hi all.  i've been reading here for a bit.

i have two cats, one 3 yrs (Oni) and one a little over 2 (Dhaemon).
both are neutered males.  since i got dhaemon at around 6 weeks, he's
had a weirdness around his nose and mouth.  at first his nose was
pink, then it turned black as well as the skin around his mouth, and
it all flaked off.  his whiskers broke off as well.  i took him to the
vet, and the vet said it was an autoimmune disorder, and gave me
Panalog Cream (looks like an all-purpose antibiotic/antifungal cream),
to put on it to prevent infection.  but it doesn't cure his crusty
nose.  for the last year or so his nose got crusty about once a month,
and his whiskers broke off around the same time. but now his nose
stays crusty, and his eye leaks because the swollen tissue clogs his
nostrils.  i've taken him back to the vet, and to a different vet, and
both said the cream was about all they could do.  this poor cat's nose
literally has chunks of crusty, dry skin hanging off the end of his
nose.  it never bleeds, and when you touch it he doesn't flinch.  but
it can't be fun.  he wheezes when he breathes because air doesn't flow
very well through his nose.  has anyone had a cat like this?  is there
anything i can do for the little guy?  whenever i put the cream on, he
licks and licks at it and it just makes his nose worse, so i've given
up on that.  
could it be a virus?  it doesn't spread beyond his nose, and the skin
around his mouth hasn't changed since the first time.

thanks for any help,

alpha