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.

[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...