Advice for Cat Acne

Hi all,

Singa recently developed cat acne. Unfortunately, I noticed it very late and it had already spread quite heavily across the chin.

Luckily I had a vet appointment scheduled a few days later and the doc confirmed that it is acne and gave me a solution (light pink - i think diluted with water) to clean the chin with. He did it in the practice and the cotton got nasty brown.

I went home and did it the very next day myself and Singa struggled like no tomorrow. Now Singa is a very strong cat and even with the help of my fiance we could barely hold her. We tried several times but the most i could do was lightly dab/rub the area before she started salivating and twitching her head around and clawing her way to a quick getaway. Sometimes the cotton got a little dirty from the chin, sometimes i could see blood marks - probably some crust that came off.

2 weeks later we had another visit to the vet (this time another doc) and I told her about my problem cleaning the chin. She did not believe me until she tried it herself. Singa started salivating immediately, jerking her head and of course the wound started bleeding again. The vet said she has never seen this reaction before.

The vet thinks the chin is inflamed and painful and that is why Singa is reacting this way. The vet now recommends to wait 2-3 weeks (Singa just go her vacc's updated) and then to treat her some anti-biotics/anti-inflammatory before treating the cat acne with the cleaning. She asked me not to clean the chin in the meantime as to not traumatize Singa too much (before the actual treatment once the chin is not painful anymore).

I just check her chin everyday and it is not getting better, if anything I feel it may be getting worse (thick pimples but this could also just be crust).

Any advice???

The second vet gave you some good advice. See how that works.

In the meantime if you're not already using shallow stainless steel or glass dishes, switch. At the very least use high quality saucers (such as from your regular dish set) and make sure you put a clean one down for every single meal.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

The second vet gave you some good advice. See how that works.

In the meantime if you're not already using shallow stainless steel or glass dishes, switch. At the very least use high quality saucers (such as from your regular dish set) and make sure you put a clean one down for every single meal.

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Get rid of any plastic dishes right away. Did either vet do a dental evaluation? Often acne as bad as you describe can stem from a bad tooth, or gum disease. How old is Singa?

Singa is approx 5 yrs old now. The vet did a dental evaluation and she has really bad plaque and a bit of gingivitis. But she never drew a connection.

Singa is now getting PlaqueOff with her food each day. Not sure if that helps though. heard it will take a few weeks to kick in.

Of course all plastic dishes have been replaced with very shallow ceramic bowls. I wouldn't say they are super high quality though....

Do we really need to wait 2-3 weeks before Singa's infected chin can be treated? And would Antibiotics even help if it is an infection?

One of the wounded areas which was previously like a bump with a blackish brownish crust now has blood and a white spot at the end (assuming puss or a white spot?). Calling the vet now! That cant be right!

I'd still try to hunt down some better dishes.

I don't know if Singa will let you do this, but whether it's acne or a small abscess you can try simply holding a warm damp wash cloth to her chin. Don't rub at it, though, as she obviously hated that last time.
That might help it drain (if abscessed). Otherwise the antibiotics have to do their job. Do talk to the vet, though.

Does she let you brush her teeth? That combined with the plaqueoff should help shift any built up plaque if it's not too terrible.

I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow to sort it out.

Singa won't let me touch her chin at all. I tried yesterday. But I'll definitely look for better bowls. I still don't get what difference it makes. Don't stainless steel and glass dishes also get scratches in which dirt/bacteria can sit? And why does it have to be a "high quality" ceramic bowl compared to a regular one?

I have never tried brushing her teeth... the way she hates being man-handled I assume I already know her answer!

i switched from plastic to ceramic bowls from our regular dish set, but i don't know if that qualifies as high quality ceramic. i don't know why it makes a difference but the acne went and has not reappeared since.

The higher quality the glaze, the less likely it is to scratch or flake off. Also the less likely it is to have lead in it - not common here, but I don't know about over there. Nicer quality dishes made for human use usually have a better glaze on them.

Glass and stainless take more to scratch. Your cat's tongue and your washing isn't going to do it.

Th Vet has now given her a long term anti-biotic and another anti-inflammation shot. She also told me to start applying 99% Aloe Vera gel in about 4 days.

