Sore on mouth

marleyandme

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Marley has a dark sore, what appears to be a scab, on the side of his mouth on his bottom lip. I have been keeping an eye on it but it doesn't seem to be healing. Maybe because of where it is?? It is on his bottom lip, right in the middle. It did have a scab on it but that has fallen off and now it is just a dark spot. I have no idea how he got it, or what it is really. I might be able to post a pic later tonight when I get home. Is there anything I should be doing for it? Any kind of medicine that might help it heal? How long should I wait to have it looked at if it isn't healing. It looks like he has a bit of dirt on him, but it's not dirt??
 

yosemite

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It could be acne. Are you using plastic dishes/placemat? Do you clean the feeding dishes thoroughly after each meal?

Stainless steel dishes are by far the best. I got about 10 of them at the dollar store so after each meal the dirty ones go in the dishwasher.
 
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marleyandme

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No I am using ceramic but I wash it before every meal....
 

the_food_lady

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It sounds a lot like Feline Acne, but truly - only a Vet can accurately diagnose this. Here's a link on it: http://www.peteducation.com/article....+2023&aid=2517

Is your kitty's food or water dish plastic? Plastic can harbour bacteria and promote feline acne so it's best to use stainless steel or glass bowls, and wash them regularly.....being sure to change the water in the water bowl daily, that's for sure.

For any kind of sore that a cat develops, that doesn't seem to be healing, it's essential you see the Vet.

My cat Tigger used to get feline acne....back before I learned that you shouldn't use plastic bowls. It would sometimes look like little black blackheads below her bottom lip and she's usually get one big pimple, very sore - it would scab, sometimes return. The Vet checked it, gave me some antibiotic cream (Panalog I think it was?), and told me about changing the bowls. I'd also take a warm clean washcloth and hold it on the area, to let the warmth help heal (like a compress). I think I once used plain Polysporin ointment on it, too.....just a touch a couple times a day.

I'd see your Vet, just to verify that this is what kitty has and not something else.
 

the_food_lady

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Originally Posted by MarleyAndMe

No I am using ceramic but I wash it before every meal....
What about kitty's water bowls? Some people don't change the water in them as often and bacteria can definitely grow in there.......so it's important to change the water completely and wash out the bowl, each day.
 
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marleyandme

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Thank you for that link, it is what it sounds like. I also looked up pics on feline acne and thats what it looked like, poor baby. some of those cats had really severe cases, i hope marley doesn't have to go through that.

umm,er, ok, about his water bowl.....he shares one with my dog(....waiting for gasps
)....BUT, it is constantly being refilled so there is always fresh water in it. i clean it about once a week.
 
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marleyandme

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Is this something that can be controlled by changing his food??
 

yosemite

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It honestly is probably more bowl related than food related.

All food and water dishes should be washed daily - including the dog's bowls. Also be aware that ceramic, like plastic, can get hairline scratches that hold bacteria as well.

Once a week is not enough. Even if you just rinse them out with hot water, it's better than not cleaning them at all.

You may find that by cleaning the dishes daily, the acne will go away.

Having said all that, it never hurts to have a vet look at it in case it is an abscess or something more serious.
 

the_food_lady

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Yeah, I heard that too about ceramic.

And I can attest to the need to rinse out the water bowl daily, even if it's just with hot water. I used to do it weekly only (wash it) and Tigger was still getting the odd pimple/blackhead - and by then I was using a glass water bowl. Bacteria love a wet/moist environment so what's better than a bowl of water; particularly one that's had a cat or dog's tongue in it several times :-) Plus, I know with our bowl, bits of canned food inevitably end up in the bowl....I have 2 that must drink a little after eating their canned and I guess a bit is in their mouth still when they drink - so add food to the water and it's a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

Now if I'm in a rush, I'll at least empty the water bowl, rinse the inside with hot water, run my hand all around it (after a week you can feel a slimy film to the sides), then hot water again, then refill.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

It honestly is probably more bowl related than food related.

All food and water dishes should be washed daily - including the dog's bowls. Also be aware that ceramic, like plastic, can get hairline scratches that hold bacteria as well.

Once a week is not enough. Even if you just rinse them out with hot water, it's better than not cleaning them at all.

You may find that by cleaning the dishes daily, the acne will go away.

Having said all that, it never hurts to have a vet look at it in case it is an abscess or something more serious.
 
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marleyandme

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I wanted to bring this thread up so I can tell you guys about something called Hibiclense.

First let me say that Marleys acne is gone. I also changed his bowl to a stainless steel bowl.

I called my vet regd his acne. He told me I can try neosporin and if it didn't clear up he would need a steriod shot and antibiotic.
I tried neosporin for 3 days with minimal change.

I was told about Hibiclense from someone on another forum. Her vet reccomended it to her for her puppy's acne. So I went to the pharmacy and picked it up, diluted it a bit with water and applied it to his spots. The next day I could barely tell it was there. In less than 3 days it was totally gone and has not came back

Most pharmacies have it, also something called hibiscrub, either will work on scrapes, bites, acne, cuts, anything that has the potential of getting infected. It works on humans, canines, and felines
I used it for my dog's toenail that was bloody and red, much better after a few days. I just wanted to pass along this informatin in case you wanna run out and get it. I like having stuff like this around because you never know when you are going to need it.
 
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