Acne treatments?

forget-me-not

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I think my baby has feline acne; I was just scritching her under her chin, which she loves, and felt two small scabby like bumps. When I tried to get a better look she freaked and bolted so I am not sure. She doesn't have fleas.

I know another trip to the vet is in order, but is there anything I can do? I feed her premium dry kitten food in a ceramic bowl and she gets her wet food on a china plate or paper plate. Maybe a better quality wet food?

For those of you who have gone through this, how long was it before the switch to better food helped? I need some ideas for at home remedies before shelling out more buck$ for another vet visit so soon.
 

Moz

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We just took Scratch to the vet right after we found out she had acne and they gave us some medication for her. We didn't even bother switching her food because she'll only eat this one kind.
 

crazy4cats28

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I've been through this with my cats several times in the past. I was told to wash Princess' chin twice a day with peroxide on a cotton ball. She was also put on antibiotics and and antihistamine but she had a VERY SEVERE case. Her entire chin swelled up to double it size and she couldn't eat. It went from very mild to very severe overnight. She actually lost 2 ponds in less than a week and almost died. Princess gets sick very easy though. You can look at her wrong and she will get sick.


As far as switching foods, I wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure to keep your kitty's bowl very clean. I was also told to use clear glass bowls/plates when I feed my cats. I was using ceramic because I was told that was fine but now my vet said clear glass was better becasue sometimes the dyes/paints used in the ceramic can cause or make the acne worse.
 

sharky

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Peroxide here too ... and some cats need stainless steel
 

urbantigers

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Jaffa developed what I feel sure was feline acne about 3 months ago. At first I didn't know what it was and thought it might be due to his dental problems at the time. When he went for his dental I mentioned it to the vet but it was very mild at that time and the vet wasn't sure what it was and said it could be related to his dental problems (he had a tooth out that side and his chin was just black in one place). It would get better, then worse, then better .. but wasn't bothering him at all. At one point it got better and looked like black dots and it looked very much like pictures of feline acne. Over the past few months I've been doing the following - washed his chin with a mild, unperfumed soap (making sure it's rinsed off), changed his wet food to a better quality food (and increased the proportion of wet food in his diet) and added vitamin powder to his food (SA37 http://www.arkpetcentre.co.uk/sa37-i...4f81dc33020dc). I have no idea what, if any, of those things are responsible but finally it has completely cleared up and he's acne free!
 
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forget-me-not

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Astrid has long hair under her chin where I felt the bumps, so I didn't see any black spots. I will feed her out of a glass bowl until I get a set of stainless. As for washing it and peroxide...we'll see if I can catch her


I hadn't even realized until I read these forums that cats even got acne!
 

kittycorner

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Uno too has acne, I am treating with any of the over the counter pads like Stridex, works great and he doesn't seem to mind at all. I use them once a day and it seems now that it isn't even a problem, I have not had to treat him in atleast a month or so, Stridex pads are great, cheap and easy! Be careful of some of the creams the vet tries to give you as they will bleach your carpets and furniture if your kitty rubs off the cream onto them.
 

yosemite

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Be careful using peroxide. It actually burns the tissue. If you do use peroxide, then dilute it first.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

Be careful using peroxide. It actually burns the tissue. If you do use peroxide, then dilute it first.
Very good pt forgot that ... but some of these other options look better
 

techiegirl

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

Be careful using peroxide. It actually burns the tissue. If you do use peroxide, then dilute it first.
yes. What I do is take a cotton facial pad - you know, the little square or round ones? So I take that and run it under HOT water. Then I pour a capful of H2O2 in the center and squeeze out all the liquid from the sides so it is not dripping. I then take the pad, which is now cooler but still warm and apply it to the chin and let it sit there and then blot a bit.

I have used a cream from the vet in a severe case, which I applied after the H2O2. I will see if I still have it as I do not recall the name.

I have found that using a little metal flea comb to comb out the "dirt" works really well/ But then, my cats loved to be groomed, so that may not work for your cat.

Stainless steel or glass bowls are the way to go. I thought that glazed ceramic was ok as well. but then I had not heard about the paint issue - good to know. Plastic scratches and unglazed ceramic is porous so bacteria can hide.

I also started giving a Lysine supplement to her food and that has helped control the outbreaks as she has not had one in a few months. *knock on wood.


Several of the cats at the cat retirement home I work at have feline acne and we are currently treating by scrubbing the chin with ChlorHexaderm and putting a topical cream on it, which for the life of me, I can't recall the name. This procedure has NOT been helping at all, and has actually gotten worse. Another person I know has triedthe same and not had any luck. So I would not recccommend using that treatment.

Good luck! And who knew huh?
 
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forget-me-not

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Thanks for all the ideas - my kitty has a beautiful long fur ruff around her face and the fur under her little chin is so soft but very thick. You can't even really see the bumps but I can feel them. Hopefully she won't keep freaking out when I get near her with a damp cotton ball-even just to wipe off the food she might get on herself. She is still very skittish about touching - I would go so far to say she is a drama queen.


Tomorrow is pay day so I will be picking up some good new food and new bowls - stainless steel.
 
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