Dear Dr. Forsythe: My white cat Snowbell has pink ears—well, actually they are getting red on the tips. My mom says they need sunscreen, but I think she should wear a hat. Lately they have started bleeding and I’m worried some day they could fall off. Do you think they could be infected?
5th Grader, El Verano
Dear 5th Grader: Thanks for an important question. Snowbell sounds like a great cat but the ears sound like they have a serious problem. White cats with very pink ears that are crusted and sore and getting red often have pre-cancerous lesions that are very serious and need to be checked by the veterinarian. Exposure to the sun causes squamous cell carcinoma to form, and this type of skin cancer is painful and progressive.
If the ears are really crusty and the tips are already bleeding, your veterinarian may suggest cropping the affected areas off to cure the problem. This usually offers a good prognosis since this type of cancer usually does not spread to distant areas of the body. Keeping Snowbell out of the sun or using a good sunscreen (Estee Lauder makes a good spray-on with SPF) would be good. You can also use some Vitamin E on the ears to help slow down the progression of lesions to the cancerous state. Also make sure to check little Snowbell’s nose to see if it has dark areas, since the nose is often affected too, and get her checked as soon as possible. Good luck with your kitty.
Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: What does it mean when a tooth turns grayish colored? My dog recently got in the way of my son and his friends during baseball practice and “took one for the team.” We all felt terrible when it happened, and her gum bled for a few minutes, but the upper fang tooth was never loose. Now a few weeks later, I can see that the tooth is not white anymore. Please let me know if you think I need to have it pulled.
Baseball mom
Dear Baseball mom: First I want to ask you to keep your son’s dog away from the players when bats and balls are swinging. Traumatic injuries to dogs are so unfortunate and I’ve seen so many dogs receive mouth injuries during Little League season!
Often, following a traumatic injury to a tooth, localized blood destruction causes discoloration of the tooth as the pulp is released into the dentinal tubules. Discoloration goes from pink to gray to black. You should have the tooth checked and X-rayed by your veterinarian. He or she will assess the tooth for pain, and may refer you to a veterinary endodontist who could perform a root canal in order to avoid losing the tooth.
Good luck to your slugger this next season!!
Dr. F
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