SYMPTOM
Non-healing wound on nose or ears
A scab, crust or sore on the nose, the bridge of the nose or the ear tips that persists, or that scabs over and then reopens. The area may look red, raised or weepy, may bleed or ulcerate, and there may be more than one patch. In white or pale-skinned cats, the ear tips, nose and eyelids are where sun-related skin changes most often appear.
Chronic Sun Exposure (Solar Dermatitis)
Repeated ultraviolet exposure damages the thin, sparsely haired skin of the nose bridge and ear tips, beginning as redness and scaling and progressing over months to years to crusting and non-healing ulceration. White and pale-coated cats are markedly more susceptible, and outdoor cats that sunbathe are at greatest risk. Left unaddressed, these changes can transform into squamous cell carcinoma.
Autoimmune Skin Disease
Pemphigus foliaceus and related autoimmune conditions cause the immune system to attack the skin's own cell junctions, producing crusted, erosive lesions that commonly affect the nose, ear margins and footpads. Lesions can wax and wane but characteristically fail to heal with routine wound care. Onset can occur at any age.
Insect Bite Hypersensitivity
An exaggerated allergic reaction to mosquito bites causes crusted, ulcerated sores on the sparsely haired nose, ear tips and footpads, typically appearing during warmer months when mosquitoes are active. Outdoor and part-outdoor cats are most affected, and lesions are often symmetrical across both ears or nostrils. Swelling and itching commonly accompany the crusting.
Infectious Skin Disease
Dermatophyte (ringworm) infection and feline cowpox virus, the latter typically acquired from a rodent bite or scratch while hunting, both produce crusted, slow-healing facial lesions in outdoor cats. Cowpox usually starts as a single bite wound from a rodent on the head, neck or a leg, and further sores can then appear elsewhere, notably on the paws and ears. It is seen more often in autumn, most cats recover over six to eight weeks, and it can pass to people. Bacterial infection can further delay healing of any open wound in this location.
Traumatic Injury
Bite and scratch wounds from territorial disputes with other cats are a common cause of facial and ear injury, and can be slow to heal in this location when grooming or head-shaking keeps reopening them. Outdoor, unneutered male cats sustain these injuries most frequently. A wound that fails to close after several weeks raises the question of whether an underlying cause is delaying healing.
Why timing matters
Early observation
Skin cancer of the ear tips and nose in cats often starts as small scabby or crusty areas. When it is found while it is small and completely removed, a full recovery is possible: if only the ears are affected, removing part or all of the ear flap can cure it, and hearing is kept.
Later presentation
Left to grow, these areas can become raised, weepy and ulcerated, and nearly half of cats diagnosed with this skin cancer have more than one lesion. A persistent scab cannot be told apart from early cancer, autoimmune disease or infection by looking at it at home.
Sun-related patches tend to get worse in summer and improve in winter, so a winter improvement does not mean the problem has gone.
Conditions commonly associated
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Persistent sores or ulcers on sun-exposed areas that fail to heal may indicate squamous cell carcinoma.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Cats
Squamous cell carcinoma often develops on sun-exposed areas such as the nose and ear tips, particularly in white-coated cats, beginning as superficial changes that may progress to erosive, non-healing lesions. The tissue damage from ultraviolet exposure can present as a wound-like appearance that fails to resolve over time.
Pemphigus
Pemphigus foliaceus can cause crusting, erosions, and raw areas on the nose and ears as the immune system attacks the connections between skin cells in these regions. The resulting lesions may appear wound-like and tend not to heal without addressing the underlying autoimmune process.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasal Planum
This cancer typically begins as a small sore on the nose that fails to heal and slowly enlarges.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Pinna in Cats
A sore on the ear tip that scabs over and reopens rather than healing can reflect sun-damaged skin progressing to squamous cell carcinoma, particularly in white or pale-eared cats.
Mosquito Bite Hypersensitivity in Cats
Ongoing hypersensitivity to fresh bites can keep bitten areas on the nose and ears from healing between exposures, giving the appearance of a persistent wound.
Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
The immune attack on the junction between the skin's layers interferes with normal healing, so affected areas of the nose or ears often develop sores that persist rather than closing over.
When to explore further
When the symptom is persistent or worsening
When other signs are present alongside
When daily activities or quality of life are affected
When there is uncertainty about the cause
Noting when this symptom occurs, any triggers, and how it changes over time can provide useful information for veterinary discussions.
Last reviewed: 9 October 2026 · Dr Alastair Greenway MRCVS