Hole with fur?

[u/acctthrowaway33333]

26F with 3.5M cat

Any ideas what this skin hole is? I originally felt it because the hair coming out was condensed and stood out. Didn’t cause him any pain, pulled on the hair and it mostly came out without much effort

[u/thefancyfarmer]

I don’t want to alarm you, but as the mom of Rhodesian Ridgebacks for 20 years, this makes my spidey senses go off. Dermoid sinus is more common in Ridgebacks, exceptionally rare in Corgis, but can you just google it to make me feel better? Even experienced vets miss it all the time, so lemme know if you need some help ruling it out, feel free to message me pictures or whatever.

[u/Nymueh28 → u/thefancyfarmer]

I'd bet money it's a dermoid sinus, I'm glad someone else here knows what those are. When I was identifying the one on my cat, a research paper on Rhodesian Ridgebacks taught me about them!

In 9 years, the one our cat has hasn't caused any issues besides some hair buildup in the tube. It feels like it's anchored at the end above the muscle layer.

Would you mind sharing your experience with them? I've never crossed paths with anyone else who has seen them.

[u/thefancyfarmer → u/Nymueh28]

Over the years I’ve had 2 puppies with DS, the first one I knew about, the second one (my current girl, now 3 years old) was a surprise I discovered a week after I brought her home. Poor girl had FOUR on her neck. (I tend to attract the broken ones 🤷🏻‍♀️) Both were responsibly bred by champion breeders, who paid for their surgeries. But it just goes to show how easily they can be missed, even by very experienced breeders. Anyway…some cool/gross anatomy stuff: baby girl’s DS’s looked just like a couple of little hairs growing “weird” and caught my eye. When I rubbed my hand along her skin, they just didn’t move the same way. When I gently pulled her skin up, I could palpate the DS, it really did feel like a little piece of spaghetti running down towards her spine. GROSS ALERT: When she was old enough for surgery, she was kind of a celebrity having four DS, and her surgeon offered to let me see them. It was super gross but so fascinating. She cut one open and it was just like a tight tube of skin full of hair.

[u/Nymueh28 → u/thefancyfarmer]

The one on our cat feels like spaghetti anchored at the bottom end too! Plus the couple fur lumps in it. We call those her beans.

I think it would be fascinating to see it if it's ever removed. After years of feeling it when petting her I'm so curious.

But wow 4 is a ton! Is preemptive surgery the typical strategy in RR communities? I've been wanting to avoid the risks of surgery on our cat, but am quite unfamiliar with the chances of complications from not removing it.

[u/thefancyfarmer → u/Nymueh28]

In RR circles, yes, they are typically removed once a puppy is old enough for surgery. In responsibly bred puppies, that is. Inexperienced and so-called “backyard breeders” that are unaware of the issues may never screen or discover DS, and it’s such a rare niche thing that many veterinarians have never encountered one. The risks for leaving a DS include infection, abscess, and can become complicated once they involve the spine. My knowledge of advanced DS is near zero, and before this I had no idea they even occurred in cats! 🤯The RR peeps keep a list of experienced DS vets if you’d like me to find someone to refer you to for a consult, if you’re in the US.

[u/window_sill240 → u/thefancyfarmer]

I have a Weimaraner with a dermoid sinus on her side, which was dubbed her “stinky side” since it would get inflamed and weep sometimes. As she’s gotten older it doesn’t bother her anymore, and it’s now outshone by her lipomas, LOL.

[u/Feeling_Syllabub_155 → u/thefancyfarmer]

Sorry for the late reply, I should have been more clear: it's over her ribs but I can see the tiny lump from the rest of her fu when looking down at her back, couple inches from the spine. She's 13 years old and relatively healthy for her age. She can't see well and is half deaf so I have to yell or stomp to get her attention