Feline Acne
Feline acne is found almost entirely on the chin and lower lip. What happens is the hair follicles become plugged with sebum. This can be a single episode of acne or a life-long, recurring issue. From what is known age, gender, and breed are not determining factors for the condition.
Symptoms
Symptoms can include blackheads, whiteheads, mild red pimples, watery crusts, and swelling of the chin. In severe cases cats can develop knots, bleeding crusts, boils, hair loss, a severe redness of the skin, and pain in the area.
Causes
Feline acne can be caused by poor grooming habits, abnormalities on the skin surface, excessive grooming, or repeatedly rubbing the fur of the chin.
Diagnosis
Feline acne can be diagnosed by your cat’s veterinarian with a visual examination. This will include ruling out any other conditions like fungal infection, mange, allergies, etc. Sometimes the diagnosis will include procedures like skin scraping and fungal cultures.
Treatment
Treatment begins with a good cleaning of the infected area using antiseptic cleanser. Next, antibiotics and topical shampoos are added to help clear the acne. If the outbreak begins to reduce you can start tapering the medication over a two-to three-week period. If the acne continues or frequently reoccurs your veterinarian will need to perform routine maintenance.
