Cat people...Scabs under chin?

[bicentennial_baby]

Hi all,

Kitteh has been getting these occasional scabs under his chin. The last few I removed were white/yellow/dry. The two I found tonight were dried-blood looking and bigger, so I left them alone.

Feline acne? Other? Help!

Thanks. :hi:

[VenusRising]

1. Is he rubbing his face on a sharp corner?

My cat will rub his chin on sharp corners where ever he can find them. He's had quite a few of those scabs before because of it. Just watch where he rubs his face and maybe you'll catch something you didn't even think of.

Hope kitteh is ok!

:hi:

[Inchworm]

2. oh c'mon

are cats really that stupid?

:yoiks:

[VenusRising]

6. Mine is.

He's a loony! :crazy:

[Inchworm]

9. hehe

Cats are insane. That is all.

I love 'em to death though because of it :D

:hi:

[VenusRising]

20. Can't help but to love a kindred spirit, huh?

:P

:hi:

[Inchworm]

24. took me a while...

you cwallin me insane?!?!?

:P

[SeattleGirl]

7. My kittehs do that all the time.

They aren't being stupid; they are scratching an itch.

[Inchworm]

13. dude!

My dog does that with his own foot. I wanna smack the shit out of him when he does it but I leave it to dumbassedness lolz

:hi:

[Maddy McCall]

3. Any way that he could have fleas?

He doesn't have to go outside to get fleas...y'all can track them in.

put him over a white pillowcase and rub him all over. If black stuff falls onto the pillowcase, then it's possible you have fleas and might want to look into a flea treatment at your vet's.

[bicentennial_baby]

8. No, I've examined him thoroughly...

He has a big white belly, and I've combed through there numerous times. Also, no flea bites on us.

It's only under his chin, which is why I'm leaning towards the feline acne possibility.

:shrug:

[Maddy McCall]

12. Look at my post below.

Never knew that this could be caused by plastic bowls...I learn so much when people ask questions.

[Guava Jelly]

4. It could be acne

Some cats do get it.
Stridex works well.

[Connonym]

5. sounds like feline acne

he use a plastic food/water dish? My vet said switching to metal or glass is the best prevention for that.

[bicentennial_baby]

11. He has a plastic water fountain with running water

If I have to get rid of that, I'm not sure what to do. He will NOT drink standing water, at all. Hrm.

[Lorien]

18. Just clean it regularly-and disinfect the rim with bleach

that should do the trick. My kitty Oberon will only drink water out of a cup in the sink (which I refill about six times a day). I have to change the cup to a fresh one every four days or so or he gets chin acne.

[bicentennial_baby]

19. I cleaned it thoroughly this afternoon!

It's been about 3 weeks, a month, so I gave it a thorough scrubbing. I'll monitor the chin for a bit and see how it goes.

Thanks!! :hi:

Also, I'll start cleaning it 1x a week from now on.

[mitchum]

16. And your vet is correct...

one of our former cats (rest in peace, buddy) developed acne on his chin. We replaced his plastic dishes with earthenware. No more cat acne.

[hippywife]

26. That's strange.

Our cat has been eating/drinking out of plastic bowls for 12 years and I've never seen anything at all wrong with her.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Feed cat in plastic bowls?

Wow...I learn so much by the questions people in the lounge ask.

Read this:

Sores reappearing on my cats chin

It sounds like your kitty is experiencing feline acne since this usually affects the chin area. If the ''sores'', which are similar to acne in humans, fester to a significant degree or the kitty appears to be experiencing pain or any other signs of illness such as lethargy, lack of coat sheen, or disinterest in eating, the kitty should go to the vet. Feline acne is an infection and in rare cases antibiotics must be prescribed if it has gotten out of hand.

I suggest you clean your cat's chin with a warm, soft, wet cloth and a mild soap, preferably one with no perfumes or dyes.

Another thing that has been shown to cause and or aggrevate this condition is eating out of plastic bowls, as plastic is very difficult to get truly clean. Try offerring food to your kitty in a glazed ceramic or glass bowl, or stainless steel and wash the cat's bowls daily.

If I were you, I woulld stay away from using Hydrogen Peroxide on his chin. It can actually impede healing because it damages skin cells. Betadine is a good alternative.

I hope this has helped. If the condition persists, please consult your veterinarian.

http://www.pet-care-experts.com/archive.php?18785

[bicentennial_baby]

14. He only has the plastic water fountain...

As stated above, if I have to ditch that, it's either back to drinking out of the faucet or...I have no idea. He will not drink from a bowl. He just splashes it all over the floor. Damn. x(

[Maddy McCall]

15. Ours drinks from the fish bowl.

Seriously. I have a stainless dish on the floor, full of fresh water, but the little scoundrels prefer to pester the betta by drinking from his bowl on the breakfast table.

x(

[texas1928]

27. Fish flavored water...

MMMM

[Connonym]

17. My ex's cat is like that

he keeps the water dish in the bathtub and the cat is happy and and there's no wet mess. Cats are so weird. Remember that they really don't actually drink very much so maybe if the bathtub idea won't work just filling a shallow dish with water will help minimize water splashing but will most certainly provide him enough fluids.

[Ewellian]

21. I have a cat with a food allergy.

The first symptom we noticed was scabs on her chin. It developed into an ugly case of pemphigus foliaceus with lesions all over her body before we got it under control with prednisone and figured out she was allergic to fish.

[mainegreen]

22. Same for my cat: food allergy.

Came on later in life.
Switched food brands, dropped fish based foods. Cat's great now.

[JMackT]

23. That happens to my Kitty

Thanks all for the tips.

I will get new bowls on my way home from work tonight

[Sheets of Easter]

25. Sounds like feline acne.

I never knew such a thing existed until recently.