My cat has "black stuff" on her eye and nose

[jerialice]

My white cat has had an on-going problem with with a black substance on the left side of her nose. Underneath it is a a shallow raw spot. There is also a leak in her left eye, that also turns reddish-black.
I have taken her to the vet and he tried anti-bios, salves, drops and it helped temporarily, but he did not know what it was. her vision is fine and she doesn't seem to be in pain, but it's ugly.And maybe her nose might be uncomfortable where it's raw.

The substance is almost like a granular, flea dirt looking stuff? The eye goop, is like eye matter balck in colr until i wipe it off then it turns reddish brown.

anybody have any ideas? We are going back to the vet next week. I have uploaded a picture and it's in my picture folder!
Would love some ideas to discuss with my vet.

[opus88]

yahooo that is good news for Bali...Jeri, Lysine like Jade told you abt with the link above is always a good idea it supports the immune system and is always a boost for any condition.
and yes CoQ10 too. I've been reading on how beneficial it is to kitties(and humans) with peridontal disease or gingivitis. so I started giving it to Sami a few weeks ago, it would be excellent for Bali also. once again a reminder always use any of these supps for cats in the 'purest' form. especially NO soy, sugar or salt...this is one of the best ones and the one I use for Sami. open capsule and mix 1/2 in wiht wet food

http://www.iherb.com/Doctor-s-Best-High-Absorption-CoQ10-100-mg-120-Veggie-Caps/15658

[Jade59]

Hey there, wow, Jade too, had a broken fang that turned abscessed, so once that was pulled (along with many other smaller ones), she really was like a new cat.  Great news Bali does not have that Stomatitis.  The news just keeps getting better and better!  And the tear duct that was blocked was taken care of and nothing serious, so Yay again!  

My only other suggestion would still be the Lysine, but you are already giving so many good supplements, maybe the Lysine is not needed at this point.  

Great care for Bali, JA.  I know your heart must be much more at ease. Hugs!

[jerialice]

hey y'all!!! good news Bali does not have stomatitis,
but was headed in that direction!!!! yay.
I am keeping her with kitty vits, brewers yeast, acidophillus, kidney diet and a sauce for joint health. Any other suggestions? I'll ck into the Coq-10
Thanks again and I hope you guys are all good today.
Jerialice

[opus88]

so happy to hear there is no sign of cancer and Bali came thru all her procedure fine....are you giving her supps for the stomatitis? here are two that are very helpful I get my supps from iherb. if buying locally try very hard to get the recommended brands or if substituting be sure the one you get are free of all sugar,salt,soy,
Lactoferrin. 125mg sprinkled from opened capsule onto the food.
http://www.iherb.com/p/4088

CoQ10. 1/2 opened capsule sprinkled on the food.
http://www.iherb.com/Doctor-s-Best-High-Absorption-CoQ10-100-mg-120-Veggie-Caps/15658

quote this code and get $4 off first order SED957

sleep well!!

[jerialice]

hello- here's the news so far:
bali had a broken tooth which has been removed. her labs were "excellent" and she came thru the procedure fine.
she looks like a truck hit her but seems to be feeling much better already.

he did find that the tear duct down into the nostril was blocked by scar tissue so it can't drain. we are pretty sure that's the problem with the seeping. he re-scraped  her nose and cauterized the abrasion from the run-off and thinks she will be fine. I am waiting to talk with him today about the stomatitis. He did not mention it yesterday so hoping we got this in time...no sign of cancer!!!! yay

i am relieved and will sleep better for now!

I will follow up once all the report is in.
thanks again from me and bali!

[Jade59]

Hi there JA, I'm happy to hear Bali hasn't had another episode.  That was strange.  And thank you for your sweet words, I had one horrid headache, but feeling much better today.  

Did you bring up Bali's *episode* to your Vet?  

I think this is going to make a world of difference in her eyes running and really, how she feels in general.  I know it made all the difference for Jade once we got her poor mouth under control.  This will be a good chance for the Stomatitis to be examed closely also, I assume?

Don't forget to get started on the Lysine.  Your Vet likely sells "Viralys", but it is full of additives with very little Lysine in it, besides being expensive.  Jade threw it up Every time, too.  The PURE POWDER which is tasteless is really the way to go (I left you the link above).  It has made such a positive difference for Jade.