Both cats now have the pleasure of eating from new Marks & Spencer bowls that cost GBP 4 each ($6.50 each)

Singa already looks much happier today

I've been watching this thread, but haven't commented because I have no real experience with feline acne. Just wanted to say that I'm glad Singa's feeling better. That's a positive step!

Bad news. Unfortunately nothing has helped so far. She has red blisters on her chin and won't let me touch it at all to put the soothing Aloe Vera on it.

And if that wasn't enough, Soleil now develpoped a mild version of Acne. But I can handle her much better and she actually lets me clean it without struggling.

Could the Acne come from the wet food I'm feeding? They were always on dryfood, but as they constantly puked it up (eating to quickly etc), I chose to give them a spoonfull of wet food before I feed them dry, just to get something light into their tummy. It's only after I started this that I noticed the Acne on Singa (but that could be a coincidence).

The brand I am feeding is Applaws. It seems very healthy as the company claims that there is nothing but the ingrediants you can see on the packaging in the food (chicken and water). What surprises me is that both cats love it so much, that they can't wait to get it! This worries me that there are some taste enhancers in the food that may cause the Acne. Any ideas on that?

nothing but chicken and water? You mean no added minerals or vitamins? That is not a complete food.

But...you're only feeding a small amount of that a day, so as a snack that should not matter.

Your vet told you use aloe vera? Aloe vera is poisonous to cats.

Don't put any more aloe vera on your cat's chin.

and this?

The vet did a dental evaluation and she has really bad plaque and a bit of gingivitis. But she never drew a connection.

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Find another vet. I think your cat needs a dental cleaning. Those sores are not going to clear up until the gum disease is addressed.

Hi
One of our kitties developed acne while eating Wellness wetfood. As soon as we stopped feeding it to him, the acne cleared out. This is a food intolerance for our boy. We could not clean his chin because he would not allow us to. You might want to stopp feeding them the Applaws. I hope this will work.
Marina

I agree. The dental issues need to be addressed.

How does Soleil's mouth look?

Try this for dry food: Use a couple of your dinner plates. Spread the food out on them for your cats. That should slow them down some and provide a surface that you can keep sanitized. Wash the plates after every use. If the plate isn't good enough, go with paper plates and throw them away after every use - if you don't like the thought of filling up a landfill, get some unprinted ones and use them in a compost heap (provided that you have space and at least plant flowers).
I have two that I had to do this with because I can't find stainless plates..

Consider getting a restraint bag... Yes, I know Singa will hate it, but you need to was her chin. Use the original cleaner or at least a damp wash cloth. It will get better if you can keep it clean enough. She'll get used to it. Always give a treat after.

Do you brush their teeth or do any preventative home dental care? If not, it's time to do that for both of them.

Thank you all for the advice and comments!

Vet:
First of all, I have seen 3 vets in one practice. I don't think they are bad vets and I don't see the need to change practices. They addressed the Dental issue and gave me something to treat it with. And in terms of the Aloe Vera I have written my comments below.

Dental:
Soleil's teeth are ok, but she also bites her kibbles properly and has a chewy toy, which she absolutely loves! Singa does not bite her kibbles much and even the large ones she manages to swallow whole - maybe that is why she throws up so much. The vet gave me Plaque-Off, which I feed to both cats with the wet food each day. I'm not too sure if it made a difference yet as Singa won't let me near her mouth. I also have toothbrush and toothpaste at hand, but again, since I can't get near her mouth, I haven't been able to try it.

Food:
The wet food is really just for a treat. I chose Applaws specifically because it seems the healthiest alternative. The most important product features: Highly digestible, also suitable for sensitive cats - High acceptance, even with picky eaters - A delicious variety of flavours - No artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives - Gluten-free and no vitamin additives - 75 % meat content - Hormone-free and natural-fed chicken, dolphin-friendly sea-caught fish. Ingredients: 75% Chicken, 1% Rice, 24% Cooking Water The nutritional analysis also does not look bad. The nurtirional Analysis can be found here:Applaws I can try not feeding it, but I am facing a slight challenge with the dry food. I have had a huge stock of a healthy German brand called Leonardo. This stock is coming to an end in 2-3 weeks and I am looking for a good alternative. Just like the wet food from Applaws, the dry food sounds healthy too. Now I am not sure if I should even consider this or should I try a different one??

