Chin sore? Any ideas? Treatment?

[cat dad]

Hello,

My guy keeps getting reoccurring sores on his chin.

The first time he got one I thought his brother bunny kicked him and scratched him, but he keeps getting them. Id say one every few months. They start out as a dark spot that eventually opens and bleeds. 

Ive been to the vet and it was biopsied and was found to not be cancerous, but the vet still wasn't sure what it was.

Any thoughts?

IMG_7095.jpg

• cat dad
• Apr 15, 2016

 

[beagle]

Usually its feline acne if its under the chin. My abby has dark sores on/under his chin, but that looks too big to be regular acne. It might be cystic, which would be larger than regular feline acne. I'd avoid getting any kind of steroid shots though because it likely wouldnt help for a recurring issue. Usually vets will suggest them halfheartedly when they've run out of ideas.

For people, topical 1% hydrocortisone cream helps reduce redness/swelling/inflammation, and the size of cysts and makes them heal faster, but i am not 100% sure that it is ok for cats. Maybe someone on here could confirm if hydrocortisone is safe for cats. It looks like a spot that would be tough for him to directly lick off, so that could help.

 

[cat dad]

Thanks for the reply. I assumed acne as well but the sores are so big. Im not sure about a cyst - he's had multiple ones in different locations on his chin.

 

[cat dad]

I'm sorry to bump a thread for a reply but has anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[mackiemac]

I have, occasionally. If you're using plastic bowls, try switching to stainless or glass or smooth-glazed ceramic. Some cats react to the plastic with acne or folliculitis or "cystic bumps". Plastic holds a LOT of food and chin oil, a nice breeding ground for bacteria even if you WASH the bowl. Same as your cutting board if it's plastic-- the texture gets scratched easily and now you have a bacteria factory where your kitty (like many kitties) rests his chin.

Try a new food bowl, and wash his chin after every meal with gentle cat-friendly soap and lukewarm water. See if that helps.

Another thought: since it keeps recurring, I wonder if that might not be an eosinophilic plaque (granuloma), if it's not folliculitis. My oldest cat has eosinophilic granuloma complex (mosquito allergy is a trigger). It's not the typical "pouty-lip" rodent ulcer, but not all EGC presents like that. Skye breaks out in a general itchy rash on her face and nose and ears. Occasionally it itches so bad that she makes herself bleed from rubbing and scratchingHer blood work ALWAYS shows a very high eosinophil count. It's been that way for years. She does take a short course of oral prednisolone  when she gets really stirred up, and she gets an antihistamine. Last time, though, she got Depo-Medrol, an injectable that lasts for several weeks and it didn't do her well. She was pretty sick for some time afterwards. Thus I also am not a fan of Depo and if you can avoid it, do so.

It's just a couple of ideas based on your photo and description. I hope you find an answer soon and find some relief for your kiddo!

~MackieMac

 

[mackiemac]

 
Usually its feline acne if its under the chin. My abby has dark sores on/under his chin, but that looks too big to be regular acne. It might be cystic, which would be larger than regular feline acne. I'd avoid getting any kind of steroid shots though because it likely wouldnt help for a recurring issue. Usually vets will suggest them halfheartedly when they've run out of ideas.

For people, topical 1% hydrocortisone cream helps reduce redness/swelling/inflammation, and the size of cysts and makes them heal faster, but i am not 100% sure that it is ok for cats. Maybe someone on here could confirm if hydrocortisone is safe for cats. It looks like a spot that would be tough for him to directly lick off, so that could help.

My cat vet has at times suggested using it-- just a small amount, don't glob it on, and use it once or twice a day is what she told me. Hartz (cringe!) actually makes a hydrocortisone spray for cats and dogs. Cortisone like you find in creams is very poorly absorbed into the blood stream like oral cortisone, so there is little risk of absorption going that way. That's a much, much lower risk of steroid side effects than you have with oral or injectable steroids. That does look like a spot that isn't easily licked, so that's a good thing too.

Omega-3 fatty acid from fish oil can also bring relief slowly, over time. This is a slow but safe treatment for itchy skin-- it can take several weeks or months to realize the full benefit and see improvement so you need to hang in there and really watch the response. Response is also somewhat variable, but some pets have a good to complete response while others do not respond at all. after a long time. But studies show that when omega-3 fatty acids are used in conjunction with other treatments, such as antihistamines, the use of steroids can be decreased or discontinued.

 

[juju miao]

Hello,

years ago both my kitties got chin acne that got very bad, like in the picture of your cat. Like Mackie also recommended, I eliminated the plastic food bowls (remember that, if you use plastic forks/spoons to put the cat food in the bowls, you should eliminate those as well).

Two things worked for me (after trying a number of medications that my vet gave me and that were totally useless): 

1. prepare a strong black tea and then gently press the warm (warm, not scalding!) teabag to the sore for a couple of minutes: the tannin in the black tea is an astringent. I did this every day and the sores began to improve after a few days. In one of the cats, though, they turned into a sort of a boil that eventually opened.  My cats did not like it, but it did help.

2. Omega 3 oil. There is a variety of Omega 3 oil pills, drops, sprays you can find at the pet store.

Hope this might help.

 

[mackiemac]

 
Hello,

years ago both my kitties got chin acne that got very bad, like in the picture of your cat. Like Mackie also recommended, I eliminated the plastic food bowls (remember that, if you use plastic forks/spoons to put the cat food in the bowls, you should eliminate those as well).

Two things worked for me (after trying a number of medications that my vet gave me and that were totally useless): 

1. prepare a strong black tea and then gently press the warm (warm, not scalding!) teabag to the sore for a couple of minutes: the tannin in the black tea is an astringent. I did this every day and the sores began to improve after a few days. In one of the cats, though, they turned into a sort of a boil that eventually opened.  My cats did not like it, but it did help.

2. Omega 3 oil. There is a variety of Omega 3 oil pills, drops, sprays you can find at the pet store.

Hope this might help.

Yes... this does take some time, though, so be patient and allow as long as 4-6 weeks or longer to see a significant difference. Also, when choosing an Omega-3 oil be sure it is from FISH. Other sources can cause more allergy problems. Getting rid of the plastic bowls and utensils is also important.

 

[kristenann]

Poor kitty, that looks so uncomfortable! My kitty had really awful acne as well, it didn't look like that but his whole chin would turn into a hard crusty mess. Hopefully, what helped us can help you too.

First, as previously stated it takes a couple weeks to clear up. Tiberius has 4 bowls, all dinnerware ceramic. I rotate the set with one going in the dishwasher every time I run it. I hand wash his food bowl everyday and rinse off his water bowl x2 a day.

My vet gave me chlorohexidiene wipes (he also had ringworm) that I would wipe his chin off with at least once a day. I recommend the wipes for acne if your vet has them, I heard you can also buy chlorohexidiene at the store which is probably a cheaper route.

Keeping it clear is really about persistence. Good luck!