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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2005Healing cat's nose
I have a 15 year old male domestic shorthair whose nose has been a little runny for about a year. My vet says that it must be an allergy, perhaps dust mites, perhaps pollen, we just don't know. While I'm trying to eliminate as many allergens as I can, SweetBoy (my cat) keeps scratching his nose, aggravating and re-aggravating 4 or 5 small wounds his claws create. I feel if I can just get these wounds to heal, his nose might just clear up, but every time one scabs over, he scratches it and opens it again. I keep his claws trimmed, but he still manages to cause damage, mostly with the large claw on the inside of each front paw. My vet says that I can put something like neosporin on it, but creams and ointments make him want to clean it off and the cycle just repeats. Is there an antibiotic-type LIQUID that I can put on the wounds that would dry and wouldn't make him want to clean it off? A friend of mine saw him and remarked "Wow, he's starting to look like a platypus!" An Elizabethan Collar is really not an option. The last time he wore one, he wouldn't eat at all. I really love this cat, and I would try anything to fix his nose, up to and including holding his head for a week while his nose healed. Otherwise, I guess I'm looking for a magic potion. I would wonder if he doesn't have hair or something caught up there. Typically, cats show reaction to allergies (even inhalant) through skin itchies. > I have a 15 year old male domestic shorthair whose nose has been > a little runny for about a year. My vet says that it must be an [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > head for a week while his nose healed. Otherwise, I guess I'm looking > for a magic potion. The hair is something I haven't thought of, although the vet has checked him out. The vet doesn't seem very concerned, and that bugs me a little, since it affects his appetite and everything else. Your comment about reaction to allergies manifested through skin itches hits home, since he has had episodes of licking his skin raw a few separate times. For now, I would settle for clearing up his nose wounds, and work on the allergies while the wounds heal. Thanks, Tom > The hair is something I haven't thought of, although the vet has > checked him out. The vet doesn't seem very concerned, and that bugs me [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Thanks, > Tom You could try just wiping them down with hydrogen peroxide. Won't sting, and if you just damp a tissue with it and wipe, it shouldn't cause him to want to get it off I wouldn't think. Might promote healing. Check for an veterinary dermatologist in your area, or at least a feline specialist. Peroxide is a good cleaner, especially if there's dirt in there causing an infection. It is good to use just once, since it will not let a scab form. I once had an open sore for an entire summer as a kid, I faithfully applied peroxide every day... Rhonda > You could try just wiping them down with hydrogen peroxide. Won't sting, and > if you just damp a tissue with it and wipe, it shouldn't cause him to want > to get it off I wouldn't think. Might promote healing. Check for an > veterinary dermatologist in your area, or at least a feline specialist. > I have a 15 year old male domestic shorthair whose nose has been > a little runny for about a year. <snip> The cat needs to be seen by a feline specialist to find out why his nose is running. You need to alleviate the runny nose before he will quit digging at it - otherwise you are wasting time and energy. I would be worried about a foreign body in the nose like a foxtail or grass seed or something, an allergy, or an infection in the sinus. Once the runny nose is gone he will leave the nose alone and it will heal. Good luck, -L. Hi, "L", and thanks for your reply. I never thought about a foreign body until I read these posts, but I would hope that would have occurred to the 3 different vets that looked at him in the last year and a half. Maybe not. The closest thing to a feline specialist here in Corning, NY is a regular small animal veterinarian. When I saw your post, I called my vet and talked to an assistant. She said that blood work might be necessary - that seems to be a standard answer nowadays, but I'm not so sure. Anyway, I'm not confident that elimination of the runny nose will solve the problem. It really isn't runny in the standard runny-nose sense - just a little stuffy, and that may be because of an infection from the scratching sores. A few years ago, he twice gave himself a lick granuloma - usually found in dogs - just by obsessing over a pinhead-sized nick that he no doubt gave himself. I made an appointment for 10 days from now to have yet another vet look at his nose. Meanwhile, I'm going to have my carpets steam cleaned and see if that helps. Thanks again for your reply, Tom > Hi, "L", and thanks for your reply. I never thought about a foreign > body until I read these posts, but I would hope that would have [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Thanks again for your reply, > Tom They should be able to do some kind of a scope and after that long with a continuing problem, I would have thought they would do it. He could even have a growth in there. I would really broach the subject with the vet of a possible foreign object. > Hi, "L", and thanks for your reply. I never thought about a foreign > body until I read these posts, but I would hope that would have [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Thanks again for your reply, > Tom You could try a little peroxide on a cotton ball followed by a little triple antibiotic cream. That helps if it's inflamed. If you just need to keep it moist and reduce the "scabbing over" you could get some vitamin E oil at put some of that on his nose. My vet recommended that when my Boots had rubbed the fur right off his nose. W I would ditto that! I think the irritation has to be found before any healing is allowed by your cat. Rhonda > The cat needs to be seen by a feline specialist to find out why his > nose is running. You need to alleviate the runny nose before he will > quit digging at it - otherwise you are wasting time and energy. What about the Neosporin with pain relief in it? Or something a bit numbing to help break the cycle for a few days? Jen >I would ditto that! I think the irritation has to be found before any >healing is allowed by your cat. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >> nose is running. You need to alleviate the runny nose before he will >> quit digging at it - otherwise you are wasting time and energy. I would ask your vet about it. The cat is probably going to ingest a good part of it and I don't know if there's anything in it that would be harmful to cats. Good luck, Rhonda > What about the Neosporin with pain relief in it? Or something a bit numbing > to help break the cycle for a few days? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >>>nose is running. You need to alleviate the runny nose before he will >>>quit digging at it - otherwise you are wasting time and energy. tivoglio wote: > I have a 15 year old male domestic shorthair whose nose has been > a little runny for about a year. My vet says that it must be an [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > head for a week while his nose healed. Otherwise, I guess I'm looking > for a magic potion. I wonder if Soft Paws claw covers would help any.. I've never used them but maybe rubbing versus scratching would let the nose heal while you continue looking for the itch cause. Also.. ask your vet about Liquid Bandaid .. basically a glue.. maybe placing the Neosporin on first then coating with the Liquid Bandaid to keep it on? I don't know if that would help at all, if the 2 things can be mixed safely... so ask first!  Signaturehttp://mistymage.com > tivoglio wote: > > I have a 15 year old male domestic shorthair whose nose has been [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > but maybe rubbing versus scratching would let the nose heal while you > continue looking for the itch cause. Doh! Good idea. My vet has done that to keep cats from scratching their skin off (which can become infected.) > Also.. ask your vet about Liquid Bandaid .. basically a glue.. maybe > placing the Neosporin on first then coating with the Liquid Bandaid to > keep it on? I don't know if that would help at all, if the 2 things can > be mixed safely... so ask first! |
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