Most often, you can encounter Jacobs ulcer or herpes in a cat on the lip, which an inexperienced cat owner can distinguish by the behavior of the animal. If a cat has a sore on her lip that bothers her from the beginning of the rash, it’s herpes; Jacobs’ ulcer is at first only a “cosmetic” defect—its appearance does not cause pain.
In a cat, herpes on the lip requires urgent treatment, since when the condition worsens, a dangerous disease appears - rhinotracheitis, which affects the respiratory tract and organs of vision. Symptoms of the disease are fever, constant runny nose, a sign of which is frequent sneezing and mucus discharge from the nose. Low immunity in cats contributes to the introduction of the herpes virus. Most often it is caused by poor living conditions:
Insufficiently balanced diet;
Hypothermia and unfavorable emotional background.
You can tell that an animal is sick by a change in its behavior - it refuses to eat, stops caring for its skin, and hides in dark corners. Because of purulent discharge the eyelids stick together and the eyes become narrow, like slits, the areas of fur around the nose are constantly dirty.
Herpes is also dangerous because when purulent discharge appears, a favorable environment is created for the addition of a secondary infection - the appearance of a bacterial and fungal infection.
To treat the disease, “human” tablets are prescribed - “Acyclovir” - which must be used only under medical supervision and as prescribed by a veterinarian, as they can cause serious by-effect– liver damage.
Ointments with an antiherpes component, as well as antimycotic and antibacterial drugs are used as topical preparations.
It is necessary to improve the living conditions of the animal - to provide it with the most comfortable conditions: peace in a warm room and food that suits it at this stage. A pet exhausted by illness sometimes has to be force-fed with semi-liquid or liquid food.
If herpes appears on a cat’s lip in a cattery or in a group of animals, then the rest become infected quickly enough and become carriers of the disease themselves. Most susceptible to viral infection little kittens, immune status which is the most unstable. Pedigree animals become infected much more often.
If an ulcer appears on a cat's lip, you should definitely take the animal to diagnose the disease.
The origin of Jacobson's ulcer is still unknown - this is a rather rare disease, mainly found in purebred animals, the breeding of which was carried out using closely related relationships.
The disease begins with a small pink spot, which is not immediately noticeable. The localization of the neoplasm is most often on the upper lip - on its middle part, but an erosive defect can also occur on the upper lip or in the oral cavity.
The cat itself does not notice the slight erosion on the lip, its behavior does not change, and it begins to express some concern only when it increases. Gradually it turns into a widespread erosion, resembling eczema with an ulcerated surface, and the feeding process becomes difficult.
The disease progresses, the gum bones and tooth roots are gradually exposed, but when the animal is at rest, there is still no pain effect. Jacobs ulcer is considered a precancerous condition, but the fact that an oncological process will develop is not necessary.
To eliminate the disease, the following is prescribed:
Antihistamines;
Hormonal drugs-corticosteroids
- “Dexamethasone”, “Cortisone”, “Prednisolone”;
Immunostimulants.
When treating a cat for Jacobson's Ulcer, it is necessary to change the diet - it is recommended to use low-allergenic food.
Owners should contact a veterinarian immediately after a sore appears on a cat’s lip, without trying to cure it themselves. This is the only way to stop the development of the disease, which can be quite serious and lead to the death of the pet.
Whatever ulcers on a cat’s lip occur, it is necessary to carry out treatment under constant biochemical control in order to exclude the development of serious complications - diabetes mellitus, dysfunction of the liver and urinary system.
Jacobs ulcer - defect skin, which is most often found in the area upper lip cats, but can also appear on other parts of the body (lower lip, stomach, cheeks, etc.). It's pretty rare disease, found in animals with weakened immune systems.
Yard and outbred cats get sick much less often than purebred cats. This is most likely due to the good and strong genetics of the former, which cannot be said about the second category of pets, whose immunity and genotype were undermined as a result of numerous inbreedings in the past.
Jacobs ulcer, prone to progressive growth of the defect, is a precancerous condition of the skin, and if not properly treated, it can develop into sarcoma or fibroma. In another way, this pathology is also called eosinophilic granuloma or eosinophilic ulcer.
Causes of Jacobs ulcer
On this moment veterinary science does not have reliable information about the causes of eosinophilic ulcers in cats. There are three theories of the etiology of ulcers, each of which has a right to exist.
