Cat nose has... a scab?

[gabicards]

So, after reviewing old pictures of Topaz and having a close look at his nose, I think the reason the tip of the nose bridge is darker now is that it actually is dark, but after the scab fell off it has less fur, so it's more visible and it's been throwing me off because I had never seen it.

I *think* it might be a black silver shaded trait. His blood-related aunt, who he stayed with while I traveled, also seems to have the same black mark that's mostly hidden underneath the white fur.

I've attached pics in which you can see his nose well (in one of them it was hurt, this was about 8 months ago, I think. We never figured out how he hurt it, but his vet's best guess was that he sniffed something that burned it, like a chemical burn). In the others, the placement of his fur hints at a darker skin underneath...

Then there's also a pic of a black silver shaded british shorthair, with a pink nose but dark nose bridge with the same shape as I see on Topaz now - they have less fur than a maine coon, so it stands to reason that it would be visible for them but not for maine coons that are genetically the same color. And then a picture of River, his aunt, with seemingly the same dark patch above her nose, hidden by the fur but still more visible than Topaz's usually is.

So I guess I will continue to gently clean the area until the acne goes away, and then be patient while the fur grows back. You can see if you compare the pics that the fur on it used to be more dense, you couldn't see the skin at all before.

 

[fionasmom]

I had sort of wondered this, but of course no one wants to ignore a medical problem and say that it is just the way they are. I can see your point in the pics. I know that orange cats often get little spots on their noses and lips which don't mean anything. I would keep up the cleaning just in case as there is nothing to lose.

 

[gabicards]

I had sort of wondered this, but of course no one wants to ignore a medical problem and say that it is just the way they are. I can see your point in the pics. I know that orange cats often get little spots on their noses and lips which don't mean anything. I would keep up the cleaning just in case as there is nothing to lose.

Ah yes, I will definitely keep cleaning it because his nose is hurt. I’m guessing acne, or an allergic reaction to something, but something irritated the skin enough for it to form a big scab. And, as I said in previous posts, when I clean it there’s still dirt coming out - though never again the same amount as the first day I cleaned it, which sadly was only a week ago.

I knew there was something off weeks ago, but was told not to clean it and only to apply Stomodin, so…

Frankly I’m looking at it as if I had only actually started treating it last Sunday, when I washed it with chlorexidine for the 1st time. It was so dirty. The amount of brown gunk that came out on that pad freaked me out, and I’m relieved it’s never gotten to that point again, but it’s no wonder the skin was inflamed. Poor kitty, I hope it heals soon so that his beautiful fur can grow back.

 

[gabicards]

I finally came across a post online about a cat who had an acne problem on their nose bridge that looks exactly like Topaz's, down to what the scab looked like when it was removed:
Adding it here in case someone else has this issue and also tries to look for people who've gone through the same with their kitties.