Q: Our 8-year-old brown tabby male cat looks and acts healthy. Also, his appetite is OK eating a variety of wet and dry foods (mostly dry). His stools, however, seem to have a “white” tinge on one side. Does this indicate a negative health issue?

—Andy Porter, Clarksville

A: Hi Andy, thanks for your question about your kitty’s stool. As a general comment, in the absence of other clinical signs like changes in appetite, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea, I am not overly concerned about the “white tinge” in color in your cat’s stool. Another thing to consider is the duration that you’ve noticed this color, if it’s been present for much of his life, it’s further reason to have less concern. On the other hand, if it’s a newer finding it may at least be worth getting an exam by his vet, in which case you should take in a fresh fecal sample when you go in. Again, if you’re not noticing any other changes like the ones I mentioned above, I’m not super alarmed by this finding.

Q: I have a West Virginia Beagle — a taller beagle than the regular domestic beagles, who is 9 years old and weighs about 50 lbs. He has a dermal mass (12mm x 15mm) due to licking that is in an awkward location on his leg. We use Benadryl and Nolvasan to keep it clean but he still bites it. We have used a collar but as soon as we take it off he is licking/biting again. What are the options to remove this? We do not want to put the dog under if at all possible.

—Anna Brus, Annapolis

A: Thanks, Anna, for your question about your beagle’s dermal mass. It definitely sounds like it’s a nuisance to him (and you) and I agree with you that it would be in everyone’s best interest to have it removed. Given its size, it may be difficult to remove without general anesthesia although it may be possible with heavy sedation. With that being said, general anesthesia is relatively safe in pets without significant underlying systemic disease. Assuming he does not have any disease and pre-op blood work looks okay, I would have absolutely no hesitation putting him under general anesthesia to remove the growth. The other benefit of using general anesthesia is that, if needed, he could also have a dental cleaning and have any oral health issues addressed. I would encourage you to talk to his vet about removal ASAP!

Ask The Vet is a weekly series by Dr. Devon B. Smith, a Baltimore veterinarian who is an associate at Madonna Veterinary Clinic in White Hall. Send your pet questions or photos to vet@baltsun.com.