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Merlin is a very friendly 6 year old rescue cat who wandered into his owner’s life 2 years ago. His magical personality and outgoing nature helped him bond with his new family very quickly. About 1 year ago, they noticed a wound like lump on his nose and his breathing was quite snotty. His local veterinarian took some samples that revealed fungal cells most likely to be Cryptococcus species. He was started on some anti-fungal medication to see if the mass would respond to this therapy. Initially the mass decreased in size but when the medication was stopped it grew back very quickly. The mass even grew so large that Merlin could not breathe properly from 1 side of his nose and the skin was starting to split open. The local veterinarian sent Merlin to be assessed for surgery by a specialist and a CT scan to assess how damaged the internal structures of his nose were.

While Merlin’s owners were able to fund the scan and some of his medications for his fungal disease, surgery was not within their reach. They reached out to the Perth Vet Bill Assistance team and came to speak to Dr Martine about other medication options to try and manage this mass on his nose. On reviewing the scan and previous treatments and testing, it was decided that the best course of action was to remove the mass and most of Merlin’s nose with surgery. An additional medication was added to try and reduce his fungal burden while surgery and funding was being organised.

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On August 2, Merlin was admitted to the hospital, and a very generous surgeon donated her time to perform his surgery called a “nasal planectomy.” While this surgery does alter Merlin’s face, it removed the majority of infected tissue from both the outside and inside of his nose. This also made sure he could breathe much better and hopefully allow medication to better control the remaining fungal infection. Merlin recovered very well in hospital and spent one night at Perth Vet Emergency to ensure his was fully recovered with good control of his pain before he went home.

Pictures from before and after his surgery are below, but be warned, some are a bit graphic due to the nature of the surgery.

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Merlin is currently still healing up from the procedure but the owners are so happy with his progress. He is bright, happy, breathing much better and still the most outgoing friendly cat they have ever met. The ongoing management of his infection will require long courses of medication and repeat testing. We will continue to update you on his progress, as his wound heals and he continues to fight this nasty infection.

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Nasal Disease in Cats

Sneezing, coughing, a watery or runny nose can all be signs of nasal disease in cats. In some cases a change in the shape or appearance of the nose can also occur. Snoring or excessive noise when breathing can also indicate nasal disease may be occurring. In some cases it may be something simple like a “cold/allergies” or “cat flu,” in other cases it may be something more serious like fungal disease, bacterial infection or neoplasia (cancer.)

The most difficult part of diagnosing nasal disease is determining where the problem is occurring. In some cases there may be more than one part of the body affected. Cat flu can affect the eyes, nose, mouth and even sometimes lungs in cats with severe cases. If your cat is sneezing, coughing or having any discharge from their eyes or nose they should be assessed by a vet as soon as possible. If at any time, there is blood your pet should be assessed urgently by a veterinarian.

Cat Flu

Symptoms vary from cat to cat and may be as minimal as a few sneezes to a full upper respiratory infection with creamy nose or eye discharge, coughing and fever. This always starts with a viral infection but can be more complicated when bacteria take advantage of the weak immune system. Similar to flu in humans, it is highly contagious and can be spread by anything a water droplet can stick to (clothing, plants, toys, food bowls, etc.) and direct contact among cats. If you suspect your cat has cat flu, see your veterinarian straight away to reduce the severity of the infection. If left untreated some cats may develop more serious infections or even pneumonias.

Sudden Sneezing with Blood

Blood from the nose is usually a sign of something damaging the inside of the nose. This can happen when things get stuck in the nose – blades of grass, grass seeds, or other plant materials are most common. As with most things, if you suddenly see blood your pet should be assessed As soon as possible, as sudden blood loss can be life threatening. Other causes for blood from the nose are usually severe bacterial or viral infection, fungal infection, blood clotting disorders or cancers. A vet will need to perform testing to determine the cause and appropriate treatment for these problems.

Allergic Nasal Diseases

Cats do not get “Hay Fever” like humans. Often allergies in cats will present with skin or gastrointestinal disease rather than sneezing or coughing. In some unlucky cats, chronic inflammation or recurrent viral infections will cause ongoing flare-ups of sneezing, discharge or even eye irritation. Often ongoing management for these cases includes medications and environmental enrichment to help reduce stress. If your cat seems to get “hay fever” or a cold multiple times in a year then you should see your veterinarian.

Polyps

As cats love to be special and different, they get a strange growth called a polyp which can cause nose discharge or snoring type noises in cats. They grow most often from the tympanic bulla (part of the inner ear) which connects to the back of the nose/throat. If they get big enough they can press on the back of the nose or throat and cause snoring noises, or trap bacteria causing infections. Finding the polyps is quite tricky as these are not easy places to see in an awake cat. Often full diagnosis requires advanced imaging, such as CT scans, of the head and neck. These polyps can be removed but if not done properly they will grow back. Full proper often removal requires surgically opening the inner ear to remove the base of the polyp.

Fungal Nasal Diseases

Fungal disease of the nose is more common than most people are aware. In Australia, the most common fungus to infect the nose is a Cryptococcus species. This fungus occurs naturally on all eucalyptus type trees, in pigeon droppings and many soils will also contain the fungus. Fungus loves warm moist environments and once in the nose, it can be a difficult to manage disease. A less common type of fungus called Aspergillus species can also infect the noses of cats but it is much less common. Testing is required to fully identify these types of infections and they can be difficult to manage.

Neoplasia

Sudden changes in the shape, colour or size of your cat’s nose may be caused by some of the above diseases but can also be a sign of something much more aggressive like cancer. Sun damage is a common cause of black crusting or ulcerated areas of especially pale noses. In Australia the sun is much harsher than other places around the world and we see a lot more skin damage as a result. Other changes like growths or swellings of the nose may be caused by tumours internally or externally. Further testing is required to diagnose and determine the best options for these diseases.

If you have noticed any changes to your cat’s nose, or any nasal discharge it should be checked by your veterinarian. If you think you cat may have fungal disease or a more serious condition, please contact us and book a consult to see how best we can help you manage the problem.

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