Have you noticed small black pimples on your cat's chin? It could be feline acne, a disease that can affect cats of any age or breed, especially if they are elderly. Its causes are unknown, but it is thought that stress, a compromised immune system, poor cleansing and other skin disorders may favor its onset. Although it is not a particularly serious condition, it can be annoying for the cat, especially if the boils become infected. Fortunately, you can follow some simple procedures to cure it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Identifying Feline Acne
Step 1. Check for small black pimples
Usually, these skin lesions are found on the cat's chin. These are small, hard pimples or blackheads. By stroking the cat under the chin, you can feel a portion of rough skin to the touch.
Although acne is found mainly on the chin, it can also occur on the lips
Step 2. Find out the potential causes of acne
Although the specific causes are unknown, there are several factors that can cause its onset, including poor cleaning, the accumulation of food residues on the chin and a lowering of the immune system due to aging. Acne is usually a mild and harmless ailment, but it can become irritating if the boils become infected with bacteria.
Boils are formed from waxy sebum that accumulates in the hair follicle, causing it to swell and making it visible on the surface of the skin
Step 3. Check if the boils are infected
In the case of an infection, the affected area may appear more swollen and the chin more prominent. It may appear that the cat is leaning its chin forward and you may notice the presence of blood secretions (watery or foul-smelling and infected with pus) coming from the pimples.
The infection is caused by the outbreak of the boil or by the contamination of the sebum inside it with bacteria. If you get to this point, immediate treatment is required to avoid inflammation of the skin and avert the danger of the cat scratching the affected area excessively, causing irritation and aggravating the infection
Step 4. Check if the skin on the chin has a leathery appearance
If your cat has had several rashes, the follicles may have been severely damaged. This leads to the formation of scar tissue and a lack of hair regrowth in the affected area, which give the skin a leathery appearance.
If you have noticed any areas of hard or leathery skin on the cat's body, take him to a vet. A similar problem can be caused by other ailments that need proper treatment, such as food allergies or cancers
Part 2 of 3: Diagnosing Feline Acne
Step 1. Take the cat to the vet
If the animal has black boils, but no other problems are found, the veterinarian may only recommend that you keep the area clean with a disinfectant. He may advise you to wash the affected area with a diluted chlorhexidine solution and to monitor the development of acne. However, if the area is irritated, swollen or infected, some tests may be required to diagnose the condition and check the general condition of the cat.
A weakened immune system could cause severe and recurring skin lesions. The cat could then undergo some blood tests to check for any anemia and thus determine the amount of white blood cells and the state of health of the organs
Step 2. Have your cat checked for parasites
The veterinarian may decide to check if some parasites, such as the Demodex mite, are colonizing the cat's hair follicles. These are in fact capable of causing ailments similar to feline acne. To perform the test, the vet will squeeze a boil that is still intact, collect its contents on a microscope slide and proceed to examine it for any parasites.
If you find parasites present, your vet may recommend some topical treatments with pharmaceutical shampoos, pesticide baths, or sprays
Step 3. Check for other infections
Your vet can check for other infections, such as ringworm, which can cause inflammation and irritation of the skin. The check is done by rubbing a sterile swab or brush on the cat's skin to take a sample of fauna. The sample is then placed in a transport medium and analyzed for growth of the fungus causing ringworm.
The swab will allow not only to establish which bacteria are present, but also to decide which antibiotics to administer to fight the infection
Step 4. Get a biopsy done
A definitive diagnosis of feline acne is performed with a biopsy which involves the removal of a small portion of tissue from the infected area. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for examination and to make a diagnosis.
This procedure also allows to exclude other predisposing factors for acne, such as mites (which burrow their burrow under the skin thus simulating an acne infection), cancer or a type of autoimmune disease known as eosinophilic granuloma complex
Step 5. Remember that therapy is not always essential
Not all cases of feline acne require veterinary medical therapy. If your cat has a limited number of comedones (blackheads) that don't cause irritation, you can safely fix the problem at home. You can simply wash the affected area gently and keep it clean after the cat has eaten.
