Feline Acne - treatment help?

Lisa_27

About 6 weeks ago I purchased a plastic water bowl for my cat, he then started to look like he constantly had a dirty chin which I was cleaning with unscented baby wipes.

However it started looking worse, I then came across an article on feline acne which matches what Marmy has on his chin. His chin is black and it does look like dirt.

Yesterday I removed the plastic bowl as may be the possible culprit as he has had no change in diet etc.

I have been using a tooth brush and warm water to try and remove some of the black spots twice a day which is does not like and seems a slow process.

I then wash the chin in hibiscrub to remove bacteria and heal it.

He is not sore, the area is not swollen, no puss and no blood. He has not been scratching the area and still rubs his chin to mark but he is funny about me trying to clean it.

Any other tips? Most online info states that a mild case does not need vet care and as does not look infected I assume it is the mildest form but most info is American so looking for help off you guys at home with local product info.

I will take him to the vet if it starts irritating him or becomes infected but how long should I expect it to take with the cleaning treatment?

He really doesn't seem bothered by it so it may just be me worrying about the cosmetic issue and obviously I don't want it to escalate to the stage where it does irritate him.

paddypaws101

It does look like quite a large area of his chin is affected, so I presume it will take a little while for it to clear.
I do believe that you are following the right approach though....make sure it is a very weak solution of Hibiscrub. I would use that first with a nice soft baby toothbrush....and then finish off with a rinse of plain water.

Lisa_27

paddypaws101 wrote: »

It does look like quite a large area of his chin is affected, so I presume it will take a little while for it to clear.
I do believe that you are following the right approach though....make sure it is a very weak solution of Hibiscrub. I would use that first with a nice soft baby toothbrush....and then finish off with a rinse of plain water.

I could try that and use the hibiscrub before the warm water as then won't be playing with his chin for as long.

TheBairn

Hi
My cat suffers from acne too and you are treating it as I was told to by the vet.
It looks worse than my cat's initial bout which the vet treated with anti-biotics but it didn't cure it. I'd give it a few more days and if no marked improvement I'd go to the vet.
HTH

Lisa_27

Starting to see an improvement, the area of pink skin is increasing and the amount of black stuff that is coming off is increasing; however as Marmy hates being restrained and fiddled with I can only pick a small amount out of his fur before he struggles.

Air_Cooled_75

One of my cats had this, she has a ceramic bowl which is cleaned after her meals just with very hot water and left to air dry. She's fine now but I'm very strict with the cleaning, I never used anything on her though.

TheBairn

It is looking better - well done! It sounds horrible but I usually do this sort of thing (& clip her nails) when she is very sleepy - I scratch her chin - which she likes- as much as poss to remove black bits and when she gets a bit fed up I wipe with diluted hibiscrub to disinfect.

Lisa_27

Oh my god, came to clean it today and seems to be coming off in big clumps and much easier that it was when I first started. Skin looks a bit raw and smooth with some hair loss but I think that is to be expected x