I know there are a few threads on this but I can’t find how to clean the acne.

(LOL, sorry for the long title! I ment to name this "Cleaning Cat Acne" but cut and pasted wrong sentence. LOL)

I know there are a few threads on this but I can’t find how to clean the acne.

My poor baby Capone has Feline Acne. The vet pretty much told me to clean his chin with Betadine (spelling?) diluted with water. I have been doing this, taking a paper towel and just lightly rubbing his little chin. For some reason I don’t think I am doing this correctly since #1 He still has it, and #2 the vet said his chin would turn orange from the Betadine, but it hasn’t, so maybe I’m not doing it enough?

Can someone please explain to me step by step and in detail how to clean his acne? Such as how hard to rub, do I rub or pat, how much to dilute (I don’t get the weak tea color thing, seems I can add 50% more water and its still the same color) and anything else you can tell me? Poor baby has had it for months.

Brief Description: Its not bleeding or pussing. Its basically just black fleck like things on his chin. Ones a dot and the other is a line of acne. I also use stainless steal bowls that I clean everyday (I free feed them, and wet I just serve on my own plates so I can lazily just shove them in the dishwasher lol)

Thanks!

The only way to get rid of feline acne is to discontinue using plastic dishes, bowls, and placematts. If you say you use none of that, but leave out a bowl of dry food all day, maybe that is the problem. Perhaps there is bacteria on top of the food that he rubs against his chin.
It should go away by itself. If it is red or looks infected you can dab it with some hydrogen peroxide with a cotton ball, otherwise it is best to leave it alone. It will go away in a few weeks, providing you remove plastic and vinyl products, or whatever is causing it.

I was told to use hydrogen peroxide.

I think you should just dab, not rub, since rubbing could irritate. I've known betadyne/water mix to be prescribed for wounds... you soak a pad in it and then hold it gently to the affected area a few times a day.

Someone on another board I read was told by her vet to use Witch Hazel on a cotton ball. Then dry with a clean dry cotton ball. Stimpy had a breakout earlier this year and I did that. I've been able to discontinue doing it, as his chin is nice and clear. I didn't want to do anything like that long term.

I've also heard you can use the Stridex pads for sensitive skin. I was scared to use that on the kitty's chin, and opted to try the Witch Hazel instead.

I still use pet placemats, but I have enough to switch out and put a clean one out every day. I also give clean bowls at each meal. Since I put out a measured amount of dry food 2x a day, they get a clean bowl for that each time too. I use ceramic and stainless for bowls. We have a wrought iron feeder (I was using a plastic one but even that seemed to trigger Stimpy's acne). I wash the cat bowls the same way I wash our dishes.

I do use a Drinkwell Fountain (plastic), but it gets cleaned with hot soapy water every week. And every 2 weeks I add bleach to the soapy water to get it good and clean.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by mews2much

I was told to use hydrogen peroxide.

Click to expand...

This is what I use when my cats get a flare-up of chin acne. It works really well - they are usually all cleared up within a week of treating once a day with peroxide.