Best of luck tomorrow, and I'll look forward to your update.  And honey, no time constraint on grief.  You've been under a lot of pressure, so just take it one day at a time.  xo

[jerialice]

bali is going for her dental cleaning on wed night and i pick her up thursday eve. hoping that will get her set up for a time of health as she moves into serious senior-hood.
will keep adding notes here-

[jerialice]

thank you for the hugs! bali has not had that spaz thing again. i am calling monday to get her teeth visit set up, so onward we go. her appetite is fine and so i am trying to just enjoy her and love them all!
guess i need to get out of grief mode here soon, so I can have a life?
not that i rush it, but it has been a long strewn path :)
still missing my tootski, but i believe we will meet again.
hopeful you will be feeling much better soon!
your kindness should heal you if i had my way!

[Jade59]

Hi!  I am so sorry, your PM got buried among others and off my first page.   Please accept my apologies; I also haven't been feeling well.  

Anyway, this is wonderful news about Bali's nose!  But as far as the other behavior, has that repeated itself since the 15th?  Gosh, I really couldn't begin to guess what is up with that.

I am so sorry for your dogs ill health on top of everything else.  You're right, this is a lot.  You've been through more all at once than one person should with their animals.  Hugs to you, Jerialice...  

[jerialice]

hey y'all- i got good news from the lab- there is no sign of cancer on bali AKA button butt, scrunchers etc. it was not an official biopsy, but a scraping. at her age, i don't want to put her thru a lot...they saw no cancer cells, no fungus.

BUT tonight after she ate she came into the L room and i happened to look over at her and she was jerking, her whole body was jerking and kind of coughing? lasted maybe 10/15 seconds. never saw that before...
she was upright and at first i thought she was gonna hack up a hairball! but that was not it. i went over and checked her, there were no other symptoms, and now she seems fine. i don't think i can take losing another friend right now- and specially her, she is really the sweetest thing in my life. i am freaking out. OMG please let me keep my kitty for now. i am also dealing with ralph, the big brown dog who can barely get up anymore. it's a horrible time for me. thank you for your support. an d hope i can make it thru this. i just lost 3 furry people in a row- they were all the same age. stinks.

[jerialice]

jade i pm'd you. did you get it? she and i are awaiting test results from lab on her nose. all else is well enough. she has the beginnings of stomitus and a tiny heart murmur. once we get the labs back she will get her mouth worked on. he also put her on KD for low protein diet as a prevention. so all in all, we are good and really good if that's not cancer!
i bet she will start feeling pretty peppy once her her teeth are cleaned.

i am sure missing Toot every day. she left so suddenly, it's still surreal.
But at least i can focus on my manxy, AKA Button Butt!
Hope to hear from them this week....

[Jade59]

Hi JA, wondering how the vet trip went?  I hope you didn't get bad news.  Thinking of you~

[jerialice]

hi opus- not lentigo-

we will get to the bottom of it!
have a great night....
JA

[jerialice]

THANKS cat lovers! yes she has some tooth issues, that's one of our projects. if she passes muster, she will get a complete cleaning and possible extraction if needed. when i took her in a few months ago he checked everything and suggested we follow up on the teeth. he quick cleaned a few teeth and put her on antibiotics and eye salve did seem to help..been waiting on $$$$- uh-huh.

she is 15 but seems quite healthy and happy, but as you might imagine, i'm not real excited about putting her under.
ok more tomorrow! sure feels better to have support.
Many blessings!
JA

[Jade59]

Opus, good research!  Thank you so much for that link!

Jerialice, check it out!  The black spots could easily be something innocuous.  Fingers crossed!!

[Jade59]

One more thought to add to your list....some of this might be Bali's teeth.  She may have gingivitis, an abscess, loose teeth, etc...do you know?  With gingivitis you will see an angry, bright red line at the gum line.  Some cats will make it obvious their teeth hurt by turning their head when they chew, but not necessarily as Jade never displayed such behavior and her poor little teeth are rotten.  

Although Jade's eyes still get inflamed, the running had ceased for the most part until last year when the left one started again with the black/brown goop.  It is not responding to the increase of Lysine, so I am sure it's a bad tooth pointed out during her dental cleaning a few months ago.  In the last 6yrs since we've had her, she has had her broken abscessed fang removed along with at least 8 other teeth and maybe more, I'd have to check my records to be accurate.  

So another possibility for Bali's troubles.  Again, best of luck tomorrow.  I will be so anxious for your update!  Hugs...  

[opus88]

and Jade.....just found this info and photo of these mysterious black specks on the nose...appear to be most common in Orange or Orange/White and Calico kitties....I will say if they grow or appear more like a lesion than be sure to get it checked out and even biopsied by a Vet..always be on the safe side, as Jade was with her kitty

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesconditionscat/f/catlentigo.htm

[Jade59]

Hi jerialice, sorry to keep you waiting.  I am answering here simply for the benefit of others who might come along.  I will also copy and PM you back after.

