Your purring skin on your chin has ugly black dots, either like dandruff or sand, which you can’t get rid of? Or maybe these rashes have already turned into pustules? Most likely, you are faced with a fairly common pet problem - acne. What is this disease, how to treat acne in cats, we will discuss today.
What is acne?
The described pathology in an animal looks like blackheads or black dots on the chin, on the nipples, in the ears and tail, and sometimes on the mucous membranes, in the lips.
Until now, the causes of this disease have not been thoroughly studied. True, there is an opinion among veterinarians that acne in a cat can be triggered by stress, inadequate care, an allergic reaction to the excipient, or it can be triggered by contact dermatitis and other skin diseases, in which there is excessive secretion of fat, and hair follicles do not function properly.
Not the last role in maintaining the pathological state is played by constant humidity on the affected area of the skin and a rare washing by the owners of the animal’s bowl, which leads to the accumulation of bacteria on it.
How does acne manifest in a cat?
Most often, this pathology appears on the lips and chin of a cat. It looks like a large cluster in one place of black dots (comedones), similar to poppy seeds. Often they do not bother the animal for a long time, but over time they can turn into small purulent inflammations that, after opening, form crusts.
In the case of additional infection of the affected area or as a result of the general weakness of the body of a sick animal at the site of acne, the cat may itch, the hair falls out, and the affected area becomes swollen.
With severe scratching of the itchy place, there is a danger of a secondary bacterial infection.
Which cats are at risk?
The disease under discussion can occur in a representative of domestic cats of any breed, gender and age. True, some of them suffer acne only once in a lifetime, and for some it is a constant problem that requires attention and care from the owners.
By the way, it was noticed that acne occurs much less frequently in sterilized individuals than in their breeding counterparts.
For Persian cats, this pathology can be especially serious, as it has a negative effect on their skin folds.
How is acne diagnosed?
In order to accurately determine the causes of acne in a cat, in each case it is necessary to consult a veterinarian. He will make a skin scraping, which will demonstrate the presence of either yeast, or demodicosis or nematodes. Scraping can also confirm the allergic nature of the pathology or indicate the presence of an eosinophilic granuloma.
All this will help you choose the right treatment that will save your pet from a recurrence of the disease.
How to treat acne in cats with non-drug methods?
Many owners who are faced with the described problem advise to treat the affected areas with biphasic makeup remover (note, this is not about inflamed rashes). It has disinfecting properties and removes excess fat, which are the cause of acne.
With the allergic nature of this pathology, sometimes it is enough to change the feed or filler for the cat’s toilet or change the plastic bowl to a glass or earthenware bowl, as many animals are allergic to plastic. But the adequacy of such measures in each case, you can establish only after consulting with the veterinarian.
By the way, remember that you can’t squeeze out eels from a cat yourself!
Medication for Acne
Ointments and sprays, which include chlorhexidine, or the
chlorhexidine solution itself (sold in ordinary pharmacies) treat acne in a cat's chin well. These drugs thoroughly wipe the affected area, saving it from all black spots, then wipe it dry and burn with iodine or the Fukortsin antimicrobial agent once a day or every 3 days, respectively.
The veterinary ointment Vedinol, which has anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties, has proven itself well in the cases described. It is applied to the area treated by the above method.
Instead of veterinary ointment, you can use the tool "Liniment syntomycin", alternating it with ointment "Flucinar", which relieves itching and helps with inflammatory and allergic skin diseases.
Getting rid of a secondary infection requires the use of antibiotics. But only a veterinarian will prescribe them for you, otherwise the consequences may turn out to be unpredictable!
Acne Treatment Scheme
Veterinarians have made a rough outline of how acne is treated in cats. It looks like this:
Once a day, it is necessary to wipe the affected area with an ear stick moistened with hydrogen peroxide. Peroxide helps soften the cork and get the comedone (in other words, eel) out.- Again with an ear stick, a 1% solution of Clotrimazole should be applied.
- To avoid irritation after the solution, the affected area is lubricated with Flucinar gel or sulfuric ointment. The latter is better, since it is safer for the cat if she manages to lick it. Excess ointment is gently patted with a napkin.
- In diluted form, carefully pouring a syringe over the cheek, give the cat a homeopathic remedy “Sulfur iodine 6” twice a day, 2 balls.
- When the comedone comes out, iodine carefully lubricates the opened time. To do this, wrap a fleece on the tip of the needle and dunk it in iodine (note that not iodine, but iodine).
- Spot lubrication with salicylic alcohol solution is also acceptable.
For prevention, you can wipe all suspicious places with hydrogen peroxide.
What to do if the defeat is serious?
As a rule, treatment according to the above scheme or only with a solution of chlorhexidine and iodine is enough to get positive results and the previous look of the fluffy muzzle in a week.
But with strong scratches on the chin of a cat, acne can be infected, and this will entail serious consequences.
The veterinarian will help you with such problems. Do not try to treat your pet yourself - this is dangerous!