cat's lower lip swollen

[Meme chan]

hello everyone, I need your help, please
we noticed a change in Meme's lip (lower lip)
it doesn't seem to bother her she eats very well drinks water and eats lots of dry food (her favorite)
her appetite has not changed

there is something else bothering me it might be related to her swollen lip that is she recently became itchy her hair is shedding (in the past one month and a half ) I comb her hair every day sometimes she comes to me and allows me to comb her again in certain areas around her neck, cheeks, and back (she doesn't have fleas) when i comb her hair i notice a small dots of old skin very tiny comes with the hair like an old wound ( at the end of the hair tip) I thought its from fighting with Rio (adult male cat) but maybe she just scratches excessively, her hair volume is the same. no bold spots or something like that.
please help, do I need to visit the vet?
I provided pictures of today and older ones from last month

the first two pictures were taken last month





today's pictures

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I think a trip to the vet would be a good idea, although this doesn't seem to be a screaming emergency. I'm wondering if she has developed allergies to either her food, or to something in the home that she is coming into contact with. Just as with humans, cats can develop allergies at any age. Go ahead and make an appointment for her reasonable soon, but don't be too anxious in the meantime. The fact that she is eating and acting normally is VERY good news!

 

[Tobermory]

It looks like an eosinophilic granuloma, commonly referred to as a rodent ulcer. I agree with Mamanyt1953 about a trip to the vet to get Meme checked out! Meme’s lip and her scratching do sound like allergies.

Many, many (many, many) years ago, I had a kitty, Teddy Bear, who got them regularly. I’d take her into the vet for treatment, she’d get a steroid shot, it would go away, and a few months later it would be back. My husband started calling her The Lip. Turns out she was allergic to the two teaspoonfuls of milk I was giving her every morning. I stopped giving her milk, and it never happened again.

 

[Meme chan]

thank you very much for your replies .. am very relieved it's not a scary thing
the only new thing that I gave to her was giving her milk every afternoon and used a new brand of salmon food two months ago
I'll see if I can find a vet appointment for her soon enough, in the meantime ill replace her food with another regular brand she used to eat before and cut milk out of her menu and see what happens

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Let us know how she does with the changes. We'll worry. We're like that.

 

[cat nap]

It looks like an eosinophilic granuloma, commonly referred to as a rodent ulcer. I agree with Mamanyt1953 about a trip to the vet to get Meme checked out! Meme’s lip and her scratching do sound like allergies.

I'd agree with Tobermory that the lip thing does look similar to a rodent ulcer, eosinophilic granuloma.

Do you by any chance use plastic food bowls or plastic drinking bowls for the cats?

I remember reading that members suggested changing plastic food bowls to stainless steel or ceramic, because it was thought that the plastic caused the allergic reaction. (cannot remember which thread I read it, though.)
It's worth a try.

she recently became itchy her hair is shedding (in the past one month and a half ) I comb her hair every day sometimes she comes to me and allows me to comb her again in certain areas around her neck, cheeks, and back (she doesn't have fleas) when i comb her hair i notice a small dots of old skin very tiny comes with the hair like an old wound ( at the end of the hair tip)

Can you comb her hair out, and have a white paper towel under it, to catch any debris or sheddings, etc.
Then add a little bit of water to it, ...to see if there is any brown or red residue from flea dirt.
This is how my Vet showed me, how he checks for flea deposits.

Your cat may not have any visible fleas, but if she has the flea poop, then it would show you that she was bitten, but the flea jumped off. Sometimes cats have allergic reactions to flea bites, but show no signs of fleas. At least that is what he told me.

If you brush her, and are only noticing the hair root, or hair follicle coming out, ...then this might be quite normal.
My guy cat sometimes has these follicles come out, when I pat him, and notice a small bump or scratch.
As long as your cat is not losing huge patches of hair, or many follicles, then I would think that would be okay.

Again, like the others have said it could all be related to food ingredients and allergies, so asking a Vet is best.
Checking if any ingredients in the food has changed is also useful, too.

 

[Tobermory]

I remember reading that members suggested changing plastic food bowls to stainless steel or ceramic, because it was thought that the plastic caused the allergic reaction. (cannot remember which thread I read it, though.)

You’re right! I’ve heard that can be an issue for some cats. My vet had me try that, and even though that wasn’t the problem in our case, I never went back to plastic. I feel like ceramic and stainless bowls are more hygienic and less likely to harbor bacteria.

 

[Meme chan]

Do you by any chance use plastic food bowls or plastic drinking bowls for the cats?

i do actually i couldn't find anything but plastic
ill try change it and see what happens

Let us know how she does with the changes. We'll worry. We're like that.

still she didn't visit the vet but her food menu changed and no milk
i noticed today her lip is less pinkish and less visible than before ..even her itchiness is becoming less aggressive

Can you comb her hair out, and have a white paper towel under it, to catch any debris or sheddings, etc.
Then add a little bit of water to it, ...to see if there is any brown or red residue from flea dirt.
This is how my Vet showed me, how he checks for flea deposits.

yes i did check it first thing, they had problems with fleas last year
it wasn't flea residue thank god but hair follicles and sometimes like small pices of skin coming with the hair

 

[cat nap]

yes i did check it first thing, they had problems with fleas last year
it wasn't flea residue thank god but hair follicles and sometimes like small pices of skin coming with the hair

The climate over here has 4 seasons, and when it becomes warm/hot...late Spring and Summer is when we usually get to seeing fleas.
It usually happens every year, so I have to apply Revolution to my cats and dog, to kill the fleas and prevent the eggs from hatching.
Not sure how the climate is where you live, but if it's hot and you had fleas last year, then you might get them again, so prevention is your best bet.

If there is a lot of skin coming off with the hair follicles, and it comes off in patches, then I'd be concerned.
Because your cat is long haired, if you can part her hair and see down to the skin...look for any redness, excess dryness or differences in the way her normal skin looks. Also try to brush her daily to help her get rid of the old hair.

Hopefully, the food menu change and no milk (as Tobermory mentioned) will correct the problem. You're already seeing a difference and over time, you'll probably see even better results. Good luck being sent your way.

 

[Meme chan]

thank you very much for your help i am seeing the difference
removed all plastic from their surrounding
her lip is becoming smaller in size and less pinkish .. still swollen but much less than first day





Mamanyt1953
Tobermory

 

[Meme chan]

If there is a lot of skin coming off with the hair follicles, and it comes off in patches, then I'd be concerned.
Because your cat is long haired, if you can part her hair and see down to the skin...look for any redness, excess dryness or differences in the way her normal skin looks. Also try to brush her daily to help her get rid of the old hair.

yes.. thanks for the advice, will keep it in mind.