“Do Cats need Clearasil”

Every so often, someone brings in a cat that has a big, fat lip. The owners wonder what could have caused it – a fight with the other cat? cancer? a bad tooth? Most of the time, it’s due to “feline acne”, a condition that unlike humans doesn’t just affect “teenage” cats. It’s a condition that starts at about 1 year of age, and usually continues on for life, with periods of remission and exacerbation.

It often begins as tiny plugs of dark material, like blackheads, around the shaft of the chin and lower lip. These do not bother your cat, although they may progress to red, infected bumps that can be itchy and painful. Permanent hair loss and loss of pigmentation may occur in chronic cases. It can be especially painful in advanced cases, and I’ve seen many cats stop eating all together because they hurt so much.

The exact cause of feline acne is unknown. It is thought to be a disease in which an excessive amount of oil is produced from oil glands that then plugs up the hair follicles. I also have seen many cats develop chin acne secondarily from eating out of plastic bowls. It seems that if the cat is allergic to plastic, the contact with the bowl causes the skin to be red and irritated, causing the cat to scratch the area with its feet and thereby starting a local infection.

Other diseases can look very much like chin acne, like a bacterial or fungal infection, or even mange mites. Testing the skin with cultures or skin scrapings are sometimes needed to help diagnose the problem and thus direct the treatment.

My first advice to people is to change food and water bowls to either glass, ceramic, or steel. After that, try putting a topical antibiotic ointment like Neosporin on the area. That’s what I do for our cat Jill when she gets these lesions. Other human topical agents like benzoyl peroxide can be used, but be careful if there is an open spot on the chin, as “kitty Clearasil” stings and it may send your cat scratching and clawing to get away. It takes about 5-7 days to go away, so if it doesn’t, call your local veterinarian to have it more closely examined. Oral antibiotics or an injection of a short-acting steroid may be necessary.

I hope you all had a good summer and are back into the swing of things. Remember to keep a close eye on your pets, as they look to you for their care and affection.

Till next time, Dr. Steve

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