# Black crust around kitten's nose



## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

Hi! I keep noticing my 11 week old kitten has this black crustiness around her nose. Today it seems like it's come off on one side and looks kind of raw underneath. She is acting normally and everything but should I be worried about this? 
Thanks for any advice.


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## Jannor (Oct 26, 2013)

One of the cat viruses causes scabs on the nose although I can't remember which one it is. I'd get the vet to have a look at her in case she needs antibiotics.

Where did you get her from? Could the mother have had a virus or was she innoculated?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Helena91 - do you mean the crustiness (scabs) are across the bridge of her nose, where there is no hair?

Diseases which affect the skin on the noses of cats include bacterial or fungal infections, or mites. These diseases can affect the bridge of the nose or the hairless part of the nose. Some systemic diseases (e.g. a virus such as Feline Calicivirus) can cause the hairless part of the nose to lose its pigment or develop ulcers. This is what Jannor referred to in her post above.

Solar dermatitis (due to sun damage) can specifically affect the areas of the nose not covered by hair. The area can become inflamed or ulcerated.

Your kitten needs to be seen by the vet for a diagnosis of the cause of the sores. Skin scrapings may need to be taken or she may need a course of antibiotics if there is infection.


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## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

Jannor said:


> One of the cat viruses causes scabs on the nose although I can't remember which one it is. I'd get the vet to have a look at her in case she needs antibiotics.
> 
> Where did you get her from? Could the mother have had a virus or was she innoculated?


The breeder said that both of the parents had been tested for a disease (I can't remember exactly what it was called) and were negative, they were also vaccinated and the kitten has had her first jabs. I've had her a few weeks now and only just noticed this. We have another kitten who is fully immunised and both are indoor cats. She has a vet appointment on Friday for her 2nd jabs so I will ask them about it, hope it's nothing bad


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

She is really beautiful.


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## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

Calvine said:


> She is really beautiful.


Thank you! She's a silver lynx point Scottish fold, though she has straight ears


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

I have a boy kitten who tends to get a dirty nose . . . not a discharge but just like a fine black ring around each nostril. I wipe it with a small piece of cotton wool then dry it with a tissue. I think he just doesn't wash his face; I see him washing the rest of his body, but never see him cleaning his face with a paw. With the others, I notice them wetting their paw and cleaning round their mouth and nose after food, but not him. I really doubt it's anything too bad, but just mention it to the vet if you are there on Friday anyway. She has lovely eyes!!:Cat:Cat


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## Cully (May 16, 2018)

@Calvine Who, the vet?????


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Cully said:


> @Calvine Who, the vet?????


Probably!


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## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

Turns out she is actually quite sick  The vet can't give her the booster jabs yet as she has cat flu and conjunctivitis, I have no idea how this happened, she seemed fine apart from the stuff around her nose!


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Helena91 said:


> Turns out she is actually quite sick  The vet can't give her the booster jabs yet as she has cat flu and conjunctivitis, I have no idea how this happened, she seemed fine apart from the stuff around her nose!


 She had no other symptoms? I had a one with cat flu (she was fully vaccinated too) and the symptoms were very obvious, weepy eyes, runny nose, sneezing. Her eyes look clear and bright on the photo. Poor baby . . . hope it's soon over!!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Helena91 said:


> Turns out she is actually quite sick  The vet can't give her the booster jabs yet as she has cat flu and conjunctivitis, I have no idea how this happened, she seemed fine apart from the stuff around her nose!


I am sorry to hear this news about your little kitten, bless her. Tbh I was worried about her, and I am glad the vet has seen her x .

"Cat flu" is caused by one (or more) of several viruses. The most common cause is Feline Herpesvirus (FHV or FHV1), and the second most common is Feline Calicivirus (FCV). Conjunctivitis seems to be more common with FHV.

Has she been given a course of antibiotics for a possible secondary upper respiratory infection (common with 'cat flu')

Have you let the breeder know the diagnosis?

I hope kitty feels better soon.

An article from Icat Care on 'cat flu' is worth a read:

https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/cat-flu---upper-respiratory-infection


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

chillminx said:


> Have you let the breeder know the diagnosis?


Good point @chillminx.


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## Gallifreyangirl (Feb 11, 2015)

@Helena91 Let us know how you get on with her?


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## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

She didn't have any other symptoms that I had noticed, she's been eating, purring and playing normally. But when the vet listened to her chest she said she was wheezy, and it was only when she pulled he eyelids down that the underneath looked inflamed. She has given me antibiotics and anti inflammatories and she's going to see her next week. If she hasn't improved they might need to do some lab work they said, but fingers crossed the medicine works! 

One thing I have wondered is if it could have been caused by her play fighting with our 5 month old kitten, they do play a bit rough sometimes and I don't know if the older one has maybe injured her and caused the infection, or would that be something different?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Helena91 - 'cat flu' is caused by a virus as mentioned above, so the only way your younger kitten could catch it from the other kitten is if your older kitten has FHV or FCV etc. Does the older kitten have any similar symptoms? Or did the older one have e.g. FHV, when he was younger?

