Our Siamese kitty, Percy, has a dark spot of hair on the middle
of his back that is a different color than the rest of his fur. We
first noticed this a month ago when he had a sore there. Now there
is no sore but the spot hasn’t gone away.
Q: Our Siamese kitty, Percy, has a dark spot of hair on the middle of his back that is a different color than the rest of his fur. We first noticed this a month ago when he had a sore there. Now there is no sore but the spot hasn’t gone away. There isn’t any bump and he doesn’t seem to be itchy. We thought he might have been in a fight and this was a wound. But shouldn’t it be healed by now?
A:
Several things can cause a change in coat color. And since there’s only one spot on Percy’s back, I’m suspicious that he was injured, probably in a fight with a cat or other critter. Almost any trauma to the skin can cause color change in the fur. Even something as simple as a small puncture can cause pigment alteration, especially to Siamese and other oriental-breed cats who are more susceptible to color change than other kitties.
Your question reminded me of an instance many years ago when I was a kennel assistant at a vet clinic in Redwood City. A woman rushed in with her Siamese who had just been injured (her son had dropped a large book on the cat and he was unconscious). The vet quickly started an intravenous drip with fluids and medications and this kitty made a wonderful recovery. He went home the next day acting as if nothing had happened.
Nonetheless, the owner was furious with my boss. A month later she stormed into the office to complain to him. We had clipped the fur on this cat’s leg to insert the intravenous catheter, and the owner said we should have never done that. The fur on the leg where the vet had clipped grew back very dark in color. “This is a show cat,” she screamed, “and his career is ruined!” I learned that day that I would never clip a Siamese cat’s fur unless it was absolutely necessary. (Incidentally, this woman didn’t realize how critically wounded her kitty was when he arrived. When we showed her his x-rays, and explained that IV medications probably saved his life, she apologized for her outburst.)
Your Percy’s fur might return to its original color someday, but don’t count on it. Even though his skin has healed, that persistent little spot might always be a dark reminder of his battle scar. Outside cats are susceptible to wounds like this and they also are exposed to disease passed from unhealthy feral cats. Maybe this little incident will convince you that Percy would be safer if he lived indoors rather that out.
Q:
What makes a toenail suddenly grow crooked? Our beagle, Barney, has a nail that is growing almost straight up in the air. He’s not limping, and it doesn’t bother him at all. It just looks funky. Can this be fixed?
A:
Barney probably injured this toe a while ago, and may have damaged the nail bed. If a toenail is partially avulsed (torn at its base), the nail bed will heal but there may be some scar tissue left behind. This scarring can push the growing nail into an abnormal direction. Cosmetically, this can look awful, as you have seen. But it can also cause problems if Barney gets this funky nail caught on carpet or something else as he walks or runs.
In addition, there are some other possible causes for Barney’s crooked nail. And some of these could potentially be serious. A slow-growing cancer at the base of the toenail can also cause the nail to curl abnormally. And while this isn’t a common problem in Beagles, I’d recommend you take him to his vet for an exam. Find out exactly what’s causing this deviated digit and you can get it properly treated.
Q:
Ever since we started our dog, Nicky, on a new food, she has been coughing. She seems to be healthy. She’s just as playful as ever, and acts normal and never coughs during the day. Only after she eats. Can a food be the cause of a cough?
A:
Needless to say, there are many possible causes for a cough. If the new food is very dry and crumbly, almost dusty, it could irritate her throat. Or perhaps she has an allergy or sensitivity to this new brand. Whatever the case, since Nicky started coughing when you changed to a different food, and since she feels healthy otherwise, I think it makes sense to try a therapeutic trial at home. Simple enough, start feeding her that old food she ate before she started coughing. If her symptoms go away after you switch back to the old stuff, you’ll know that the new food can’t be part of her diet anymore. But if her cough persists, be sure to have her examined soon.
