Cat Mange?

I've gotten a blood test done and had two visits to the vet. Nothing outstanding came through with blood test results. I thought maybe she had a bad tooth because she stopped eating and she was drooling, but I started feeding her wet as opposed to dry and at least I've got her eating again. Problem is she looks terrible. Her fur is matted and falling out on her two front paws. She's not cleaning herself as often and it looks like she's even loosing hair on her nose. Today she was bleeding from her front claw and she must have gotten it caught on something and yanked it out. My friend looked at her and asked if she had mange. I'd never heard of it, so I looked it up. She sure looks like she could indeed have it. Vet thought she had hyperthyroidism but those results came back negative. Perhaps it could be a bad tooth but I don't think her fur could be explained with a bad tooth. Any help,is appreciated. Cat is approximately 10 years old. House cat. Does not go outside.

Mange is due to tiny little parasites and even if your cat never goes out it is possible for it to be picked up. There are many other causes of fur showing poor condition and thinning / balding though. Has her fur changed condition noticeably since you took her to the vet and had the blood tests done, or did they examine her skin and coat and suggest possible reasons for the fur loss?

It does sound like she is in some discomfort with her licking her paws and affected area so I really hope you manage to find out what is happening - I do think another chat with your vet is a good idea: if the fur was like this the last time they saw her I would call them and see if they will discuss initially without another visit. If her fur condition and loss has changed since your last vet visit I would make another appointment so she can get possible causes checked.

If her teeth are bad, it could cause her discomfort to groom. That would also explain the drooling & her aversion to dry food. It may be that her gums are painful & swollen rather than a tooth problem per se.

Definitely another vet visit is needed.

I think you need to go to an internal medicine specialist. If you've been to the vet twice and they haven't suggested a battery of tests for this then it's obviously out of their scope of practice. The claw coming out could be a sign of a bigger issue and could be associated with the skin lesions. On another note the first picture you posted has officially become one of my favorite pictures. Theirs just so much personality shining through and see seems so satisfied!

Thank you all for your responses. Since I initially posted she has govern worse so far as her appearance. She appears to be losing fur in her hind paw as well. She is barely eating and is hiding from me more often now. I think I am going to have her taken to another vet. The other vet certainly seems to be disinterested in what may be the cause of her appearance and mostly dismissed me when I mentioned her appearance. He suggested dental work but said he wouldn't really know until they put her under and that may not even be the issue. She was rather alert the day I took that first picture and as I've said her appearance has worsened. I feel terrible not knowing. I will be hopefully getting her in with a new vet early next week.

I think that's for the best. Some vets just aren't cat friendly. Can you open her mouth and look inside. Do you see lesions, red spots, or ulcers? When you said the blood work was not outstanding, was their anything outside of the normal like band neutrophils or low platelets?

I posted two pages of the bloodwork. Everything really looks rather normal. Thyroid levels a tad low but he said nothing to think she had hyperthyroidism. I tried to open her mouth when she was feeling better and I couldn't see anything suspect.

She has the liver of a Titan. Theirs really nothing wrong on her blood work. It's like she's just allitle bit stressed out but in perfect health otherwise... It really just doesn't match her appearance at all.

mingsmongols said:

She has the liver of a Titan. Theirs really nothing wrong on her blood work. It's like she's just allitle bit stressed out but in perfect health otherwise... It really just doesn't match her appearance at all.

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I agree mings. Taking her tonight to another vet. I will update everyone with what info they provide. I hope I have some good news to report.

Here's wishing you luck!

Update: cat is having biopsy tomorrow. Possible auto immune or cancer of mouth. Cat has lesion under her tounge. Doctor was very thorough. She was perplexed at first but kept digging. Did skin scrape which was negative for mites. She concluded that her fur is "dirty" from the drool and became she is not grooming herself like normal, and that perhaps the auto immune would explain the hair loss. Thank you for suggesting an internal medicine type vet - I could tell the difference right away on her level of expertise vs. other doc. At least we are on the right track and the biopsy results will provide what we need to do next.

Your cat is very lucky to live with such a caring person H Harmony73 . I very much hope that with this new vet looking in to things you see your little cat healthy and well again very soon. Until we hear the outcome of the recent tests I will be thinking of you and sending positive vibes for results showing something easy to resolve.

That's great. Theirs nothing wrong with local vets but specialists train for years in their chosen field and have more diagnostic tests at their disposal. Because you found and ulcer in her mouth, her hair loss, and the 'soggy' appearance I'd also suggest testing for calicivirus to rule it out as a potential cause.

That lesion under the tongue would explain all of her symptoms. I had a cat with mouth cancer, too advanced to do surgery, that someone dumped in my neighborhood, the poor thing was black with saliva and drooled constantly. Your girl is most likely chewing on her fur from stress, and can't eat or groom because of the pain. My cat did fine for over a year on steroids, the drooling stopped and the tumor became less swollen. Don't let any one talk you out of something like steroids if your vet prescribes them, I would always hear " you know the side effects of long term steroid abuse?" but they made him so much better and he never did develop side effects. I would always tell them. "He is dying, let him be at least comfortable." I will pray that it is not cancerous, or that surgery can be done if it is. Catching it early, no matter what it is has to be good with a better prognosis. Please keep us informed, you are a wonderful cat parent!

Hello all. Bad news. Vet got her under and was able to see the extent of her tumor. She said it was advanced. And was most definitely cancer. Suddenly all her symptoms became clear with the drooling and lack of eating. As the vet already had her under, I made the decision to let her pass peacefully with no pain. A tough decision but I think it was the right one. She was the sweetest cat that we rescued from a kill shelter. She was a loyal and faithful pet until the end. I do appreciate everyone's input as it helped me make the right decisions. Thank you.

So sorry for your loss. Glad you found the right vet & your pet didn't suffer unnecessarily.

I am so sad reading your update H Harmony73 . Your decision was a difficult one but also a very brave and kind one with your cat's best interests at heart. Your love and care, and persistence in getting experienced veterinary care meant that your cat did not have to suffer longer than necessary. She was lucky to have lived in such a loving home.
Thinking of you today.

I'm so sorry for you loss. You made the right decision for your little girl and gave her a wonderful life.

lease note that this thread is now locked, to show respect for your cat H Harmony73 . The TCS team would like you to know they are very sorry to hear of your loss.

If you feel it would help to share thoughts, make a tribute to your cat and tell us more about her, you can post in our Crossing the Bridge Forum here at: Crossing the Bridge