Have You Ever Had A Cat With Acne Around Its Whiskers?

[Neo_23]

The vet thinks my cat’s red sores/bloody lesions around his whiskers is acne. But is this likely? I’m just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this before.

 

[alzycat]

Yes! My cat had cat acne years ago. I forget exactly how it was dealt with, maybe a prescription or something, my vet told me it was because she was eating out of a plastic bowl! Sorry I don't remember the details, but I stopped putting her food in plastic bowls, and she hasn't had an acne issue ever since.

 

[Neo_23]

Yes! My cat had cat acne years ago. I forget exactly how it was dealt with, maybe a prescription or something, my vet told me it was because she was eating out of a plastic bowl! Sorry I don't remember the details, but I stopped putting her food in plastic bowls, and she hasn't had an acne issue ever since.

Thank you for responding! My cat is eating out of stainless steel and ceramic bowls.

What did the acne around the whiskers look like for your cat? Were there blackheads?
For my cat, it looks more like little cuts or ulcers that sometimes bleed, they often start out under the fur and then if they start to bleed his fur falls off a little too. I think they are itchy too. I'm just not sure if this is really acne.

 

[alzycat]

If I remember correctly, my cat's acne was actually concentrated on her chin. They looked like small red bumps & the fur was falling off of the areas where the bumps were. They did not bleed. I'm not sure if it's acne either from the way you are describing it.. our experiences sound quite different. Who knows what it could look like though- it can look very different on humans too & still be acne. It's best to consult your vet if you are unsure

 

[Furballsmom]

Just a thought, I read that metal bowls can have issues and some were actually recalled. Are your cat's dishes washed daily? Following that thought, due to the soap/rinse agent from my dishwasher leaving residue I wipe down the Big Guy's dishes with a damp paper towel, and again, not with a dish towel due to chemical residue from the dryer sheets (which I haven't switched out yet ): ) but if she's having an exterior reaction only for instance from when she's licking her chops after eating/drinking, I guess it could be food/water related....

 

[huxleysmom]

Yes. My cat has acne under his chin. His are more like blackheads, but if left untreated they can get infected, cats will scratch them and they can bleed. Huxley’s acne is an allergic reaction to poultry.

 

[Neo_23]

If I remember correctly, my cat's acne was actually concentrated on her chin. They looked like small red bumps & the fur was falling off of the areas where the bumps were. They did not bleed. I'm not sure if it's acne either from the way you are describing it.. our experiences sound quite different. Who knows what it could look like though- it can look very different on humans too & still be acne. It's best to consult your vet if you are unsure

So your cat never had blackheads, just small red bumps? That actually sounds a bit like what my cat is having except it's concentrated around his whisker area. Sometimes the fur around it falls off too. It doesn't really bleed a lot, but I have noticed a little bit of blood sometimes. I have consulted my vet and she thinks it could be acne, but I just never heard of acne around the whiskers so I wasn't sure if that could be the case.

Yes. My cat has acne under his chin. His are more like blackheads, but if left untreated they can get infected, cats will scratch them and they can bleed. Huxley’s acne is an allergic reaction to poultry.

Just a thought, I read that metal bowls can have issues and some were actually recalled. Are your cat's dishes washed daily? Following that thought, due to the soap/rinse agent from my dishwasher leaving residue I wipe down the Big Guy's dishes with a damp paper towel, and again, not with a dish towel due to chemical residue from the dryer sheets (which I haven't switched out yet ): ) but if she's having an exterior reaction only for instance from when she's licking her chops after eating/drinking, I guess it could be food/water related....

I'm not sure if it's an allergic reaction to food because he has no GI symptoms and it doesn't seem to happen close to the time that he eats. It just seems like they randomly appear overnight. I was thinking it might be a litter allergy so I've recently switched his litter. I read somewhere that environmental allergies are much more common in cats than food allergies.

Here is a recent photo (I have been treating it with hibiclens and it seems to help resolve it, but they just keep reappearing):

 

[Smoda61]

I'm in a Facebook group IBDKitties due to my boy Han and his digestive system. Just yesterday there was a post thread relating to kitty acne. The original poster's cat broke open his chin. I also remember seeing someone who's cat had facial acne. Anyhow, you might be able to request entering that group and finding the posts. There may be some pointers there for you. I do have Harry with chin acne, but I think the removing of his plastic bowl is the solution, but still watchfully waiting. At the two week mark today. Wishing you luck.

 

[Neo_23]

I'm in a Facebook group IBDKitties due to my boy Han and his digestive system. Just yesterday there was a post thread relating to kitty acne. The original poster's cat broke open his chin. I also remember seeing someone who's cat had facial acne. Anyhow, you might be able to request entering that group and finding the posts. There may be some pointers there for you. I do have Harry with chin acne, but I think the removing of his plastic bowl is the solution, but still watchfully waiting. At the two week mark today. Wishing you luck.

Thank you! Unfortunately I don't have Facebook but it's great to know that there are others dealing with similar issues (not that I am happy for more cats to have to deal with acne!).

I mostly feed him from a ceramic bowl that I wash multiple times a day and dry fully before re-feedings, so I'm just baffled.