The first theory is viral etiology
It is known that cats that have had viral leukemia in the past are more likely to develop ulcers. But there are cases of granuloma development in those animals that have never been infected with leukemia.
Most likely, the formation of Jacobs ulcer is associated with low immunity, undermined as a result of the introduction of any virus into the body, rather than with the presence or absence of antibodies to the leukemia virus in the blood.
The second theory is allergic origin
Jacobs ulcer consists of eosinophilic granulations. And as you know, eosinophils, that is, white blood cells or leukocytes, are responsible for the body’s autoimmune response to the introduction of an allergen. Allergens can be very diverse:
Predisposing factors to the formation of Jacobs ulcer
The following predisposing factors are directly related to the development of a pathology such as Jacobs ulcer:
Signs of Jacobs ulcer in cats
As mentioned above, Jacobs ulcer most often appears in the upper lip in its middle part. In more rare cases, it can develop on the lower lip, and even less often in the oral cavity itself.
- At the beginning of development inflammatory process the owner may notice a small reddish spot on the skin of a furry pet.
- Over time, the spot begins to grow, gradually turning into a huge, weeping eczema of irregular shape with multiple ulcerations.
- The further it goes pathological process, the more the defect intensifies: teeth and gums are exposed.
A characteristic feature of Jacobs ulcer is the absence pain syndrome and itching, that is general state the cat does not change in any way, and the inflammation itself does not bother the pet in any way and does not bring him any inconvenience.
How to diagnose Jacobs ulcer?
Diagnosing Jacobs ulcer does not cause any particular difficulties for a competent specialist.
- Diagnosis is made based on characteristic clinical signs (appearance and no signs of healing).
- IN difficult cases The veterinarian may suggest that the cat's owner perform a biopsy and test the animal's blood for hormones to determine the condition of the pituitary gland and adrenal glands.
- Among other things, the owner of a sick cat must inform the doctor about the presence or absence of a history of viral leukemia.
After comparing all the data, the specialist makes a final diagnosis.
During diagnosis, it is necessary to clearly differentiate Jacobs ulcer from an ordinary infectious ulcer, damage to the mucous membrane and neoplasm, since the treatment of these processes is radically different.
How to treat eosinophilic granuloma?
The disease cannot be classified as simple, so the animal must be treated under the supervision of a veterinarian. The main condition is to start therapy as early as possible so that the process does not progress to cancerous tumor, which, unfortunately, can no longer be treated.
Before prescribing medications, a skin allergy test is performed to prevent allergic dermatitis. This makes it possible to quickly eliminate the effect of the allergen on the cat’s body.
Also, during the treatment period, it is best to include special low-allergenic food in the cat’s diet.
Important! During treatment, it is necessary to carry out constant biochemical monitoring of the cat’s blood serum and urine so that complications do not develop: kidney disease, diabetes, damage to the genitourinary system.
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Medicine does not know for sure why it occurs. this pathology in animals. There are three scientific opinions, they are not proven, but each of them may be correct.
It has been scientifically proven that those cats that have had viral leukemia are more prone to developing Jacobs ulcer.
But the disease also develops in those cats that have never had leukemia. Most likely, Jacobs' ulcer occurs against the background of reduced immunity, damaged by the virus entering the body, and not with the presence of the leukemia virus in the cat's blood.
The ulcer is formed from eosinophilic granulations. Eosinophils, in turn, are designed to combat external allergens. A cat's body can be affected by various allergens, such as pollen, dust, food, medicines, fungi, mold and the like.
Diagnosis of Jacobs disease in cats
It has already been described that the disease manifests itself mainly in the area of the upper lip, namely in its middle part. Jacobs ulcers are less common on the lower lip, and even more rarely they appear in the mouth.
At the initial stage of the disease, a small reddish spot appears on the cat’s skin. As the disease develops, the spot becomes noticeably larger and, as a result, turns into a weeping eczema of enormous size. This formation has an irregular shape with a large number of expressions. The longer the disease progresses, the more noticeable the defect becomes: Jacobs ulcer affects the gums and teeth.
This pathology is characterized by the absence of pain. The ulcer doesn't even itch. That is, it does not bother the cat, and the animal’s condition does not change, the cat does not feel any discomfort.
