Kitty has scabs/sores just around mouth?

JenRiri

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My kitty has developed scabs/sores around general mouth area, particularly where her whiskers are located. I first noticed this a few days ago. I thought it was initially dried wet food around her mouth, but upon closer inspection noticed that a light brown dry crust like layer had formed under the fur of her whiskers. This has now slowly developed into a slightly more reddish-colored scab. This is solely around her mouth, and she has not exhibited any other symptoms - no hairloss, no itching, no other bald spots or rashes. About a week or two ago, she did get a checkup due to some puffiness in her left eye which the vet assumed was from a viral infection and we've been treating it with an eye gel.

I took her to the vet yesterday and they suggested a fungal culture to test for ringworms. It seems like this may take up to several weeks for a definitive answer. And from what I've read and seen online, something tells me this may not be ringworms. Has anyone seen anything like this before? Could it be ringworms or something else?
 

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neely

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Welcome to TCS! :wave3: I'm glad you joined the site but sorry for your kitty's health problem around her mouth. Just out of curiosity, are you using plastic bowls? If so, stainless steel, glass or ceramic dishes are preferred. Note #5 in this Article, Feeding Dishes Tips:
18 Awesome Cat Feeding Tips By Thecatsite Staff Members

This Article about skin conditions in cats may also be helpful since it mentions ringworm and other skin conditions:
Skin Conditions In Cats

I'm glad you brought her to the vet and hope they can help diagnose the problem. Best of luck and please keep us posted on her progress. :alright:
 

Jem

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Before (and even now, but it may be harder to see due to the scabs/sores) did you ever notice little black flecks on the skin? If so, this could be feline acne. From what I see in the pictures, it does seem like there is "dirt", which would indicate possible feline acne, but now it has worsened/opened and potentially be infected.
What type of bowls/dishes do you use? If plastic, get rid of them, they harbor bacteria which contributes greatly to feline acne. Stainless steel or ceramic are best, and wash the dishes in warm soapy water daily. And if you do use ceramic, make sure there are no cracks or anything where bacteria could fester.
You can also try to keep kitties face clean as well. With my kitty who gets feline acne, I just use a saline solution on a cotton pad, and sometimes chilled Chamomile tea (regular tea bags - from the grocery store) if the skin looks irritated. When we stay on top of it, she is perfectly fine. At this point with your kitty though, I would want to know if there is an infection, as kitty may need an antibiotic ointment if there is infection.
If your vet wants to do a culture for ringworm, I would want to also mention to them to culture for bacteria.
In the mean time, using the chamomile tea solution is very safe. It is soothing to the skin, and also has mild anti-bacterial properties.
So just get regular chamomile tea (not blended with any other tea or herb) that comes in individual tea bags from the grocery store. The grocery store stuff is usually German, which is safe and healing for cats, even if they ingest it. Stay away from English chamomile which is toxic. This will hopefully help with calming the skin and start the healing process. And if it is acne, you will be cleaning the area which will help it from getting worse.
 
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JenRiri

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Before (and even now, but it may be harder to see due to the scabs/sores) did you ever notice little black flecks on the skin? If so, this could be feline acne. From what I see in the pictures, it does seem like there is "dirt", which would indicate possible feline acne, but now it has worsened/opened and potentially be infected.
What type of bowls/dishes do you use? If plastic, get rid of them, they harbor bacteria which contributes greatly to feline acne. Stainless steel or ceramic are best, and wash the dishes in warm soapy water daily. And if you do use ceramic, make sure there are no cracks or anything where bacteria could fester.
You can also try to keep kitties face clean as well. With my kitty who gets feline acne, I just use a saline solution on a cotton pad, and sometimes chilled Chamomile tea (regular tea bags - from the grocery store) if the skin looks irritated. When we stay on top of it, she is perfectly fine. At this point with your kitty though, I would want to know if there is an infection, as kitty may need an antibiotic ointment if there is infection.
If your vet wants to do a culture for ringworm, I would want to also mention to them to culture for bacteria.
In the mean time, using the chamomile tea solution is very safe. It is soothing to the skin, and also has mild anti-bacterial properties.
So just get regular chamomile tea (not blended with any other tea or herb) that comes in individual tea bags from the grocery store. The grocery store stuff is usually German, which is safe and healing for cats, even if they ingest it. Stay away from English chamomile which is toxic. This will hopefully help with calming the skin and start the healing process. And if it is acne, you will be cleaning the area which will help it from getting worse.
Thanks for the in-depth reply! It's hard to know if that area ever had black speckles - her fur color and the area in which its located makes it difficult to really spot the details. It's possible it started that way but I only ever really noticed it once the brown crusting beneath her fur started to form. That said, the vet did give us a an antibacterial ointment to apply everyday (I believe it's called Posatex). My kitty is around 8 weeks old - Is it likely that a kitty that young could develop feline acne?

That said, she only eats from ceramic bowls. I do notice that she really likes to stick her face into her food when she eats as well as sometimes dig her face into her litter before peeing. I also wonder if this may be causing irritation or bacteria growth in that area?

Also, thank you for the tips! I will look into the chamomile tea solution if the ointment doesn't seem to improve that area.
 

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Is it likely that a kitty that young could develop feline acne?
A cat of any age can get it. It's not a hormone thing like humans. It a mix of their natural oils, plus bacteria from whatever and dirt and stuff from food debris. Then they get blackheads and/or whiteheads/pimples, that can turn into lesions. So if she likes to shove her face in her food and litter, I'd say it's quite possible...She may not be as meticulous with grooming her face either being so young...IDK... It can also start possibly from an allergy/sensitivity to food....but I'm thinking the face planting has a higher probability than allergy. :lol: (I'm sorry, but the visual makes me giggle.)
 

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One more thing...You mention digging her face in the litter...Does she eat it? And is it clumping?
 
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JenRiri

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One more thing...You mention digging her face in the litter...Does she eat it? And is it clumping?
I've seen her try and eat a few grains before but I assumed that was mainly from curiosity more than anything. I wouldn't say its habitual. Also, it does clump. She mainly likes to dig deep before peeing but in the process will stick her nose in the litter as she's digging so always walks away with a few litter pieces stuck on her nose or face. I usually have to dust it off when she's done.
 

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Because kittens do sometimes like to eat litter, it's not good to have clumping as it will cause intestinal blockages. Even just a little can cause issues.
The other thing, clumping litter is made to stick, so if she's sticking her face in it that sticky litter and even the smaller dust particles will stick to her fur, which could very well be contributing to the sores on her mouth.
Until she's older, I would recommend getting non clumping, usually 4-5 months old.
 

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J JenRiri did you find out what the issue was? My kitten has something similar and we are also awaiting culture results. I have been curious if she has a food allergy.
 
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