What is the black stuff on my cat's nose?

The black substance on a cat's nose may be due to dust or oil deposits, nasal secretions, skin diseases, or pigment deposits. First, observe if the black substance on your cat's nose is crusty or if there is hair loss around the area. If not, it may be caused by dust deposits or high-fat food, and you can use pet wet wipes to wipe the cat's nose. If there are crusts, hair loss, or other abnormal symptoms, it is recommended to go to the hospital for testing and treatment.

Causes of black nose in cats

There are generally four reasons for a cat's nose to turn black:

First, if the cat's living environment has a lot of dust or the food contains high levels of fat, and the owner does not regularly help the cat clean its nose, blackening of the nose may occur.

Second, cats will experience pigment deposition during their growth process, but this does not affect their health and therefore does not require treatment.

Third, when cats suffer from feline upper respiratory tract infections or viral stomatitis, they may have a runny nose. If this is not cleaned for a long time, it will form a black crust. This may be accompanied by loss of appetite, crying, red and swollen mouth, and pain. It is recommended to take the cat to the hospital for PCR testing.

Fourth, if the cat's nose is infected with a skin disease, it will form a crust and turn black. Microscopic examination is required.

Judging cat skin diseases

Common areas of cat skin diseases include the nose, ears, abdomen, back, and paw pads. Usually, the initial symptoms are redness, frequent scratching of one area, and dandruff. Later, the main symptoms are hair loss, bleeding from the itchy area, and crusting. The causes of these symptoms in cats may be fungal or bacterial infections. It is recommended to take skin scrapings or hair from the cat to the hospital for microscopic observation to determine the cause and treat with antifungal or antibacterial drugs.