to make sense either. Any ideas?

He seems to be in good health, no trouble breathing, running around and eating and drinking just fine.

No sneezing or coughing, either.
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post #2 of 13
4/11/10 at 5:23pm
My Zoey has the mystery black gunk when she has a herpes flare up.. she breathes normal and no snot
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post #3 of 13
4/11/10 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 
Maybe I should dose him with lysine.
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post #4 of 13
4/11/10 at 5:32pm
What does he eat and what is he eating out of?
I have one that for some reason gets gravy a good half inch on top of his nose. I have to wash his face after wet food meals - he some how manages this with both bowls and saucers. Tomas will also get it around his nose if he eats out of a bowl but can clean it off on his own.
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post #5 of 13
4/11/10 at 5:38pm
When I adopted Rocky he also had black crusty stuff just inside his nose. I took him to a cat's only vet who gave me some eye drops for him (I don't recall what he said was the problem). A few days later I gently cleaned out his nose and whatever it was hasn't been back in 10 years.
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post #6 of 13
4/12/10 at 6:49am
I have a similar issue, except I am assuming it is blood because my guy has a URI. But to double check its not blood, you might want to look around the lower walls of your house. I know it sounds silly, but when my cat was sneezing blood (see the chronic URI thread above this one), it would get all over the walls. If he isnt sneezing, and if there is no green mucus, I would assume its just some sort of dirt, or perhaps allergies?
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post #7 of 13
4/12/10 at 6:53am
Thread Starter 
Ah, but you see, as I said, he's not sneezing at all.

I'm thinking Dottie may have to take him in to the vet and get checked.
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post #8 of 13
4/12/10 at 8:42am
tim roth, our creamsicle cat gets that as well. he seems perfectly normal in other respects, but when he spends some time getting into dusty corners you can always tell by the bit of crust on his nose and the tiny bits in the corner of his eyes.

i think all cats get a little boogery sometimes, just like people do. i have wiped the same stuff off the edges of noses on my darker cats, but it is not noticeably there when you are just looking at the cat.

boogers and dirt of any kind just seems to show more clearly on pinker cats.
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post #9 of 13
4/12/10 at 8:49am
oh - his third eyelids are more noticeable as well. i was worried about it up until the vet pointed out to me that the same amount is showing on him as it is in every cat - but because he is so pink and they stand out so much it is more noticeable and looks more dramatic. i looked over my other cats to compare and sure enough she was right.

i am so paranoid after we lost one of our kittens, just about anything has me on the phone to the vets.
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post #10 of 13
4/12/10 at 10:04am
I've had the same thing on some of my cats, most noticeable on Goldy because she is so light. The vet told me that cat saliva and mucous dries to a reddish brown and it's not an illness. I just wipe it off their noses and it doesn't come back for several weeks at least. Actually I don't think I've seen it on Goldy for the last 3-4 months.
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post #11 of 13
4/12/10 at 10:33am
this whole discussion has actually got me wondering if my kitten's blood specks is not actually blood at all, but dark dirt...
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post #12 of 13
4/12/10 at 11:03am
Thread Starter 
I pulled a little of it off Flambe and subjected it to water. It didn't seem to get any redder, as I would expect blood to do. Nothing certain there, just a quick experiment.
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post #13 of 13
4/12/10 at 11:11am
Smooch gets that to ive been wondering if its a problem he doesnt sneeze his eyes dont water just looks like black fluff up his nose
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