Wessie has acne on his chin

[catbehaviors]

A while back I noticed what looked like small bits of dirt on Wessie's chin. I looked it up and found out that he had feline acne. There aren't a lot, but I read that if they aren't treated, they can turn into something worse. What do you all recommend? I've heard of putting a hot rag, hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar on the afflicted area. I was wondering about how you apply the peroxide. Since it will be on the cat's chin area, wouldn't he lick it off, and that harm him? Hopefully you understand what I mean!

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[arlyn]

My vet reccomended Phisoderm, an acne cleanser made for people.

She had me gently scrub the area twice a day with a cotton ball and rinse with another cotton ball and warm water.

Cleared up in about a week, no infection thankfully

 

[stephanietx]

If you're using plastic food & water bowls toss 'em and switch to ceramic, metal or glass. Wash the dishes frequently to keep them clean of bacteria that might reinfect the chin.

 

[bellaandme]

Bella had this problem really bad. I kept the area dry after she ate and then used peroxide twice a day. It was gone in less than a week.

 

[catbehaviors]

Originally Posted by stephanietx

If you're using plastic food & water bowls toss 'em and switch to ceramic, metal or glass. Wash the dishes frequently to keep them clean of bacteria that might reinfect the chin.

Arlyn- I've never heard of that before. I'll have to look at it next time I'm in the store.

stephanieTX- Definitely not using plastic! I stopped using that a while back after realizing how bad my food and water tasted when stored in plastic. Wessie has ceramic food and water bowls. I'll try to wash them a bit more often to make sure there isn't any bacteria.

Bellaandme- How do you use the peroxide? Do you just put it on a cotton ball and clean the chin?

 

[bellaandme]

Yes, I put a small amount on a cottonball and dab at the area. It won't hurt your kitty because you won't use that much. I swear by it because Bella had it soo bad that I came home from work one day and she had scratched her chin--there was blood all over her chest. OMG!!!
Good luck you'll be fine

 

[carolina]

Here is a cut and paste from another thread I have posted:
The best thing I have ever used for Acne, was Hibiclens - It is a very mild antibacterial soap - actually, it is a surgical scrub, used in hospitals. It has nearly neutral pH, it bonds to the skin and the effects of it lasts for up to 6 hours, yet it is very mild. It was referred to me by one of my babies vets for Acne, and since then it is what I use for them, and what I use for me as an antibacterial soap after I change their litter.
I buy it at target, or online. I wash the chin with a bit of it and a wet cotton ball, and I "rinse" with a wet cloth.
It is really really good stuff, and it works great for acne - here in my house it was the solution for it. Highly recommend it.

and from another post:
Hibisclens is fantastic. It keeps working for many many hours, so there is really nothing like it. Also, it is not drying and doesn't affect the surrounding layers like peroxide, an added bonus.

 

[catbehaviors]

Bellaandme- I can only imagine how frightened you must have been when you saw the blood! I know I would have been dying!

I'll definitely try the peroxide.

Caroline- Hibiclens sounds like a good solution. I'll take a look at it!

 

[arlyn]

Originally Posted by catbehaviors

Wessie has ceramic food and water bowls.

Ceramic is just as bad as plastic, it gets crazed (hairline fractures, sometimes impossible to see) and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

Glass or stainless steel is best for preventing acne.

 

[ducman69]

You CAN use plastic safely, you just have to wash it right. After use, any old anti-bacterial foam wash or top-rack dishwasher will work, but if you're doing it by hand you have to let the soap sit on there for a couple minutes to ensure nearly all of the bacteria are destroyed.

 

[momto4kitties]

Lucas had acne years ago, I changed his bowls lo stainless steel and washed the area with water and soap and it cleared.

 

[catbehaviors]

Originally Posted by Arlyn

Ceramic is just as bad as plastic, it gets crazed (hairline fractures, sometimes impossible to see) and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

Glass or stainless steel is best for preventing acne.

That's good to know!

 

[just mike]

Originally Posted by catbehaviors

A while back I noticed what looked like small bits of dirt on Wessie's chin. I looked it up and found out that he had feline acne. There aren't a lot, but I read that if they aren't treated, they can turn into something worse. What do you all recommend? I've heard of putting a hot rag, hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar on the afflicted area. I was wondering about how you apply the peroxide. Since it will be on the cat's chin area, wouldn't he lick it off, and that harm him? Hopefully you understand what I mean!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Some soap and water is all that I have used in the past on one of my cats. I found the cause of the acne when I took my cat in for the vet to look at the acne. Hoot was the first cat I had ever owned. Now I have 4

Anyway, I was using plastic feeding and watering bowls. Even though I was very thorough with cleaning the bowls daily, I found out that plastic will sometimes harbor bacteria which causes the acne. I immediately switched to stainless steel bowls and problem solved

Haven't had the problem since, with any of my cats.

 

[my4llma]

Originally Posted by catbehaviors

A while back I noticed what looked like small bits of dirt on Wessie's chin. I looked it up and found out that he had feline acne. There aren't a lot, but I read that if they aren't treated, they can turn into something worse. What do you all recommend? I've heard of putting a hot rag, hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar on the afflicted area. I was wondering about how you apply the peroxide. Since it will be on the cat's chin area, wouldn't he lick it off, and that harm him? Hopefully you understand what I mean!

Thanks in advance for your help!

I never had a cat with feline acne so I can't offer any advice on products. Maybe call your vet and ask about it? I hope you find something soon, so Wessie can start feeling better

 

[stephanietx]

Hannah gets a breakout on her chin when she's extremely stressed, so that's something to look into as well. I know it's not her dishes because those are cleaned daily. We run Feliway 24/7 and if I'm not prompt to change it she can break out.

