Black Crust on Kittens Mouth?

Hello,

I have had Jim for about 3 weeks now. He has been to the vet about 4 different times for various issues. He had diarrhea for the first week I had him, fleas, and a UTI. He is on an antibiotic for the UTI now, his fleas are gone, and he was given medication for the diarrhea. Now I am noticing that he has this black crust around his mouth. I am thinking it could possibly be from the wet food he eats. He is really bad at cleaning himself so it is possible that it is dried food. I wanted to check here to see if this could possibly be something else. I have ruled out cat acne, and he eats out of a stainless steel bowl. He eats Weruva wet cat food. He is playful and acting normal. I tried to wipe it with a warm wash cloth and he started meowing so I stopped. I am not sure if he is in pain because this is a lesion, or just because it is so stuck to his fur.

Please don't respond with "take him to the vet." I am here because I am looking for an immediate answer, not because I want to spend another $100 for a vet to tell me that "he's fine, come back if it lasts longer than a week," like they do every time I go. 

Thanks in advance!
 
 

Try holding a warm, damp washcloth to the area for a minute or so before you try to scrub.  It's hard to tell what it is from these photos, but that would help to loosen it.  If it is a surface issue it will loosen if from his fur.  If it's not, he should go back to the vet.

You might want to help him clean up, especially after feeding, until he gets the hang of it.  Again, a warm, damp towel.