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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

789.0. "Black spots on whisker roots" by VLNVAX::PGLADDING (Noters do it with a 8-)) Wed Aug 10 1994 11:29

    I'm currently fostering five 8-week old kittens for the PB Shelter.
    They're all a variety of colors, but the past few days, I've noticed
    strange black marks at the roots of one of the orange guy's 
    whiskers.  At first I thought it was dirt or old food, so I tried
    washing it off, and it wouldn't come off.
    
    This morning I looked closer, and it looks like some kind of 
    black growth - not very puffed out, but a little pink around
    the edges.  I checked the other cats, and two others have it,
    but their coloring is black & tortie, so I didn't notice it until
    now.
    
    Anyone have any idea what this could be?  They're not acting sick,
    and it doesn't seem to bother them.  I thought maybe feline acne,
    but doesn't that usually occur on the chin?  There are no sores,
    just these black spots that feel a little harder than normal skin.
    
    Anyone hear of anything like this?
    
    thanks,
    Pam
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789.1HELIX::SKALTSISDebWed Aug 10 1994 12:553
    this wouldn't be the black "freckles" that orange cats sometimes have?
    
    Deb
789.2USCTR1::MERRITT_SWed Aug 10 1994 13:005
    Deb..I believe the freckles are on the nose of orange cats and
    the way Pam explains it...these black marks are on the base
    of the whiskers.
    
    Sandy
789.3VLNVAX::PGLADDINGNoters do it with a 8-)Wed Aug 10 1994 13:287
    I thought maybe it was her markings too - but she only came
    out with them the past couple of days.  They're not really
    "freckles", but more of a "blob" of black - one blob on either
    side of her face.  And it doesn't feel like normal skin - not
    as soft as the rest of her skin.
    
    Pam
789.4VLNVAX::PGLADDINGNoters do it with a 8-)Thu Aug 11 1994 12:0115
    Well, I have a vet appt. on Friday evening, so I'll let you know
    what the diagnosis is on Monday morning.
    
    In the meantime, it has spread to the chin of the little torbie
    kitty (poor baby).  It doesn't appear to be bothering her, but 
    the poor little thing looks like she has a dirty mouth all the
    time!
    
    Thanks to Karen Fallon for looking up (but unfortunately, not
    find much) information in her vet medical books!  She has the
    feeling it might be some kind of virus causing this.  Hopefully
    it's nothing serious.
    
    I'll keep you all posted.
    Pam
789.5Just an odd piece of info...PCBUOA::FALLONMoonsta CatteryThu Aug 11 1994 13:068
    Of course I can't remember the name!
    
    FYI:  Orange Toms can develop those black freckles around the lips and
    mouth due to the genetic factors.  It was neat to read about this in my
    searches!!  It is only aesthetic and does no harm to the cat.  And not
    all Orange cats will get it!
    Karen
    who loves all her new books!
789.6AYRPLN::VENTURAMake the world your playground.Thu Aug 11 1994 13:307
    Just a question, Pam.  When you feed them, if the food on plastic dishes?  
    I know that with some cats, feline acne (if it's that at all) develops 
    when they eat out of plastic or paper dishes.  Try either glass or
    ceramic and see if that helps?
    
    Holly
    
789.7JULIET::CORDES_JAFour Tigers on my CouchThu Aug 11 1994 15:035
    Sounds suspiciously like kitty acne to me.  Amelia got them when 
    I was still using plastic dishes for feeding.  Switched to ceramic
    and glass and haven't had a problem since.
    
    Jan
789.8VLNVAX::PGLADDINGNoters do it with a 8-)Thu Aug 11 1994 15:5313
    Yes, I am using plastic dishes.  That was my first thought - but 
    the black marks aren't scabby at all.  It is suspicious that it's 
    occuring around the mouth, but they all started around the whisker 
    area, and only one has it under the chin (unless kittens eat 
    differently than adults).
    
    And only three out of the five have it - I guess only some can
    react to the plastic, even if they're from the same litter.
    
    Well, I'll know for sure tomorrow night.  I'll have to switch plates
    when I get home to see if it helps.
    
    Pam
789.9AYRPLN::VENTURAMake the world your playground.Thu Aug 11 1994 18:0715
    Pam,
    
    That's true, that not all cats get feline acne.  Sweetie gets it
    terribly when my mother gives him food on a plastic dish.  However,
    Kyra, my solid white turkish angora, doesn't get it at all, but her
    sister Margie did.  
    
    Feline acne isn't really "scabs".  It basically looks like little black
    dots on their face and chin.  Sweetie had them in his whisker areas as
    well as on his chin, but the chin was the worse.
    
    Let us know what the fet says.  
    
    Holly
    
789.10VLNVAX::PGLADDINGNoters do it with a 8-)Mon Aug 15 1994 17:5322
    Hi there,
    
    Sorry this is so late - we have a power outage in our building
    over the weekend, and I've been scrambling all day!
    
    I took all the kittens to the vet on Friday afternoon.  The vet
    looked the black marks, then proceeded to pull the scabs off (yucko!).
    There was regular skin & hair underneath - a little pink, but not
    too bad looking.
    
    He put one of the scabs under the microscope and found white cells.  
    He thinks it's a staph infection.  I immediately grossed out and asked
    what caused it - and he said "staph" - geez, thanks a lot for the
    detailed explanation!  He went on to say that staph germs are
    everywhere.  I have a feeling, though, it might have come from
    their dishes.  I've been soaking them in regular water, and I have
    a feeling it was harboring germs.  No more soaking!
    
    So, they're on an ointment called Bacoderm (or something like
    that) twice a day for 10 days.  They're looking better already.
    
    Pam
789.11Staphylococcus 'pameliensis'BPSOF::EGYEDPer aspera ad astraWed Aug 24 1994 03:3510
    Staph stands for staphylococcus. Quite common (an art of staph e.g.
    causes bad pickles on humans) and mostly quite harmless. Some arts can
    be very dangerous, though. Some react to antibiotics, some are resistent. 
    Wide gang, them.
    
    I recommend using china dishes and wash them up as your own. (I do so). 
    
    I hope the furries go better now.
    
    Nat
789.12VLNVAX::PGLADDINGNoters do it with a 8-)Fri Aug 26 1994 16:137
    Thanks for the explanation, Nat!  After a week of treating them
    with the oinment, they're black "mustaches" are gone.  I'm extra
    careful about soaking dishes now - even went out and bought extras
    so that I don't have to worry about hurrying and not cleaning good
    enough!
    
    Pam