Old Man Scratching His Chin Bloody

[danteshuman]

This is Salem (plumper older pic to introduce him properly he needed a good picture included.) He is a ‘grumpy’ 15 year old man to the teen kittens. He just went to the vet a month ago because he was peeing out of the box. He had a blood panel done 3 months ago and his kidneys are starting to fail (see old) but otherwise is in good health. He lives with my mom & I'm visiting with my twerp Jackie. Tonight I noticed his chin had a scab (a fight I thought at first) but no he has scratched his chin bald, no idea why & wasn’t noticeable yesterday. No fleas. indoor kitty, no desire to venture outside ever (unlike the kittens.) Otherwise he seems fine (underweight but fine at least he gained some weight back.) Any ideas? (On the first I will buy him some chamomile tea, and apply it to his chin to see if it helps.)

 

[danteshuman]

OK I looked it up and my mom bought a LOT of creamy fancy feast cans this month. The internet says it may be/probably is food allergies and dairy is a top allergy. I will talk to my mom about feeding him other non dairy stuff & see how he does (plus chamomile tea.) I will check him with a flea comb later but so far no fleas.

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

Could be cat acne. Our cat gets it from time to time. We use an oat shampoo to wash it and then gently wipe it away. When it gets bad we can a soothing anti inflammatory ointment as well.

 

[Leomc123]

I was thinking cat acne as well.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

This is how Evie's acne presented itself. However, hers got so bad that she had patches on her chin that would swell and burst, one lymph node was enlarged, and she needed an antibiotic shot and prescription-strength topical cream.
Treat aggressively, early. If he won't tolerate shampooing, you can take some witch hazel on a cotton round pad and scrub his chin. Dawn detergent with warm soap works well too.

 

[danteshuman]

I have cat wet wipes I can use. Would that work? How often does his chin need cleaning?

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

I have cat wet wipes I can use. Would that work? How often does his chin need cleaning?

Our cats would clear up so quickly if we washed just once or twice a week but the antibiotic cream helped.

 

[amandag1]

Feline acne
Remove all plastic bowls too

Try vetericyn to clean his chin