Chin Acne/skin Allergies + Scratching

[Dandelions]

My 11 month old cat has been suffering most of her life so far with chin acne or an allergy of some kind. Symptoms: Scratching, scabbing, bleeding, and pus on chin, cheeks, corners of the mouth, eyes, patch of skin between eyes and ears, and behind ears. At one vet appointment she was treated for mites, she got a little better for awhile and the symptoms were mainly just limited to the chin. Within a few months after that she got much worse and ended up with bleeding weeping sores with pus and scabbing. The irritation had spread from the chin to the corners of the month and upper lip, it was most severe around the mouth and chin with scratching all around ears and eyes too. At another vet visit a week ago they said it was just an allergy with a secondary infection. She was given a steroid shot and some oral antibiotics. She stopped itching pretty much immediately and with in a couple days all the pus dried up and all the scabs flaked off. She's doing great! Now a week later I'm noticing her starting to scratch her face again. I don't want the skin infection to come back. Aside from changing her food, I'm not really sure what the best steps to take are at this point. Any good advice or resources for figuring out what she's allergic to or steps to take to prevent the sores on her face from coming back? Thank you so much in advance!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
I'm not a vet, but what if you tried a completely bland diet for a day or so of 50/50 unseasoned boiled chicken and rice (sort of a feline version of a cleanse), and then feed canned food that doesn't have carrageenan or menadione/Vitamin K3.
This database below helps with some things to avoid, unfortunately you'll still have to check labels for menadione, but it's a great place to start.

The only other thing I could think of is to try some CBD oil - it helps with inflammation. One product I saw mentioned was Lazarus Naturals, and I saw that someone was able to pick up a product in a pet store but they didn't state the brand...
Pet Food Guide

 

[Dandelions]

Hi!
I'm not a vet, but what if you tried a completely bland diet for a day or so of 50/50 unseasoned boiled chicken and rice (sort of a feline version of a cleanse), and then feed canned food that doesn't have carrageenan or menadione/Vitamin K3.
This database below helps with some things to avoid, unfortunately you'll still have to check labels for menadione, but it's a great place to start.

The only other thing I could think of is to try some CBD oil - it helps with inflammation. One product I saw mentioned was Lazarus Naturals, and I saw that someone was able to pick up a product in a pet store but they didn't state the brand...
Pet Food Guide

Thanks for the info! I'll definitely check that food guide and look into eliminating those ingredients. As far as the bland diet, surprisingly my vet said that chicken is a very common protien that cats or dogs are allergic too. Since my cat has always had chicken flavored food she recommended switching to fish flavored cat food. I could try a bland diet with canned tuna, not sure if that would be a sufficient diet or not though. The CBD oil, is that a cannabis type product? Cuz that may not be legal in Texas yet lol. Thanks again!

 

[Pix]

Do you use plastic bowls for food and water? Some cats are allergic to the plastic and metal is advised instead.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Or ceramic bowls...

These CDB products are available in all 50 states, I think...?

Well, --maybe only for a day. I was just thinking of how to give her system a restart, so to speak. Mackerel is a safer fish, also SafeCatch Tuna is lower mercury (I found it at whole foods but it may be more widely available now). You could add some goat milk, it's good for kitty tummies.

 

[silkenpaw]

My cat is also allergic. She was scratching her neck, causing bleeding sores. The only time she had any relief was on steroids. She was tried on elimination diets with lamb and rabbit. I think any human food does not contain the complete cat nutrient requirements, so long-term it really has to be cat food.

We finally allergy-tested Java and she has a bunch of environmental allergies (pollen, grass) so she now gets allergy shots and she is so much better. No steroids needed, yay!

 

[Dandelions]

Do you use plastic bowls for food and water? Some cats are allergic to the plastic and metal is advised instead.

Thanks. I've always used metal or glass and I give her food in a clean bowl often and run them in the dishwasher. She does have a plastic water fountain, she loves it so I'm hoping to upgrade to a metal or ceramic one but they are pricey.

 

[Dandelions]

Hi!
Or ceramic bowls...

These CDB products are available in all 50 states, I think...?

Well, --maybe only for a day. I was just thinking of how to give her system a restart, so to speak. Mackerel is a safer fish, also SafeCatch Tuna is lower mercury (I found it at whole foods but it may be more widely available now). You could add some goat milk, it's good for kitty tummies.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Tobermory]

Do you by any chance give your cat milk? I had a similar situation with a cat years ago. I was giving her less than a tablespoon of milk a day because she loved it so much but discovered after a lot of trial and error that that was what was causing her problems.

I currently have one of mine on a no-chicken diet to see if that’s causing her constant scratching but so far it hasn’t made a difference. Allergies are so tough to figure out.