The development of the disease begins with the appearance of a small red spot on the lip. On early stage the disease cannot be noticed. After a few days, the spot grows, ulcers form, grow, become wet and burst.
At this stage, the general condition of the cat does not change in any way. Appetite and activity remain normal, the ulcers do not itch and do not bother the pet in any way. Despite this, the infection is not so harmless.
- An ulcer on a cat's lip is a sign of a malfunction immune system.
- Jacobs disease can cause cancer, sarcoma and fibroma.
Noticing sores on a cat's lips, some owners do not attach much importance to it, hoping that everything will go away on its own. If we are talking about an ordinary wound on the skin or mucous membrane, received while eating or during a fight with another cat, then it will heal really quickly.
Although in these cases it is advisable to show the animal to a veterinarian and be sure to disinfect the damaged area. However, there are situations that are much more serious. These are sores called herpes and Jacobs ulcer (the second name is eosinophilic granuloma).
Herpes in a cat
Thus, an ulcer on a cat’s lips may turn out to be herpes, the virus of which can infect not only people, but also animals. As a rule, if the cat is healthy and his body is strong, the pathogen behaves passively.
However, as soon as the pet’s immunity decreases, or the pet becomes ill with something, herpes appears in the form of sores on the lips (both upper and lower). They look like pink bubbles that periodically burst and become covered with a yellow crust.
Herpes on the lips brings severe suffering to the cat. It hurts and itches. The cat feels anxious, cannot eat normally, and tries to scratch the sore all the time. This contributes to its growth and deterioration of the condition as a whole.
If a sore similar to herpes is discovered, your pet must be taken to veterinary clinic where they will examine him and take him necessary tests, make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The disease in cats does not always go away on its own. Often the consequences of a sore on the lip are rhinotracheitis, which manifests itself:
- constant sneezing;
- secretion of mucus from the nasal tract, which gets into the cat's eyes, causing them to stick together;
- increased temperature;
- weakness;
- lack of appetite.
Rhinotracheitis is considered dangerous disease for cats. It can even lead to fatal outcome. Sometimes other infections develop against the background of herpes. However, even if complications were avoided, a sore on the lips caused by the herpes virus significantly reduces the cat’s quality of life.
This can be seen in her behavior. In advanced situations, the animal stops licking itself, its fur becomes dirty, and crusts hang in the lip area. The cat loses weight, hides from people under beds and in other dark places, shakes its head, and meows pitifully. She needs help.
Your doctor will tell you how to treat a viral sore on a cat’s lip. Usually the same drugs are used as for humans. It is imperative to consult a specialist. Many herpes medications are toxic and misuse there is a risk that a sore on the lip will result in serious liver damage.
Jacobs ulcer
Jacobs ulcer in cats is another dangerous disease. It is considered quite rare, and if it affects, it usually affects purebred pets that do not have strong immunity. At the same time, yard cats are practically insured against this disease. The second name of the sore is eosinophilic granuloma, which is considered a precancerous condition.
The ulcer looks like this pink spot. There is no fur on it. Painful sensations the lesion does not cause, and may not cause any discomfort to the cat for a very long time. However, if you find an ulcer on your cat’s lip, you need to carefully monitor it. Eosinophilic granuloma will grow steadily.
In advanced stages, it resembles a huge erosion that can expose the roots of the teeth and, affecting the mucous membrane of the gums, expose their bones. In this state, the cat can no longer eat normally due to the sore, and its condition is rapidly deteriorating. The causes of Jacobs' ulcer are:
The trigger for the appearance of a sore on the lip or other parts of the body (stomach, ear, cheek) can be:
Jacobs ulcer on the lip (and not only) requires compulsory treatment. Without it, it can degenerate into oncology. Although this does not happen in all cases, the sore itself can kill the animal. This cannot be done without the help of a veterinarian. As a rule, doctors prescribe complex therapy, which includes:
- corticosteroids;
- antihistamines;
- immunostimulants.
If a cat has a sore on its lip and does not go away for a relatively long time, the pet should definitely be shown to a specialist. Timely diagnosis and initiation of treatment guarantee fast decision Problems. The disease will be overcome, and serious consequences will be excluded. Delaying a trip to the veterinary clinic does not bode well. The cat’s health and even his life are at stake.
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