 

[Smoda61]

Bits cut and pasted from Facebook

Please please keep in mind, I am listing what people have said they tried/used. I have no idea what are truly safe for a cat or what must be done with veternary supervision (other than the shot). I look at many of these and I would have no idea how they are used. But maybe something on this list can help you. BTW You can always get a Facebook account and not friend people just so you can participate groups for specific topics.

Here are treatments: diluted Hibiscrub, Maleseb wipes, colloidal silver, diluted apple cider vinegar, Vetericyn, Vetericyn Hydrogel, zn7 zinc gel, various types of antibiotics, ceramic bowls, vet administered shots of Convenia, witch Hazel, warm salt compresses, Douyo pads, iodine, animal antibiotic wipes, Chlorhexadrine solution (you can get it at CVS) on a little pad (used white cosmetic pads), Benzoyl Peroxide cream (aka Clearsil) from the drugstore...regular people acne medicine, a toothbrush with Phisoderm soap

Cause comments: food allergies, too much protein in diet, abscessed tooth

Also, maybe try feeding from a flatter surface, like a plate? The purported issue with plastic bowls is the bacteria they can harbor in micro surface scratches and the bacteria then gets into the chin (typically). With you cat being the whisker area, maybe the bowl is too deep for your cats style of eating. I know people who have to wash their cats face/chin after each meal or at least each day to prevent the acne.

Lastly, someone posted this link as well: Helping Your Cat Fight Acne - PetPlace

 

[Neo_23]

Bits cut and pasted from Facebook

Please please keep in mind, I am listing what people have said they tried/used. I have no idea what are truly safe for a cat or what must be done with veternary supervision (other than the shot). I look at many of these and I would have no idea how they are used. But maybe something on this list can help you. BTW You can always get a Facebook account and not friend people just so you can participate groups for specific topics.

Here are treatments: diluted Hibiscrub, Maleseb wipes, colloidal silver, diluted apple cider vinegar, Vetericyn, Vetericyn Hydrogel, zn7 zinc gel, various types of antibiotics, ceramic bowls, vet administered shots of Convenia, witch Hazel, warm salt compresses, Douyo pads, iodine, animal antibiotic wipes, Chlorhexadrine solution (you can get it at CVS) on a little pad (used white cosmetic pads), Benzoyl Peroxide cream (aka Clearsil) from the drugstore...regular people acne medicine, a toothbrush with Phisoderm soap

Cause comments: food allergies, too much protein in diet, abscessed tooth

Also, maybe try feeding from a flatter surface, like a plate? The purported issue with plastic bowls is the bacteria they can harbor in micro surface scratches and the bacteria then gets into the chin (typically). With you cat being the whisker area, maybe the bowl is too deep for your cats style of eating. I know people who have to wash their cats face/chin after each meal or at least each day to prevent the acne.

Lastly, someone posted this link as well: Helping Your Cat Fight Acne - PetPlace

Thank you for sharing and for the tips! I do currently feed him on a flat ceramic bowl and I'm constantly wiping his face with a cotton ball (he does a pretty good job of cleaning it himself too).

I guess I'm just unsure if it really is acne or not. I'm curious to know what people think after looking at the pic?
The article in the link you posted also states that feline acne can only occur around the chin and lips.

 

[Smoda61]

When I asked around about Harry's chin, thoughts were that it was acne, but I was advised to have the vet examine as there are other conditions that can looks similar. I am new to this all so I really cannot advise.

In the Facebook thread, there was a pic of a cat with numerous sores on her face. That is the individual that said it was due to too much protein in her cat's diet. I interpret that as she now has it under control for her cat.

 

[ArchyCat]

Maybe you should consult another veterinarian? I had only one cat with acne, the vet noticed it on a checkup, suggested I change out the plastic bowls I was using. I switched to a both stainless steel and aluminum bowls. Many cats later, no more cases of acne. Your photos do not look like my one single case of acne. Good luck to you and your cat.

 

[Neo_23]

Maybe you should consult another veterinarian? I had only one cat with acne, the vet noticed it on a checkup, suggested I change out the plastic bowls I was using. I switched to a both stainless steel and aluminum bowls. Many cats later, no more cases of acne. Your photos do not look like my one single case of acne. Good luck to you and your cat.

Well, to be fair, the vet wasn't certain that it was acne but thought we should treat it with hibiclens and see if it worked. I haven't been back to the vet since he had another break out because I was thinking I would change the litter first and see if that solved it. But, if it doesn't resolve soon then I will go back to the vet.

I guess I was just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences so that I might get some insight into whether it could possibly be acne or not.

 

[Neo_23]

Hey folks.

I just thought of something. I was looking at my calendar trying to figure out what I could have possibly changed around the time when my cat started to develop these sores.. and I realized that I started him on a new probiotic, Rx Biotic a few days before the first sore appeared. Could he possibly be having an allergic reaction to it? I also noticed that his sores got worse this past week when I upped his dosage of probiotic because he was on antibiotics. The Rx Biotic says it contains rice starch. Could this possibly be the culprit?!

 

[Furballsmom]

Sure could, good sleuthing!

 

[Neo_23]

Apparently from what I'm reading online rice allergies are rare in cats. But then maybe it's a reaction to some strain of probiotic? I know a lot of probiotic strains are sourced from dairy products, so perhaps it's the dairy? I don't know if that makes any sense. Ah well, either way I'm going to eliminate the probiotic and see what happens.