I've had Jade on this powdered Lysine for less than 6mos and it's really done wonders.  Her eyes look much better and the bonus seems to be a softer coat.  Right as I was beginning this treatment, someone posted how well their kitty was doing on Lysine and how much softer kitty's coat was...and it seems to be true.  Below is the direct link to the product I bought on the site "iherb".  I learned of this site from Opus.  This product is pure with no additives and no taste, just sprinkle on kitty's food.  Jade has reacted positively to just 250mgs all along, but the usual starting dose is 500mgs, then down to a maintenance dose of 250mgs.  It is inexpensive and lasts a long time, so well worth the money.  There is a code for first time orders for a $4 discount that I will come back and post for you later.    

http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews/Carlson-Labs-L-Lysine-Amino-Acid-Powder-100-g/13608/?p=1

You were concerned your vet may not of caught this if it's cancer.  My vet didn't seem to notice Jades ears either until I brought it up.???  So far, the fact she has some black covering her nose seems to have saved it although I do notice a suspicious spot I'm keeping my eye on.  If the area on Bali's nose seems to be improving, maybe it was just a buildup of the eye goop because Jade's nose at first did look a lot like Bali's, but as she became healthier, it cleared up completely.  I sure hope that's all it is.    

Wishing you and Bali the best of luck on Thursday!  I'll PM you with that code.  And now that we're 'friends', you should be able to see All my pics, not just the link.  Click on 'See All' on my photos and then go to the last page.  Sorry, I wasn't thinking when I said you could see all those photos from just the link, you have to bring up the full pages.  

[jerialice]

did your kitty have nose cancer too? or was that something else?
thanks!

[jerialice]

thanks jade for all your help. i have been paying more attention to her areas of concern and see some improvement. i have had so mamy very sick critters of late, she has been waiting her turn. i PM'd you with more details.
Not quite gotten to the links yet? Anyway it's a dreary winter day and we are all taking naps today. Vet on Thursday.
glad to have your help.

[Jade59]

I did bring you the link, but must of erased it by mistake.  Here it is again...or simply go to my album and start on page 6. :)

http://www.medhelp.org/user_photos/show/68851?personal_page_id=4018

[Jade59]

I have heard of the tear duct problem.  Hopefully that is all it is.  I will friend you so you look at old photos of Jade before her ears were amputated.  I would bring the links, but I only know how to drag one at a time and I'm afraid I won't get back here right trying for two, so the link below will take you to page 6 of my album where you'll see the one photo of her in a box titled '2006' (I *think* that's the link I brought, lol. Definitely takes you to page 6 whatever the photo).  It's a far away shot, but you can still see how discolored her little face and nose is from the chronic eye running.  Her nose looked very much like Bail's does.  The photo directly below that one - the dark spot type scabs are the cancer.  There is a third photo below THAT one that also shows the scabs on her ears.  

More toward the middle of my album is one final pic of her ear being eaten away and bleeding, then the post op pic.  Jade is a rescue also.  She had owners, but she was very ill and neglected because they didn't care, so after watching her die slowly for several months, we took over.  She looks 100% better today with a decent diet, Lysine, and more love than she knows what to do with. :)    

There is no treatment for the squamous cell other than amputation...which we did.  She had a lung xray first to make sure it hadn't metastasized - luckily it hadn't so we went ahead with the surgery and all has been well to date.  

I was told by my vet, the Cryptococcus was rare.  Did a fine needle biopsy of the lump growing in between her eyes and it came back positive.  I am doubtful your kitty has this, but doesn't hurt to check every avenue.

I wish you luck, Jeri and please keep us posted.  Jade sending back meows to her new friend! :)

[jerialice]

jade thanks so much- i am now armed to go to the vet. since i believe that viruses and fungus can precede cancer, i am going to look closely into that. she has no lump just a seeping eye and irritated tear duct. vet said something about a small procedure to fix the duct? he suggested that the run-off could be bugging her white little kitty cat nose- whoa whoa
but i will have him run all the tests. he did consider cancer but we will revisit that. she has had it for years and it hasn't gotten much worse?
i had an AIDS kitty, a kidney failing dog, and a dog still living that has spinal issues that have been in the forefront for 3 years, so now i can work on her! thanks for checking at last minute, that's awesome.
if it's squamous cell, what are the treatments?

again thanks and Bail says meaow.

[Jade59]

Meant to suggest testing for the Crypto although now that I look at the pic again, I don't see the one normally obvious symptom which is a lump between the eyes like right above the bridge of the nose.  Is there a lump?  I'm afraid looking again, those spots on the nose look the same as Jades ear cancer...Squamous Cell Carcinoma...but of course this is only a guess...