FHV and FCV are the two most common viruses to cause 'cat flu', but a secondary infection with bacteria also commonly occurs in these illnesses, and can cause rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and sometimes lung infections. Most cats make a good recovery from an Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) but in more severe infections recovery can take several weeks.

The older kitten would not have caused the infection directly. The younger kitten's respiratory system was compromised by the virus and that left her open to getting a URI as well. It is likely she caught the virus while at the breeder's, e.g. from her mother.

Also the stress for a kitten of leaving their mum, their siblings, their familiar environment and going to a new home with new humans is always a challenge to the kitten's immune system and makes them more vulnerable to catching a virus during this period.

There is, right now, a big size difference between the 11 week old kitten and the 5 month old. A bit of boisterous play-fighting is OK as long as the older kitten is not bullying the younger one. Remember the 11 week kitten has been used to play-fighting with litter mates of her own size, and she does not understand what she is taking on when she plays with the 5 month old. The 5 mth old does not realise his own strength, and can be unintentionally rough with a kitty of only 11 weeks old. If it was me I wouldn't allow play that is very rough, because a nasty injury such as a scratched eye can be caused.

I hope the little one makes a good recovery. x


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## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

chillminx said:


> @Helena91 - 'cat flu' is caused by a virus as mentioned above, so the only way your younger kitten could catch it from the other kitten is if your older kitten has FHV or FCV etc. Does the older kitten have any similar symptoms? Or did the older one have e.g. FHV, when he was younger?
> 
> FHV and FCV are the two most common viruses to cause 'cat flu', but a secondary infection with bacteria also commonly occurs in these illnesses, and can cause rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and sometimes lung infections. Most cats make a good recovery from an Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) but in more severe infections recovery can take several weeks.
> 
> ...


I suspect our older kitten, Willow, may have had a virus at some point before we bought her. She was from a very bad place, probably a kitten mill and was extremely young when we got her, around 6 weeks old we think. She had discharge from her eyes and nose when I brought her home but the vet checked her and said she didn't currently have cat flu but she might have been recovering from it. The discharge cleared up within a week of getting her and she hasn't had any symptoms since then and she had all of her jabs quite a while before we got the little one, but maybe she is still carrying it?

Our 11 (now 12) week old, Rosalie was seen by a vet 2 days before we took her home and the vet looked at her notes today, there was no mention of any problems, but I will tell the breeder what has happened. Rosalie and Willow are inseparable and play very nicely for the most part. But a few times I have heard Rosalie squeal and when that happens I put them in separate rooms.

Thanks for the well wishes, I will keep you all updated!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

"Rosalie" is a lovely and unusual name for a cat.  x

You are right, it is possible that Rosalie caught the virus from Willow. The feline herpesvirus is spread in saliva and in discharges from the eyes or nose of an infected cat. The infection is spread when a susceptible cat comes into direct contact with an infected cat, or with objects such as food, water dishes, litter trays, that are contaminated with the virus.

The incubation period of the disease is between 2 to 5 days. The infected cat can infect other cats during this incubation period. Usually once symptoms appear the active infection lasts between 10 to 20 days.

All cats that have been infected with Feline Herpesvirus will become carriers of this virus. Most carriers will be 'latent' i.e. the virus survives in an inactive form within the cat's body. But, stress or illness can cause the virus to become reactivated, and if the virus becomes reactivated, the cat will again become infectious.

The cat may show symptoms of an upper respiratory infection when the virus is reactivated, but not all cats with reactivated Feline Herpesvirus show symptoms. All cats that are actively shedding the virus are a risk to other cats.

So, if Willow had the FHV virus as a youngster, she would remain a carrier all her life, and it is possible that with Rosalie arriving this put stress on Willow's immune system and caused the virus to be re-activated, and then passed to Rosalie. Luckily Rosalie had some protection against the disease from her vaccination, otherwise she could have been more poorly than she is.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

chillminx said:


> "Rosalie" is a lovely and unusual name for a cat.


It's a beautiful name. My neighbour is called Rosalie; I've always thought it sounded so nice (tho' her family call her ''Ros'').


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## Helena91 (Feb 2, 2019)

Update: Rosalie had a follow-up with the vet yesterday and she is doing much better. The discharge has cleared up and so has the conjunctivitis but her chest isn't totally clear yet. The vet has said it will be best if she has 3 more days of antibiotics (making it a 10 day course) and look into restarting her immunisation schedule next week if she is fully back to health. I am a little upset that we have to start again since it means many more weeks of worrying about her going into the garden, being unable to take her places etc but I understand why it is necessary. 

Meanwhile she is growing well and now weighs over 1kg which I was happy to hear! She also caused quite a stir in the waiting room with people crowding round, asking what breed she was and commenting on her colouring  She loved the attention, and even purred for the vet!


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## Soozi (Jun 28, 2013)

Really pleased to hear Rosalie is improving! She is stunning I’m not surprised she got so much attention. Let us know how she’s doing.


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