Has what appears to be some sort of dry skin? I guess... On her face by her nose, the fur is gone in a patch the size of a nickle, and the skin has little bumps, and seems to be irritated... I just need to know if anyone knows what the heck this is... Vet's are expensive and I'm BROKE, however I can swing medicine to help because it's VERY affordable on petmeds.com and you dont need to be a vet to get meds to treat your animals... So, I need to know what the heck this is so I could get the right meds to fix the problem...
2007-07-29 06:59:47 · 8 answers · asked by Amart 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
She has AIDS.
2007-07-29 07:02:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
That's the trouble, you see...you can't treat the cat's skin problem correctly until you know what the problem is. That's why you have to go to the vet. You are paying him for his knowledge and experience.
Your cat could have ringworm, mange, a flea allergy, a food allergy, a contact dermatitis, a parasite, or cancer. All of which need different treatments.
A vet visit is not all that expensive, and it will save you buying some sort of non-returnable medicine that probably won't work on what the cat has, and may make it worse.
You are not likely to get the problem cured till you know what it is, and the longer you wait, the worse it is likely to get and the more expensive it will be when you finally are forced to take the cat to the vet.
What starts out as a superficial skin irritation can become a major infection when bacteria get into the broken skin, and with cats that go outside, flies and other insects can lay eggs in the open wound and then you have maggots infesting your cat.
Don't use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or any human medicines on it. They might mask the symptoms or change the appearance of the lesion and make diagnosis more difficult.
My advice is to take the cat to the vet now and save some money in the long run.
2007-07-29 14:11:26 · answer #2 · answered by Kayty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, be sure she is flea-free. That could always be the culprit behind skin irritation.
Is it spreading? If you see it spreading, take her to the vet, as she may have a skin fungus, mange, or ...who really knows what our animals can get!!? I know it's $$$, but that goes along with having animals as family members.
If it seems to be stable. Apply first aid! Make sure all the meds you use are non-toxic if ingested. She may have contact dermatitis from sniffing/eating something. This is particularly more likely if she is an outdoor kitty (poison ivy, for instance). So, cleanse with hydrogen peroxide (isopropyl [rubbing alcohol] is much to painful and strong for her nose/mouth area). I believe neosporin or bacitracin will be fine for your kitty. Check the label to see what it says about contact with the eyes...as I'm sure your cat will be using her paws to clean her face the second you put meds on it.
To summarize, monitor and do basic first aid now. Don't let her outside until this is remedied (if possible). If it spreads, suck it up, and work out a payment plan with your vet (they typically work with you) or consider "care credit" which is a super high interest credit card for emergency vet care needs.
2007-07-29 14:18:19 · answer #3 · answered by Sara B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cats don't get AIDS, that's the last stage of the human disease HIV. Cats get FIV, and this isn't a symptom of FIV (I have two FIV positive cats).
You don't give us enough of a description to actually identify the problem.
It COULD be ringworm, if there's redness on the edges of the spot. It COULD be a scrape if she went face first into something and sheared off the fur there, which would be irritated and red (my cardboard box diving cat does this when he misjudges). It COULD be a dermatitis thing. It could be a lot of things, but considering it's on the front of her face, the best I can think would be something she went face first into by accident.
A simple 'free' call to the vet to find which cream is ok to use with scrapes on cats would be what I'd do first. I think Lanacain (spelling?) was recommended for one of ours who had a cut on his ear that needed an antibiotic ointment to help heal. I got that at the drug store for $2.
2007-07-29 14:12:30 · answer #4 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can't medicate her without a diagnosis! Could be several skin conditions, like infection, allergy, ringworm, mites, etc. The vet has to see her to prescribe correct meds. You'll waste your money and risk the cat getting worse if you try various treatments with no success. Borrow money from a friend or relative?
2007-07-29 14:08:08 · answer #5 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Without seeing what you cat looks like, it could hurt her more than help her guessing on the correct med. Sorry be vet is your safest bet for correct care. Good Luck
2007-07-29 14:04:33 · answer #6 · answered by Mumbles 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like ringworm. Pretty common with cats. Have her treated by a vet or soon everyone in your household will be infected with ringworm.
2007-07-30 02:11:44 · answer #7 · answered by felinefanatic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it would be bad to take advice from just anyone
u need proffesionals
u could just go to the vet and (innocently) give a description to them of the condition and ask wat to do.
i'm sure that asking advice wouldn't cost money!
so u don't have to take your cat in for a checkup or spend a single dollar.
2007-07-29 14:08:50 · answer #8 · answered by vetwannabe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