kitty acne and benzoyl peroxide

My kittens have zits, LOL. The vet suggested benzoyl peroxide gel. Have any of you used his on your kittens? He did mention to make sure they don't lick it all off. I have used it only once and very sparingly. I read the tube and it says for external use only. I guess we are worried.

I would get a second opinion... is it feline acne ??

My vet said it was likely feline acne...this after a previous vet said it was just drainage from an upper respiratory condition (which didn't seem right).

I don't know about the benzoil peroxide, but my vet recommended dabbing the area with regular peroxide.

I just use regular peroxide, scrubbing gently with cotton balls dunked in the mixture.

Where is the acne located? If it is under the chin right below the mouth, then try switching the type of bowls they eat from ... plastic or ceramic hold bacteria even when washed in the dishwasher with the heat cycle. Use stainless steel or glass.

Hissy and Gayef's advice worked for Sierra when she had a case of feline acne some time ago. It was Sierra's plastic syringe to which she was having an allergy, her dishes are already crystal, not plastic. (She was requiring assist feeding at this time.) It cleared up after cleaning the area thoroughly at least twice a day with regular peroxide on a cotton ball as well as changing our method of assist feedling . Yes, it is important to carefully monitor that your kitty doesn't swallow the peroxide.

Thanks all. I think I will stay with the plain peroxide dabbing. They eat out of ceramic bowls. Once in a while i will feed them a treat in a rubbermaid disposable bowl, but that is so I can ration the treats three ways. This is only once a week at the most. So do the ceramic bowls cause this too? I don't want to have to ditch my ceramic "french" bowls. Nothing better than eating at a french restaurant. lol

Ceramic? This is the first I've heard this, and since the glaze on a bowl is technically a glass anyway, I don't see that it would make any difference as long as it was a high-fired glaze; i.e. porcelain and some stonewares. I would stay away from any kind of a matte glaze as they can be more porous (you'll only find these on stoneware and some earthenwares...earthenware is a low-fire ceramic.) And obviously anything with any type of a crackle-glaze as bacteria can get into the decorative crackle ... anything you see that's got a crackle-glaze should be marked "for decorative use only" anyway, but sometimes manufacturers and craftspeople aren't as careful as they should be.

Cindy

for what its worth, my cat had a nasty case of feline acne and we have always used stainless steel bowls, washed before every meal. we also keep a non-toxic home, no chemical cleaners or detergants of any kind. my boy's acne cleared up with a food change.

I bought the pretty yellow french bowls at petsmart. I am sure you have seen their assortment of the ceramic bowls. They are hard glazed or fireglazed. Hey, if I had my way, they would be sleeping in french beds too. LOL

our vet said that Strydex for Sensitive Skin is a safe and effective treatment for kitty acne. apparently the sensitive skin formula does not have alcohol in it which is better for kitty. I have gotten mild cases to go away with washing his face with Baby Magic (baby soap/shampoo) and warm water for a few days.