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Sphynx Skin Tags?

tattedupmimi

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Hey all,

I have two sphynx cats (brother and sister) about 3 years old. I noticed that the boy Pugsley had what looks like a skin tag on his back for awhile however now he is getting more of them on his back. I also noticed the girl Wednesday is starting to get them as well. I mentioned it to the vet when they got their annual rabies shots and she was not concerned. I am concerned however because these are my babies and they are starting to get small fleshy raised bumps on them. I have never had this with my other sphynx years ago.

Any recommendations or thoughts as to what this could be and how to treat?

Thank you in advance!
 

Condo commando

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You mentioned annual rabies shots....that's the law technically....but for indoor cats this is one of those things where there's a lot of controversy. Also I'm not sure if you know but there is a 3-year vaccine you might want to ask your vet about.

I'm sorry I don't have experience dealing with post vaccine issues but hopefully someone else can chime in.
 

tattedupmimi

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You mentioned annual rabies shots....that's the law technically....but for indoor cats this is one of those things where there's a lot of controversy. Also I'm not sure if you know but there is a 3-year vaccine you might want to ask your vet about.

I'm sorry I don't have experience dealing with post vaccine issues but hopefully someone else can chime in.

I did talk to my vet about the 3-year shot and they do not offer it unfortunately. I do not believe the bumps are due to the vaccinations however that could be a possibility. I mainly mentioned the shots to let others know that I did talk to my vet about the bumps. I will post a picture of the bumps when I get home so maybe that will help. Thank you!
 

tattedupmimi

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Do you have pics of the tags you can share with us?
I am going to attach some right now. The first two pics are the boy and the other two pics are the girl. She scratches at hers however the boy does not.
20180409_175757.jpg20180409_175800.jpg 20180409_180327.jpg 20180409_180335.jpg
 

Condo commando

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Now that I see that, I have seen those before but they always go away by themselves in a couple of days so I haven't worried about them. It's mostly my white girl that gets them and she'll only have like 2 at a time and like I said, they disappear on their own. Hopefully someone else will chime in if they think it's something that we need to worry about.
 

tattedupmimi

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Now that I see that, I have seen those before but they always go away by themselves in a couple of days so I haven't worried about them. It's mostly my white girl that gets them and she'll only have like 2 at a time and like I said, they disappear on their own. Hopefully someone else will chime in if they think it's something that we need to worry about.
I have been keeping an eye on them and they have been on them for months. The boy (the red) has had the bigger one on his back for about a year and a half. He just started to get other smaller ones. The girl is starting to get them now as well and they seem to continue to keep popping up. It's very odd. They don't seem to hurt them but I am a bit concerned that they keep popping up and sticking around.
 

Condo commando

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OK I understand why you are worried. I think on my cat they are acne pimples since the skin oils aren't absorbed by hair....at least this is my theory.

I think the other thing I would look for is, do the bumps get bigger, change in color, get hard, or anything weird? If any of that happens it's probably time to see an oncologist because they have the most experience with growths and could probably tell you a lot just by looking at it. If they suspect anything they would probably want to do a fine needle aspirate which isn't any big deal. It's good you're on top of things.
 

tattedupmimi

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OK I understand why you are worried. I think on my cat they are acne pimples since the skin oils aren't absorbed by hair....at least this is my theory.

I think the other thing I would look for is, do the bumps get bigger, change in color, get hard, or anything weird? If any of that happens it's probably time to see an oncologist because they have the most experience with growths and could probably tell you a lot just by looking at it. If they suspect anything they would probably want to do a fine needle aspirate which isn't any big deal. It's good you're on top of things.
The bump on my boy's back has been slowly getting bigger. I was able to get a puss type substance out about a year ago however I have not been able to get anything out of it since. I will see if I can locate a reasonably priced vet to take a look for a second opinion. I am a single mama so finances are limited. I was going to try to start using coconut oil on them before baths to see if that could help at all? I have heard coconut oil is amazing on sphynx cats?
 

Yoda mom

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@tattedupmimi , here is a link


Sphynx Skin Conditions

You can also post in the vet section for vet recommendations in your area
I used to live in Colorado miss it!

Is the Dr Jeff vet from the TV show near you ? To call for a recommendation for your area?

All paws crossed for your babies


Any change of litter ? Scented litters? Food changes?
 
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Condo commando

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No experience here with coconut oil, sorry. If you are near a vet school, I would check their prices because often they have clinics that charge less because it's an opportunity for their students. Those students if they are studying oncology or any specialty would have already had to graduate from regular vet school, so it's not like they don't know anything and anyway they are supervised.

In my experience, because I've had cats with tumors and cancer, if a vet suspected something the next step was a fine needle aspirate where they use a very fine needle to extract liquid from the site of the growth. They examine that in the lab. I've had a few of these done over the years on different cats and it wasn't expensive.

But FWIW my gut feel is that it if it was anything serious after a year and half you'd have an obvious sign, and since you don't I think the signs are positive :)
 

tattedupmimi

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@tattedupmimi , here is a link


Sphynx Skin Conditions

You can also post in the vet section for vet recommendations in your area
I used to live in Colorado miss it!

Is the Dr Jeff vet from the TV show near you ? To call for a recommendation for your area?

All paws crossed for your babies


Any change of litter ? Scented litters? Food changes?
Thank you for the link! My babies have had the same little and same food since I brought them home 3 years ago. I have had a suspicion that the food has changed a bit because it smells way different now than it used to (for the past few deliveries). I use Royal Canine which I had no idea had so many fillers in it. I have been thinking about slowly changing them to a grain free diet to see if that helps any. I use the breeze system for litter (which I love!). Dr. Jeff is about an hour south of where I live however that's not too far if it can tell me what is wrong with my babies! Also, I do not use any scented detergents or anything either, my 6 month old daughter is very sensitive to fragrance. I have three sensitive babies in the house (my daughter and my two hairless fur babies)!
 

Yoda mom

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Some get clogged up pores
Vet may suggest a shampoo to try first ?
I always ask the vet for the conservative least intrusive things to try first and go from there

I love Hylyt shampoo my vets office sells I get it online for about $10
It's soap free Hypoallergenic easy rinse

You can ask your vet about Hylyt shampoo and a shampoo duoxo a member posted about in the past
@NinaGato


We can't diagnosis but can share our experiences to talk with a vet about for your babies
 

tattedupmimi

Lairian
Joined
Dec 26, 2012
Messages
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Points
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Some get clogged up pores
Vet may suggest a shampoo to try first ?
I always ask the vet for the conservative least intrusive things to try first and go from there

I love Hylyt shampoo my vets office sells I get it online for about $10
It's soap free Hypoallergenic easy rinse

You can ask your vet about Hylyt shampoo and a shampoo duoxo a member posted about in the past
@NinaGato


We can't diagnosis but can share our experiences to talk with a vet about for your babies
Thank you for the recommendation!
 
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