Aloe Vera:
I am not entirely sure if Aloe Vera is really that toxic for cats. Yes, like you I have read it in many articles that it is toxic for cats, but I have also read about many treatments with Aloe Vera for cats. I specifically asked the vet about this and she said that it's not toxic. Granted, maybe she could be wrong, but I have only applied it 3 times in the last 3 weeks, because that's about how much I could get to Singa's chin.

Constrainment method:
I'm not sure if I should do this. Though I have done this with Singa on other occassions, like giving her oral medicines, she is extremly sensitive on her chin. She starts salivating the minute I try to rub her chin. I really think it hurts too much. And the red blisters are easly scratched open and start bleeding. I am sure the cleanin agent will burn in the open wounds. My vet said not to use this peroxide anymore as it is too aggressive.
I also read that cat's can get easily traumatized in this situation and that of course is a big no no in my eyes. I just want her to be well again, but not by making her suffer more.

Plaque off will not take the place of a dental cleaning and will not reverse gingivitis or periodontal disease already present.

Most cats do not chew kibble. They don't have chewing teeth. One crunch is about it, if that.

aloe vera IS poisonous to cats. Odd how those blisters started after you used the aloe vera three times in three weeks.

Sometimes cats have to be stressed in order to receive the proper treatment.

Clearly whatever you have been directed to do by your vet is not working since you state things are worse. This has been going on for over a month now. Really, if the vets you have seen are not helping, there isn't anything wrong with getting a second opinion elsewhere.

Ask your vet to refer you to a veterinary dermatology specialist.

Or insist on blood work and a dental cleaning. I recommend while Singa is under anesthesia also getting x rays to make sure there's not something else going on.

But in my opinion (not a vet, but have dealt with this in a cat, and after her dental cleaning the terrible sores on her chin disappeared) it's dental related and there will be no solution until that is addressed.

IMO your cat needs to have his dental done. also, the dishes need to be anything but plastic, and if they are eating off a plastic matt, that needs to be changed to cloth, or something natural.

Once you stop using the plastic, the acne will clear up. You are just aggravating it.

If your vet did not suggest dental cleaning, then you REALLY need to go elsewhere. IF he suggested it, and you declined, then I suggest you reconsider.

You can try changing the food, buy my experience is it is the plastic, even a plastic matt that dishes are on.

You can find glass dishes at any yard sale for a quarter or less. The little glass dessert dishes are perfect cat food bowls.

keep up posted.

Otto,
The blisters already came after the first treatment with the cleaning lotion and got worse in the first week. Afterwards, I went to see the vet again (different vet/same practice) who told me not to use the cleaning lotion, but to give Singa anit biotic/ anti-inflammatory shots -as she was just vaccinated I had to wait 2 weeks to get the shots done. Without any treatment it got even worse. I went back again-and got the shots and only then (3rd vet same practice) recommended the Aloe Vera, for it's anti-inflammatory characteristics. She was also the one saying the cleaning lotion was to harsh - which I can see as that is what caused the blisters. But like I said, I stopped using it anyways

Dental cleaning was not recommended, they only gave me the plaque-off, told me to brush the teeth and asid I should use large size kibbles so that Singa is forced to chew (yes, not chew as in humans chew but the crack it once). But I've tried that before and Singa does not crack them anymore than the normal sized kibbles. How much does dental cleaning usually cost??

gailuvscats,
I do not use plastic anymore. Both cats eat from high-quality ceramic and glass. All dishes are cleaned before they get fed.

I also use a ceramic cat fountain - could that be an issue????

tonight I'll wrap Singa up and properly check her chin and teeth.

Originally Posted by x-ta-Z

How much does dental cleaning usually cost??

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I don't know specifically for your area. Where I live it's quite cheap, others spend around $200 USD with the blood work included.

Call your vet and ask. It will be cheaper in the long run to do this dental than it would be cumulatively to keep attempting to treat the chin sores that aren't getting better.


Apparently the plaque-off is great. But it's only for the day to day build up on the exposed part of the teeth. It's what's up under the gum line that a dental cleaning takes care off. Just like if you go get your teeth cleaned. After that preventive care, if done aggressively enough (daily), can really decrease the amount of dental cleanings needed - though it can't completely replace all dental care needed.