 

[just mike]

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Hannah gets a breakout on her chin when she's extremely stressed, so that's something to look into as well. I know it's not her dishes because those are cleaned daily. We run Feliway 24/7 and if I'm not prompt to change it she can break out.

I also have the Feliway diffuser. Never had an acne breakout so I guess my cats are not stressed. I know that stress can cause it. I'm prompt with changing my Feliway as well. While we don't experience physical issues if not changed; I notice a behavior change in my cats. Especially Ramsey, my male Snowshoe. Change the bowls if you need to is my advice and keep giving the Feliway a workout!

 

[yosemite]

Even plastic mats can be an issue.

I bought a number of the metal cat food dishes at the dollar store so that I can put them in the dishwasher to ensure they are clean and sterilized. Bijou never eats out of the same bowl twice without it being put through the dishwasher. I don't even wash by hand and re-use them.

I agree that ceramic can also be a problem so glass and stainless steel are the best.

Be careful using hydrogen peroxide full strength as it can burn healthy tissue. I would recommend diluting it before using it on his chin.

 

[ducman69]

Originally Posted by NutroMike

Anyway, I was using plastic feeding and watering bowls. Even though I was very thorough with cleaning the bowls daily, I found out that plastic will sometimes harbor bacteria which causes the acne.

There are many that use plastic watering fountains though w/o issue, self included (Drinkwell Platinums). Our automated dry food feeder also uses a plastic dish, but it is specifically molded to fit it which is why I use it rather than just putting my stainless steel bowls under it. For wet food we use glass though.

What is true is that it is more difficult to disinfect micro-porous plastic compared to alternatives, but it is definitely still possible (heck, my cutting boards are all plastic too). In fact, you can even disinfect kitchen sponges, although it requires high heat or chemicals to get at all the bacteria. Throwing a moistened sponge in the microwave for example will kill over 99.9% of bacteria in studies, and works for disinfecting plastic baby bottles as well.

So you either have to avoid plastic, or be sure to use a disinfecting cleaning regiment. Dish washers primarily sanitize through the hot water/steam that exceeds what your faucet can put out (that's how I clean the Drinkwells), but you can do it by hand if you use a 99.9% anti-bacterial cleanser and allow it to act on the surface which is how I do the dry-food bowls half the time.

No acne to date. *knock on wood*

 

[just mike]

Originally Posted by Ducman69

There are many that use plastic watering fountains though w/o issue, self included (Drinkwell Platinums). Our automated dry food feeder also uses a plastic dish, but it is specifically molded to fit it which is why I use it rather than just putting my stainless steel bowls under it. For wet food we use glass though.

What is true is that it is more difficult to disinfect micro-porous plastic compared to alternatives, but it is definitely still possible (heck, my cutting boards are all plastic too). In fact, you can even disinfect kitchen sponges, although it requires high heat or chemicals to get at all the bacteria. Throwing a moistened sponge in the microwave for example will kill over 99.9% of bacteria in studies, and works for disinfecting plastic baby bottles as well.

So you either have to avoid plastic, or be sure to use a disinfecting cleaning regiment. Dish washers primarily sanitize through the hot water/steam that exceeds what your faucet can put out (that's how I clean the Drinkwells), but you can do it by hand if you use a 99.9% anti-bacterial cleanser and allow it to act on the surface which is how I do the dry-food bowls half the time.

No acne to date. *knock on wood*

I thought I was being thorough with the cleaning of my plastic food and water bowls but I think because the dogs would lick around them etc. the bacteria just kept coming. Apparently I was either not cleaning enough or cleaning the correct way. For me stainless is the way to go. I know people that use plastic and have never had any issues with it. I did use the dishwasher for my plastic bowls but not on a daily basis. I hand cleaned daily and did the dishwasher about once a week.

 

[feralvr]

Hi Eileen

. I have been dealing with a serious chin acne (Folliculitis) on Pipsqueak for two months now. He has a suppressed immune system and his acne went to the next level of infection. Perkins and Perla also had it for a bit. Still do if I don't clean their chins every other day.

Per Carolina, I bought the Hibiclens. Works great for the chins and is not as drying or irritating and benzoil peroxide. Also, I use Mupirocin Ointment (topical from the vet for the more serious cases) when the Hibiclens alone is not working.

Causes for my cats - I changed from plastic mats to washable cotten mats. I got rid of the plastic Platinum Drinkwell fountain, a huge bacteria culprit unless you scrub it daily, and use in the dishwasher, there is no way to stop the bacteria from growing once it starts. I also now use stainless steel dishes or glass dishes. I had ceramic, but Carolina explained to me that the ceramic dishes can get microscopic cracks in them that harbor bacteria

. For some cats, chin acne is never an issue, even with plastic bowls, and other's are very sensitive and will continue to have these breakouts

. I also made some dietary changes as could be allergies.

If you just wash everyday with the Hibiclens and keep up with it, Wesley should be fine. You don't want to just ignore it because it could turn into a severe case of Folliculitis. Pipsqueak has been on an antibiotic for four weeks now and was on Prednisone and the ointment. But he has other health issues such as stress, so this could be adding to the acne issue and making it worse too.

Chin acne in cats seems quite common and can be kept under control easily with some changes like the bowls and keeping the chin cleaned daily. I am lucky in that my cats have been very good for the cleanings, just little angels about it. Hope Wesley is a good boy for it too. Give him a special treat after you wash his chin