Is It Acne?
In my last post, I wrote about what my veterinarian recommended to help my cat, Tiger get rid of his feline acne. How do you know if it’s acne? What does feline acne look like?
I mentioned in my post that Tiger developed a large bump under his chin and that is what initially concerned me. There were likely lots of warning signs I missed.
The most obvious sign of feline acne is blackheads. Most cats have short, thin hair under their chins so while you are cuddling with your pet, scratch him or her under the chin and look at the skin. If your cat’s chin looks dirty or has black spots, it could be acne.
Cats can also get pimples – just like people. And just like people pimples, it is uncomfortable for cats. If you notice your cat is scratching under his or her chin more than usual, it could be acne. Look for pimples, blackheads, dirt under your cats chin.
To cure my cat of acne, I washed his face with gentle face soap and warm water. If your cat is afraid of water, you can use a rag or paper towel. Also be sure to wash your cat food and water dishes regularly. You may also want to switch to stainless steel food and water dishes to prevent and acne breakout.
Of course if you try washing your cat’s face and the acne symptoms don’t improve, take your cat to the vet. It may need treatment similar to humans with severe acne.
Cure Feline Acne
My cat, Tiger had a BIG bump under his chin. He pulled away when I tried to touch it, so I knew it was bothering him. It was right below his bottom teeth so I was afraid it was an abscess or worse, a tumor.
I made an appointment with the nice people at Shady Oak Vet Clinic in Hopkins, Minnesota. Barb the Vet took one look and told me not to worry, Tiger had feline acne.
The vet showed me other blackheads under Tiger’s chin and recommended that I:
1. Wash his face with warm water and gentle soap to help clear up his skin.
2. Switch from plastic cat food and water dishes to stainless steel dishes and to wash them occasionally. Oil from cat food can “soak in” to the plastic and promote oily, dirty skin and feline acne.
I did what she said. I washed Tiger’s face every other day with Cetaphil (the same facial bar soap I use) and warm water. I also picked up stainless steel cat food and water dishes from Wal-mart. It took about a month for the monster zit to go away completely, but Tiger’s skin did eventually clear up.
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