what is this on my cat?

leosmama

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he's had this previously except the thing was a lot thicker. it just crumbles away when you touch it L, like as if it's dirt, but it's growing out of this hole in his skin on a piece of hair? the loss of hair around it is from me trying to pull it... I've pulled it before after it crumbled because I thought it was just just a dirty hair and it went away but it's back and it's coming from this hole... he also seems to have like a little bit of a mound or bump under his skin, but not exactly like that, where the hole is. has anyone seen this before? I can't find anything on the internet about this!
 

red top rescue

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We are not ignoring you.  So far 26 people have looked at this post but no one has answered, so we dont know.   It could be he has some discharge from a little infection in his skin, it then collects dirt, and when you see it, and pick at it, it crumbles away, but the source is still active, like a tiny volcano.  If the cat were not white, you would probably never notice it.  I think you should probably get  your vet to look at it if it keeps coming back. 
 

sweetdz99

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Just to rule out flea poop....  if you pull it off of the fur and get it wet, does it look like blood?  
 

sweetdz99

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No i mean if you put the particles that you broke off on a wet white paper towel.. do they leave like a brown or reddish color?
 

artiemom

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I would take your cat to the Vet. I do not think we can really tell what it is. Sorry
 
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leosmama

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It  of can look like this:   Flea Poop  
it actually does kinda look like this on its own when it's crumbled up.... but I've never seen it a there're else on his body (I've checked throughly multiple times) so I think if it was flea poop it'd be in numerous places?
 

sweetdz99

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If you pick one off his body and put it on a damp paper towel and it leaves brown or reddish color, it's poop. It could be aanywhere. The lump you feel could be a reaction to the flea bite or bites
 

Caspers Human

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My opinion is that it is either fleas or mites.

I would say to clean the area and keep an eye on it.  If it gets worse, go to the vet.

There is a certain type of mite that lives on dogs and cats which burrows into the animal's hair follicles.  When it defecates, it will leave little "strings" of stuff that seem to grow out of the skin.  You might see some redness and swelling around the area that looks like a pimple.

Sometimes, the animal's immune system will fight them off without taking any other action but they often multiply and populate out of control.  If that happens you will need medical care to get rid of the infestation.

There ARE certain types of mites that are zoonotic, which means that they can be passed from animals to humans.

While I am not ready to sound the alarm bells at this point, I would be remiss if I didn't mention.

DO keep an eye on this.

DO keep your cat clean.

DO go to the vet if it gets worse.
 
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leosmama

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My opinion is that it is either fleas or mites.
I would say to clean the area and keep an eye on it.  If it gets worse, go to the vet.

There is a certain type of mite that lives on dogs and cats which burrows into the animal's hair follicles.  When it defecates, it will leave little "strings" of stuff that seem to grow out of the skin.  You might see some redness and swelling around the area that looks like a pimple.

Sometimes, the animal's immune system will fight them off without taking any other action but they often multiply and populate out of control.  If that happens you will need medical care to get rid of the infestation.

There ARE certain types of mites that are zoonotic, which means that they can be passed from animals to humans.
While I am not ready to sound the alarm bells at this point, I would be remiss if I didn't mention.

DO keep an eye on this.
DO keep your cat clean.
DO go to the vet if it gets worse.
wow.... that sounds exactly like what this is... what's the name of the mite??? thank you so much
 

Caspers Human

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Here's the thing...  I don't know for sure.

I gotta' be level with you.  It's really hard to know for sure based on a picture I saw on the internet.  Further, I'm not an expert.  I'm just a guy who has lived around a lot of animals.  So, I'm just telling you what I learned from experience.  If you want to know for sure, you're going to need to talk to an expert...  A veterinarian, a vet-tech or an expert on cats.

There are several types of mites that live on cats and dogs.  Some of them are mostly normal.  In other words, a cat could have mites for a long time and you would never be the wiser.  Ninety percent of the time, the host's immune system keeps the mites in check.  Sometimes, the mites reproduce faster than the immune system can get rid of them.  That's when they spread.

There are three or four kinds of mites that I can think of but it's not possible for me to tell by looking at one picture.  Only an in-person examination by an expert can tell for sure.

It's interesting to note that your cat has FIV.  It could be related.  If Kitty has a compromised immune system, it might not be able to fight off invaders as it normally would.  That could be what's causing these (supposed) mites to get worse.

How often do you see these signs?

How many are there?

Are they getting worse?

Are they spreading?

Where, on the cat, are they?

If they show up every couple-few days to a week, if there are only a few of them on Kitty's neck or upper body and they aren't getting worse, don't worry too much but keep an eye on it.  Keep Kitty clean.  Keep an eye on it.  If they spread, if they get worse, if they get red, swollen, ooze pus or get "crusty" you will need to go to a vet right away.

If they aren't getting worse, it's probably okay to wait until the cat's next checkup at the vet.

If your cat has FIV, you will probably have more frequent checkups, anyhow.  Right?

If the vet thinks your cat may have mites...  I said *IF*...  If your cat has mites, the vet may take a skin sample to look at under a microscope.  IF the vet makes the diagnosis, he might prescribe medicine.  The usual treatment is a weekly medicated dip, sometimes in combination with oral medication.

At this point, we're *NOT* ready to sound any alarm bells.  We're still in the "watch" phase.

I think you are really observant to notice something like this and that makes you a good cat owner.  Most people wouldn't think twice, even if they did notice something like this.

For now, keep an eye open, keep Kitty clean and call a vet if things get worse. 
 

parisinthe30sx

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My older dog had something similar to this, it turned out to be an infected hair follicle. The stuff that came out was brownish and very dry, it almost looked like very thick piece of hair. It was cleaned out, and he was put on antibiotics and it went away. Not sure if it's the same thing obviously, but it looked similar to your picture.good luck! Poor kitty.
 

Caspers Human

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I agree with you.  It could even be some form of acne or something like that.  Cats and dogs can get acne, too.

You treat it just like you do in humans:  Keep it clean.  :)

I wouldn't put any kinds of medications or preparations on it.  Especially not any kind of acne creams for humans.
 
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