I noticed today that the edges of my cat’s ears have become dry, cracked and black, like the skin is dying. It doesn’t seem to bother her, probably because she has worse problems (liver cancer), but it’s rather disturbing. (photo here) - Beware! Kind of gross!
I’ve already got an email with the photos off to the vet and will probably talk to her tomorrow, but is anyone out there familiar with this? Any ideas on why it might be happening or if anything can or should be done about it.
Granted, I’m expecting her to expire pretty much any day now. I’m partly wondering if this is a sign of The End or just one element of her systems breaking down. It seems to have happened very suddenly. And though she is a little mopey, overall she doesn’t seem to be in pain or suffering terribly at the moment. Or maybe I’m just unwilling to see it. 
All this over crusty ears? She might be getting them in her food. She’s fine, I’d say.
No, the skin itself if black and dried out. It’s not something ON the skin.
I have no idea, but I have great sympathy. I lost one to liver disease a few years ago, when he was 15+ YO.
Perhaps her liver condition is affecting her circulation. The tissue at the edges of a cat’s ears is so thin, I would expect it might necrotize easily.
Does she go outside? It almost sounds like frostbite, but I can’t see it clearly enough in the photo. It could also be a fungal infection, I suppose. That would fluoresce if you looked at it with a blacklight. If it’s fungal, your vet can give you an ointment or wash for it. (My chihuahua had an infection like that in his ears once.) Probably better not to do anything about it at all until the vet sees it, and it sounds like you already have enough to be concerned about with her, the poor li’l turnip
That’s kind of what I was thinking. I’m still trying to get hold of the vet. But as I recall one of the long-term side effects of the steroid she’s taking is diabetes (unless I’m misremembering). She’s only been on it for about 10 weeks but between peeing out what seems like twice her body weight and now the ears, I’m beginning to wonder if that might be what’s happening. Poor turnip, indeed!