Is This Feline Acne?

[Rangga]

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I think this is feline acne but I’m not 100% sure. Can someone confirm this for me and if so is there a home remedies for it? Also how severe is it?

 

[Rangga]

This is another picture of it

 

[Jem]

While I can't see completely, it does seem like it could be. If you look thru the fur, do you see little black flecks? If so that would indicate feline acne.
It looks like it's not TOO bad, (if it is feline acne) as I don't think I see any open raw areas or pustules, mostly red irritated skin and fur loss, but if you see any open/raw areas or pustules (pimples) bring kitty to the vet to get the right ointment and get rid of/prevent infection.

For feline acne, change all the cat bowls to stainless or ceramic and be sure you wash them everyday. No more plastic. I've heard of several people that by simply changing out and cleaning the bowls daily, they no longer have issues with acne.

You can clean the area with a cotton ball in a pure saline solution (no preservatives or additives) or even cooled, brewed, chamomile tea (grocery store tea bags (german) NOT loose leaf or roman, they are toxic). Once this is more "preventative" and your keeping the bowls washed daily, you may be able to just keep the area clean with warm water, or not even have to clean the area at all.
I've heard that you can use hydrogen peroxide to keep skin clean, but I question how safe it is to use long term. There is conflicting info out there on the safety of peroxide - someone else may be more informed on this than me and let you know.

 

[Rangga]

I do see one or two black spots, also the food tray is plastic but the bowls are stainless steel that I clean with a anti bacterial soap every morning. I have read online that you can use some brands of acne cream, Is this true or should I jus

 

[Rangga]

I do see one or two black spots, also the food tray is plastic but the bowls are stainless steel that I clean with a anti bacterial soap every morning. I have read online that you can use some brands of acne cream, Is this true or should I jus

Sorry actually click send, but yeah as I was saying that some websites said that brands like proactive works. I feel a little iffy about using human acne cream on my cat tho.

 

[Rangga]

And how long does it usually takes for them to heal completely?

 

[Jem]

Even if you clean the plastic food tray with antibacterial soap, the plastic, over time can still grow bacteria and no amount of washing can get to the microscopic level in the plastic. I would still replace the plastic food tray, it is the food bowls that are the culprit encouraging bacterial growth.
I would not use any acne product unless and until I spoke to my vet. There are far too many ingredients that are toxic to cats, I would never take a chance.
As for how long it would take to heal? there's no answer to that one. It depends on how bad it is, is your cat naturally more prone to acne, if you ensure it's kept clean, is there infection that needs to be taken care of....Sorry, I can't really put a timeline on it.

 

[Rangga]

Thanks for all your help I’m just glad it’s not too severe and I’ll try out the saline solution and the camomile tea as well. Thank you.

 

[Rangga]

Even if you clean the plastic food tray with antibacterial soap, the plastic, over time can still grow bacteria and no amount of washing can get to the microscopic level in the plastic. I would still replace the plastic food tray, it is the food bowls that are the culprit encouraging bacterial growth.
I would not use any acne product unless and until I spoke to my vet. There are far too many ingredients that are toxic to cats, I would never take a chance.
As for how long it would take to heal? there's no answer to that one. It depends on how bad it is, is your cat naturally more prone to acne, if you ensure it's kept clean, is there infection that needs to be taken care of....Sorry, I can't really put a timeline on it.

Sorry but I got one more question. Will it go away on its own because I have a hard time making my cat stay still to swipe Cotten balls on her, I will still try it out eveyday but just in case I fail will the acne go away by it’s self or will it worsen.

 

[Azazel]

This looks like it's at a bad enough stage that you should take her to a vet. They will show you how to properly clean it and prescribe a solution that will work. It won't go away on its own if it's this bad.

 

[stephanietx]

My kitties get chin acne when I don't clean their food bowls daily. I try to remember to pick up their dry food bowls once a day and wash in hot soapy water. I never put medication on their chins because they're too feisty for that. It will go away on its own, but keep an eye on it just to make sure it doesn't get worse.