Strange discoloration-- Am I overreacting?

[C&Ster]

Hi everyone!

After a LOT of Googling, I am hoping you all might have some insight into what is happening to my cat, Sterling, that I can mention in his next vet visit. He has been losing hair along the edge of both of his ears and the skin has started to turn black and seems sort of thin and uneven. He has been seen by 3 different vets (primarily for checkups and an ear infection) and they have all said that it's nothing to worry about. There's about a 1 month wait time to see any cat-only vets in my area, so we've had to jump around to see who ever could fit us in, but I do have a primary vet that I communicate with by text.

I've included first a picture taken on January 13th, and then another picture taken today. This is the same ear, at the most severe spot. You can see he has pretty pale skin, and the darker pigmentation is spreading. He was briefly on steroids for an ear infection, but this issue started before he was on the medication and he has been off it for an entire month, now. Some days he is a little guarded around his ears, but most of the time he'll jam his head/ear into your hand for pets.

I got him about a year ago as a senior rescue (he's maybe 10 years old), so unfortunately I don't know anything about his longterm health history or background.

I want to believe my vet, but this just doesn't seem right. I would love any input, even if it's just to say that I'm overreacting and the vet is correct. Thank you all!

 

[stephanietx]

Do you have a cat only vet in your area? That doesn't look normal to me.

 

[carebearbaby1]

I'd have his thyroid tested.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Although cats can have excess melanin build up on the ears (and other places) over time, that does look excessive. When you have your appointment, take BOTH photos in for the vet to look at, so that they can see the difference clearly.

 

[neely]

You may want to consult a Veterinary Dermatology Specialist if there's at least a month's wait for a feline only vet. This is their area of expertise and hopefully you will be able to get an accurate diagnosis from this type of specialist. Best of luck!

 

[C&Ster]

Thank you so much, everyone! I'll look into the dermatology specialist, and send both of these photos to the feline vet that has given me permission to reach out via text before the appointment. I'll also ask about thyroid tests-- the same vet mentioned that it may be a good idea if he doesn't seem 100%, so I think that won't be out of left field by any means.

Thank you all, again, I massively appreciate your help!!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

DO keep us posted on what you find out! We'll be worrying about this, even though it is probably not catastrophic! Doesn't matter. Your cat is now, in some small way, our cat, too, and we fret.

 

[C&Ster]

I will! I forwarded the pictures to our vet and she said to bring him in-- I'm on a list for cancellations, but if I don't hear from them in the next few days I have a list of veterinary dermatologists to try!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

KEEP US POSTED!

 

[C&Ster]

Hi everyone!

I have an update: Sterling had some bloodwork done and has been diagnosed with stage 2 Kidney disease and pancreatitis. When I brought him in, the vet initially suspected a thyroid issue and wanted to do bloodwork. I asked about his ears and she said that it was "the body sending you a sign that something was wrong". I don't want to bother her too much by asking again, but I wish she could give a better explanation of how/if his kidney disease is affecting his ears, now that we know that's a part of what's happening.

I'm sad that he's ill, and, admittedly, a little frustrated to still not have all the answers, but I know that the most important thing is to address what health concerns I can get diagnosed.

Has anyone experienced similar side effects with kidney disease? I can't find anything linking kidney disease with hair loss and darkening skin. I'm going to keep searching, but I think the first step will be managing his kidney disease and seeing if that has any effect on his poor ears!

Thank you all, again, for your support, and I hope that I can find better answers so that this thread might help someone else!

 

[C&Ster]

Hello, all! I know it's been a while, but I wanted to update in case it might help anyone else. Since our last check in, we've been to a veterinary dermatologist, another vet (this time not cats-only), and consulted online with yet another veterinarian.

Everyone is stumped! The doctors suspected pemphigus, skin cancer, any kind of infection-- everything came back negative. Our best guess is that Sterling had a VERY rare reaction to some steroids he was taking a long time ago for an ear infection, but even those should have flushed out of his system long ago. He'll need an ultrasound soon and I'm hoping we might find some answers there. We'll be focusing on his kidney issues, but the veterinary dermatologist recommended checking his "adrenal size and abdominal organs for metabolic disturbance" and speculated that it may be Cushing's?

Overall, the ear mystery doesn't seem to be causing him any pain, so we're focusing on managing his other health issues and keeping him happy. Also, some of his hair has inexplicably started to grow back, so perhaps everything will resolve itself without any answer!