Cat Acne

[Catty1]

I know there have been threads on this before, but when I did a search, there were too many choices and none of them had "acne" in the subject line.

It's the black stuff - Zoe had it when she came here as a foster (HA HA) a couple of months ago. I did the warm washcloth treatment etc...and it helped, but some is still there...and some of it has even returned.

I am going to Google this - and the HS said their vet would treat it as Zoe had it when she left there. I just wondered what others' experience was - and perhaps I can treat it at home?

Thanks!

[moosmom]

Yup! Know it well!! First, get an old toothbrush and gently scrub the chin with warm, soapy water. Rinse well and towel dry. Get some acne pads and use those, or take some 10% Benzoil Peroxide (any CVS or drug store has it in the acne cream isle) and but it into the chin. It'll clear it up. Keep doing it till the chin clears up.

Actually, acne is more prevelant on cats with white chins or totally white because colors hide things.

[Cataholic]

Also, no plastic bowls for food or water. They harbor bacteria. Wash your food stuff more often, too.

[moosmom]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I use stainless steel.

[Shady]

Here's a lengthy discussion.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=159956

It's often called Persian Dirty Face, because the dirt and food gets trapped in the long hairs around the mouth, it is not limited to Persians and is referred to as cat acne.

You can soak the crusties off rather than using a brush which may irritate the area even more and you dont want it to bleed, and risk a deeper infection. Just keep bathing gently with warm water and a textured cloth (like a face cloth, it does take time though.

Once you get it under control, the key is to keep the area clean and free of debris (food and dirt) by washing / gently bathing the area routinely. I have one cat that is chronic, she used to have frequent outbreaks, by washing her wee face every day or every other day, I avoid the outbreaks and she tolerates the washing much better than the outbreak cleanups.

I do, and have always used stainless steel dishes, I have four persians, and only one is chronic even with the precautions, she'll have an outbreak if I fail to keep it clean.

[Catty1]

Right now Zoe has a small glass bowl; my boys have stainless steel. I'll get Zoe one tomorrow.

I'll look up that OTC stuff also. The warm cloth soak helps some, but that acne needs an extra kick!

Thanks everyone.

[Felix]

Hi, it has been a while since I posted on this site. I recently had my cat Felix to the vet for acne treatment. He has blackheads under his chin and around his lips. I tried soaking his chin on a daily basis but it was doing no good so I decided to bring him to the vet.

I thought I would share with you a terrific solution that they gave me to use on Felix at the vet. First of all if you have plastic feeding bowls for your pet change them to stainless steel dishes. When Felix was at the vet a few days ago the doctor washed his chin in "Hibitane Solution". This is a pink soapy solution you rub on the cats chin and mouth to clean the area. During Felix's first washing you could see many blackheads and dirt being removed instantly. This stuff is amazing ! Felix continues to use it at home for up to 10 days. This is his 3rd day and his acne is almost cleared up. This solution is a must have for any cat with acne.

Hope this helps, it sure helped Felix