Feline Acne: Not Your Teenager’s Pimples

  Posted on September 2, 2014  by joyofliving  No comments

Party Marty, the amazing cat here! Wow! What a fabulous long holiday weekend! I spent my time lounging in the sun, snoozing, rolling over, stretching, licking myself, dining, and then doing it all over again…and again…I am worn out! However, I did take the time to get online and check my dating profile…oops, I mean…I did some research for today’s post and decided to address a sensitive issue: feline acne.

Now, we all know I am a good-looking fellow. I can strike a pose and make everyone notice. Have I always been this perfect? For the most part, yes, but I do have to earn a living based on my appearance (and on my words!), so I do all I can to stay in tip-top form!

However, feline acne is something important to discuss. Let’s face it. Acne is no fun for anyone, whether animal or human. So…what is feline acne and what can we do about it? Read on…

While the exact cause is not known, several factors seem to be associated with the development of feline acne, including stress, a compromised immune system, poor grooming habits and the presence of other diseases or skin conditions in which abnormal amounts of oils are produced, causing the hair follicles to not function properly.

Feline acne is primarily found on the chin and the lips of a cat. The chin may appear “dirty.” The acne is referred to as “comedones” and can develop into small abscesses, which can then break open and form crusts. In severe instances, draining tracts, hair loss and swelling may present on the chin. Further, this may irritate the cat and he/she may begin to scratch at it, causing trauma and potentially secondary bacterial infections. This condition may appear just once in the life of a cat; it may come and go; or, it can remain for the life of the cat. It can occur in all breeds of cats, at any age and in both males and females.

Your veterinarian can diagnose feline acne via a skin scraping. Sometimes, a biopsy may be performed to rule out other conditions.

While feline acne can be controlled, it cannot truly be cured. Your veterinarian may prescribe, among other courses of treatment, a topical antibiotic or special shampoo. He may also prescribe a short course of corticosteroids if there is a large amount if inflammation.

It can also be helpful to change out your cat’s food and water dishes to stainless steel or glass, as sometimes cats can have an allergic reaction to plastics and dyes, which can be a contributing factor to the acne.

Also, be sure to clean your cat’s chin on a regular basis if he/she is prone to feline acne and if he/she has poor grooming habits.

Thanks to peteducation.com for this helpful information!