Many pet owners become worrywarts when it comes to their animal companions because they would rather be safe than sorry regarding health issues.
They become keenly aware of even minor changes because they know that those could potentially be hinting at something being seriously wrong. Since our pets cannot let us know if they feel sick or something similar to that, we take it upon ourselves to watch closely over their health.
The challenge for pet owners is figuring out if the appearance of something unusual necessitates a visit to the vet or further observation.
For instance, what should you do if you suddenly find discover that your cat has brown stuff around their mouth? Do you need to treat that as some kind of emergency or is it just something that cats normally develop?
Uncertainty is the enemy when you’re a pet owner and that rings especially true when you notice an unfamiliar issue affecting your feline friend. Still, there are explanations for those unusual developments and you just need to become more familiar with them.
Continue with this article if you want to learn more about why the area around your cat’s mouth has become discolored and what you should do about that.
Why Does My Cat Have Brown Stuff Around Its Mouth?
The appearance of a brown-colored substance around your cat’s mouth can be surprising the first time you notice it and it may also cause you to think that something is seriously wrong with your pet. In many cases, that kind of discoloration is caused by abnormal drooling.
The bacteria floating around in your pet cat’s saliva may pool around their mouth and infect that area. After a while, the infection may cause the skin and hair around that area to turn brown.
Learning that the discoloration is caused by abnormal drooling may lead you to think that it’s a non-issue, but that may not be the case.
Unfortunately, abnormal drooling is a symptom that has been connected to some serious ailments so there’s a chance that something is very wrong with your pet cat.
Examples of ailments that are known to cause abnormal drooling include infections, poisoning, kidney failure, and even cancer.
Upon finding out the potential reasons why your cat may be drooling too much and changing the color of the coat, you may understandably get worried. You should definitely get your pet checked out for those aforementioned conditions so you have a better idea of what could be causing the drooling.
However, you should also know that some cats may drool excessively after getting a tooth removed. Take your cat to the veterinarian to find out if a recent procedure can explain their drooling and their discolored coat.
What Is The Brown Crust Around Cat’s Mouth?
From afar, you may notice some brown stuff forming around your cat’s mouth and think that their fur is simply discolored. After taking a closer look, however, you may find that the discolored spots around your cat’s mouth also have an unusual texture.
They may have a crusty texture that is unlike anything else on your cat’s body. If the brown stuff around your cat’s mouth also features a crusty texture, then you are likely dealing with a symptom of a bacterial infection known as pyoderma.
Pyoderma is characterized by the formation of crusty skin around the affected area, but that’s not the only symptom of the infection you should be watching for.
Other symptoms of pyoderma that you should be aware of include increased itchiness, the appearance of small lesions, and partial hair loss.
Most of the time, those symptoms are visible on the top layer of your cat’s skin, but they may also be present deeper into your pet’s skin folds so check there too.
Treating pyoderma properly involves taking a trip to the veterinarian together with your feline friend as soon as you possibly can.
Once you’re there, you can expect the veterinarian to give your pet some topical medication for their crusty sores along with antibiotics that will eliminate the infection itself.
The antibiotics should prevent the infection from emerging in the future, but if it does, make sure you take your cat to the vet immediately.
Why Is My Cat’s Mouth So Dirty?
We’ve already detailed the reasons why your brown stuff and crusty brown skin may accumulate close to your cat’s mouth, but those are not the only unusual developments you may notice.
While looking at your pet’s mouth, you may also find that it appears to be dirty. You may see small black spots that look like clumps of dirt near that aforementioned area. What you’re looking at may actually be a breakout of feline acne as opposed to clumps of dirt.
Hearing that your cat’s seemingly dirty mouth could be the byproduct of an acne breakout may seem strange given how it looks like.
You may be used to acne manifesting itself in the form of swollen pores, zits, and oily skin so it’s understandable that you wouldn’t recognize feline acne right away. Feline acne appears that way because their hair follicles block the oil and facilitate the creation of blackheads in the process.
Different factors can lead to a cat having an acne breakout and those include bacterial infections, allergic reactions, hormones, and even the bowls they’re using.
If your goal is to get rid of your cat’s acne, you can try changing their bowls or cleaning the area near their mouth with a soft cloth soaked in water. It’s also a good idea to take your pet cat to the veterinarian so you can find out the exact reason behind their acne breakout.
Conclusion
The area around your cat’s mouth may change in appearance for different reasons and it’s important to know the exact issue so you can address it properly. The brown substance around your cat’s mouth could be the product of nothing serious or it could also be an indicator that something is wrong with your beloved pet. Identify the issue by taking your cat to the veterinarian and start treating it right away so they can stay healthy.