 

[jinxybean]

Have you tried wiping her face down after eating? Try warm water and a soft dish cloth to remove oil and residue from eating and environmental debris.

With humans, contact dermatitis is often alleviated by washing off the offending irritant.

 

[cmayau]

My cat had a few mild breakouts before I got rid of the plastic feeding bowls. I also had a foster cat that came to me with chin acne that bled and scabbed a bit. I had success with applying a couple of drops of witch hazel on a cotton ball and gently wiping their chin once a day. It cleared up within a week.

I hope this suggestion helps

 

[LTS3]

Since my cat has always had chicken flavored food she recommended switching to fish flavored cat food. I could try a bland diet with canned tuna, not sure if that would be a sufficient diet or not though.

No, canned tuna for people is not enough for a cat nutritionally. Seafood should be limited anyways for cats.

Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats | Little Big Cat
Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?

Feed your cat a novel protein limited ingredient type food. Here are some brands:

Blue Buffalo Basics
Merrick Limited Ingredients
Koha Limited Ingredient
Natural Balance LID
Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet | Instinct Pet Food
http://rawznaturalpetfood.com/cat/rendered-free-cat-food/#gum-free-wet
Hound & Gatos Pet Foods Corp.

Your favorite brands of "novel protein" canned cat food
Single Novel Protein Grain Free Wet (not Raw) Food? Help!

Try rabbit or venison or even kangaroo. You need to stick with a diet for at least a couple of weeks to see if that helps resolve the allergy symptoms. If you think the cause is chicken, be sure that the cat's entire diet is chicken free including treats. Either withhold treats for the duration of the food trial or give single ingredient treats such as freeze dried meat treats in a novel protein. Many big name commercial treats contain chicken in some form and can be vague ("by product" or "natural flavor" but is that chicken or something else?). Chicken eggs and sometimes chicken liver are often ok for cats who have a sensitivity to chicken meat.

 

[Dandelions]

Do you by any chance give your cat milk? I had a similar situation with a cat years ago. I was giving her less than a tablespoon of milk a day because she loved it so much but discovered after a lot of trial and error that that was what was causing her problems.

I currently have one of mine on a no-chicken diet to see if that’s causing her constant scratching but so far it hasn’t made a difference. Allergies are so tough to figure out.

Yeah this whole allergy thing has got me totally confused. Not sure what to try first, switching food, treating for fleas (no signs she has any but vet said one bite could cause all the scratching) or do something else who knows what. I already tried bathing with special shampoos, brushing her, washing her face every day, treating her face with various products, treating for mites. Just hate seeing her in pain and scratching all the time.

 

[Dandelions]

No, canned tuna for people is not enough for a cat nutritionally. Seafood should be limited anyways for cats.

Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats | Little Big Cat
Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?

Feed your cat a novel protein limited ingredient type food. Here are some brands:

Blue Buffalo Basics
Merrick Limited Ingredients
Koha Limited Ingredient
Natural Balance LID
Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet | Instinct Pet Food
http://rawznaturalpetfood.com/cat/rendered-free-cat-food/#gum-free-wet
Hound & Gatos Pet Foods Corp.

Your favorite brands of "novel protein" canned cat food
Single Novel Protein Grain Free Wet (not Raw) Food? Help!

Try rabbit or venison or even kangaroo. You need to stick with a diet for at least a couple of weeks to see if that helps resolve the allergy symptoms. If you think the cause is chicken, be sure that the cat's entire diet is chicken free including treats. Either withhold treats for the duration of the food trial or give single ingredient treats such as freeze dried meat treats in a novel protein. Many big name commercial treats contain chicken in some form and can be vague ("by product" or "natural flavor" but is that chicken or something else?). Chicken eggs and sometimes chicken liver are often ok for cats who have a sensitivity to chicken meat.

Thanks so much for all the information! I'll definitely have to look into those foods. Just discovered at the store today that all the fish foods do in fact have chicken in the ingredients, I was baffled. I don't really know if chicken is the problem, that's just one of the few suggestions I got from the vet. Not sure what else to try or where to start allergy wise. Thanks again!!

 

[LTS3]

Yeah, chicken is often hidden in foods that may be labeled as "seafood" or "beef" or something And it may not even be listed as "chicken" but as something vague like "by product". You just have to read the ingredient list carefully.

Other common causes of food allergies are gums and starches and grains. I think there's a cat here on TCS who can't tolerate eggs.

One way to do a bland diet without any possible food triggers is to feed a home cooked or raw diet. Many vets are against these diets but the diets are helpful if commercial foods aren't. There's a forum here on TCS with more info on how to do home cooked and raw diets properly.