Should I worry about black discharge or a scab on my cat's nose?

Cats do quite often get a bit of black on their noses, it can be dried discharge from their noses or dirt from rubbing their paws on their faces. As long as the cat is well i would not worry about it.

Your kitten may have an upper respiratory infection, which is common in stray cats. The nasal discharge can form as black crusty discharge in the nostrils. If it is eating and drinking well and seems to be growing, you can clean the crusty discharge with a warm washcloth. At some point it needs to be examined, vaccinated, and dewormed when you can afford to do so.

I would not worry about that at the moment, as sometimes a nose can change color and become dry intermittently even nothing is wrong. However, monitor this condition and watch for sneezing, discharge from the nostrils or eyes. If this occurs, she needs to be examined by a vet as she may have a respiratory condition.

The mark on Cleo's nose looks like a bit of crusted fur. This could be due to a scab from scratching herself, or could be the start of a mild bacterial or fungal infection. As long as it doesn't seem to be bothering her, it's perfectly reasonable to keep an eye on it for a week or two before taking further action. If it gets better - problem solved! If it stays the same or gets worse, it would be best to have it checked out by a vet. During the exam, your vet may need to scrape a sample of skin cells to be examined under a microscope to get to the bottom of this issue. I hope that everything goes well!

Thanks for reaching out! That area does not appear abnormal. It may be that she scuffed a small amount of hair off or had a scab that fell off. The skin looks very normal and healthy. I would just monitor it for changes in color, itchiness, or if it begins to progress and notify your veterinarian if so.

The scabs on Moonbeams' nose could be small wounds, or could be from something like allergies. If the scabs are on the pink part of her nose and if they appear ulcerative at all they could be a sign of squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that is more common in areas exposed to the sun. I would guess the black area near her mouth is normal pigment which sometimes forms as cats get older. I would recommend having Moonbeam examined by your veterinarian for a diagnosis.

The crusts are caused by the nose running just a little, then it mixes with skin cells and bacteria or yeast to turn brown. Some cats can have a low-grade chronic upper respiratory infection to cause it. In some of these cats, a supplement called lysine can help (see link below). If the skin under the crusts appears normal, then I would just continue to clean gently with a warm wet washcloth daily. https://www.amazon.com/VetriScience-Laboratories-Vetri-Lysine-Bite-Sized/dp/B002ALE9RM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lysine+treats&qid=1602343461&sr=8-1