On the other hand, if your cat has previously suffered from infected boils, it is best to see a veterinarian
Part 3 of 3: Treating Feline Acne
Step 1. Clean uninfected boils
If your cat has boils, but there are no signs of infection, proceed with a simple cleaning. If you want to use ethyl alcohol, soak a cotton ball in alcohol and rub it on your chin twice a day until the boils have disappeared. Or you can use a topical cleanser such as chlorhexidine, which is pink in color, available in a soapy and concentrated solution. Dilute it with water respecting a proportion of about 5 ml of solution per 100 ml of water, soak a cotton ball and rub it on the cat's chin twice a day. Keep the affected area checked and, if the problem worsens, contact your veterinarian.
Chlorhexidine can be used to treat cats because it is non-toxic and does not cause itching. It disinfects the skin of bacteria and decreases the chances of these colonizing the hair follicles
Step 2. Use a shampoo to do a follicular wash
To wash the cat's chin, wet it with a cotton swab soaked in water and add a drop of benzoyl peroxide based shampoo. Rub it on your chin and let it sit for 5 minutes. Rinse the area thoroughly using a clean flannel cloth soaked in water. If you want to do the treatment on the whole body of the cat, dilute the shampoo, rub it all over the hair and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Wash the affected area in the morning and one in the evening. If you notice redness or irritation, stop the treatment until the skin has healed, then resume by further diluting the shampoo.
The shampoo for pets based on benzoyl peroxide is useful in the treatment of feline acne because this substance penetrates inside the follicles, cleaning them thoroughly, eliminating bacteria and removing excess waxy sebum that can cause acne
Step 3. Apply a warm compress to the cat's skin
Soak a cotton ball in warm, medium-salty water. To prepare the water, boil it and add a teaspoon of salt. Stir the solution and let it cool until it reaches body temperature. Dip the cotton ball into the solution, squeeze it to remove excess water and place it on the cat's chin. Try to keep it in position for 5 minutes and repeat the operation 2-3 times a day, until the pimple bursts or decreases in volume.
A warm compress can help reduce the size of the boils or cause them to burst. In both cases, the pressure on the follicles will decrease which, otherwise, could cause skin irritation
Step 4. Give your cat antibiotics as directed by the veterinarian
The veterinarian may prescribe oral antibiotics to be given to the animal to eliminate the bacteria on the skin. They must be administered by mouth, according to the established dose, until the boils have disappeared, then the cycle continues for at least another week. Among the antibiotics that are usually prescribed for feline acne are:
- Cefalexin: is a first generation antibiotic, belonging to the beta-lactam class, which affects and destroys bacteria. Normally, the dose varies between 30 and 50 mg twice a day: a standard dose for a 5 kg animal is 50 mg twice a day. It is preferable to administer it together with food, if the cat has a sensitive stomach and a tendency to vomit.
- Clindamycin: belongs to the class of lincosamides and prevents the reproduction of bacteria. Usually, the dose varies between 5 and 10 mg / kg twice a day, but you can double the amount and administer only once a day (so a 5 kg cat will need to take one 25 mg capsule twice a day. day). The effects of this antibiotic are most effective when taken on an empty stomach.
- Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid: This antibiotic interferes with the metabolism of bacteria and damages their cell walls. The dose is 50 mg per 5 kg: a 5 kg cat will be given a dose of 50 mg twice a day, either with food or separately.
Step 5. Preventing feline acne
Although older cats are more prone to acne (probably because arthritis makes grooming and removing food residues from the chin more difficult), there are some things you can do to decrease the chances. If your cat has suffered from acne in the past, clean his chin after he ate and dry the entire area. In this way you will avoid the accumulation of sebum and bacterial infections caused by food that remains trapped inside the follicles.
