Cat acne help?

[marissam16]

I’m pretty sure my cat has chin acne. It started almost 2 months ago when I noticed the small black dots. I have done research online to see what would help but I always love coming here for some more advice.

I have been rubbing witch hazel on her chin in hopes it would go away. I’ve also seen it’s suggested to use a super soft brush to gently exfoliate the pores and clean the blackheads before rubbing a special shampoo on their chin to clean it. However, my cat doesn't like her chin being messed with. She takes any brush as a sign to fight and play so I cant even get it near her. She will only stand cotton pads and witch hazel. She’s not a fan of StrideX pads either. She will tolerate it sometimes. I heard good things about them so I continue to try and rub them on her chin.

Any advice on where to go from here? She drinks and eats from a ceramic bowl. I do wash them out with hot water and soap every single morning. I only have one cheap plastic bowl that I put gravy in occasionally but I need to get rid of that as well.

I want to avoid the vet so I am asking for advice before it comes to that. She isn’t extremely bothered but I don’t want it to become even worse. I’ve kept it at bay but I want it to go away. She is terrified at the vet and has to get sedated every time which makes me feel awful. This is the first I’ve ever had to deal with cat acne and would love to hear others experiences and what products they use or tips and tricks.

I will take her to the vet if needed but just love to ask for advice here first.

 

[LTS3]

Instead of a regular brush, try a baby toothbrush or those little dental picks / brushes to comb the specks out of the chin.

Few cats enjoy going to the vet. There are tips here to make getting into the carrier and the trip to the vet less stressful: Getting Your Cat to the Veterinarian | The Cat Community Covering the carrier with a towel so the cat can't see out and react to the surroundings also helps.

See if your vet can respond with a home treatment suggestion if you send an email with the pictures.

One of my cats developed ace as a reaction to the food she was eating. I stopped feeding her that food and the acne went away.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - I don't know for certain, but would chamomile tea help? Store bought, plain, unblended/flavored. Brew some, let it cool and dab it on.
It's anti fungal, anti bacterial, will ease any discomfort and is safe if she ingests any.

Also, are you rinsing the soap really well? Can you utilize the dishwasher instead so that the heat will really kill any bacteria on the dishes (including her water bowls daily) and the rinse will remove soapy residue.

 

[Annieca2016]

A few thoughts - one is that she may need a shot of antibiotics to clean it all up. It might be too much for just the medicated shampoo. But, having just spent almost $200 on one furball's annual alone, I understand the hesitancy in going to the vet if you can avoid it. Stridex pads make sense but might be a little too strong for kitties - I might try lightly rinsing it so you aren't overly drying out the skin. When Snap had acne she refused pads or washcloths to her chin but I found a q-tip worked just fine.

 

[marissam16]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I really appreciate it.

I will definitely do what all of you suggested! Thank you so much.

I also emailed her vet with pictures as well and will see if they have anything I can try before bringing her in. Antibiotics always work wonders but knowing how much she hates the entire experience breaks my heart. Will try all the new suggestions every day before I bring her in.

 

[Furballsmom]

Let us know how things go, we're thinking of you!

 

[marissam16]

Let us know how things go, we're thinking of you!

Thank you! I definitely will!

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh my goodness, what a dollbaby!!!

 

[marissam16]

My vet gave me these wipes and said to wipe her chin twice daily. They smell good but taste bitter. My cat hates having them rubbed on her chin and will start trying to clean her chin with her paws. I try to stop her when I can but I cant all the time. Does anyone know if it’s okay for these to be licked at? I cant imagine why not because they’re meant to be rubbed around her mouth but I still just want to make sure. She doesn’t like the smell or taste.
I always give her a treat afterwards for letting me rub it on her chin and to maybe help the taste.

 

[LTS3]

Those things are formulated with a pet potentially licking at the residue in mind. So it's safe if a cat starts cleaning after you wipe down the chin. Just try to discourage the cat from grooming immediately after you wipe. The chin should dry first.

 

[marissam16]

Thought I'd come back to give a little update! The wipes have helped tons with her chin acne. I use one of the dental floss brushes and gently clean her chin often and wipe her chin with the wipes twice daily. Her chin looks so much better now. It just made the fur under her chin kind of brown and discolored? It's where I am wiping the wipe at so I don't know if the wipes cause that but her skin looks loads better. No more of the blackheads or bloody scabs. Thanks for all the help. So happy I was able to help her.

 

[Furballsmom]

Thanks for a terrific update!
Not too sure about the fur discoloration either - maybe take a look at the ingredients of the wipes?

 

[epona]

Glad that you have seen a lot of improvement!

My Radar (alas now gone, may he rest in peace) used to get bad acne on his chin to the point where he once had to have antibiotics and steroids to clear it up. The thing that worked best for him was switching to stainless steel bowls, he still had issues with ceramic bowls (the issue emerged while using ceramic, he never had plastic). If you do switch, make sure the bowls have no rubber anti-slip rings round the base or anything, and don't use a rubber or plastic mat to put the bowls on.

Once I had switched him to stainless steel only for food and water bowls and sterilised with boiling water between feeds and water changes he never had another flare up. I cannot guarantee that this will work for your cat, but it might be worth a try - it doesn't harm the cat and only costs a few $/£/€ to get new bowls to give it a go.