Symptoms and Treatment of Feline Acne
Posted on August 28, 2008
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The specific causes of feline acne are not known. Cats with weakened immune systems are more susceptible, but otherwise healthy male and female cats of all ages may be affected.
Contributing factors in the development of the disease include stress, poor grooming habits, and abnormal sebum production.
Lesions vary in severity, but are typically mild. Itching and pain are uncommon unless there is a secondary bacterial infection present. Lesions usually initially present at about one year of age, and remain cyclic for the life of the cat. Pain and/or itching are not common unless there is a secondary bacterial skin infection.
Treatment may or may not be required. Your veterinarian will have to make this determination depending upon the severity of the symptoms, and whether or not any secondary conditions exist.
Signs and symptoms of feline acne — Clinical signs may include lesions on the chin and lower lip. There may be swelling of the chin and around the lips. Your cat may have crusted reddish papules or dark brown comedones.
In more serious cases, there may be a secondary bacterial infection present. Signs of this may include edema (swelling) of the chin area, or drainage of the lesions. In these cases, antibiotics, both systemic (taken internally) and topical, may be prescribed.
Sometimes ringworm or yeast infections can be mistaken for acne, as can bacterial skin infections as well.
Treatment of feline acne — Treatment is often not necessary, except in more severe cases. In fact, skin lesions can be made worse by overtreatment.
Your veterinarian may recommend topical therapy of some kind to help remove the comedones (blackheads). Depending upon the severity, more aggressive treatment may be recommended.
Your vet may remove excess skin from the lesion area. This facilitates cleaning of the area, as well as the application of topical medications. You should never do this yourself as you can hurt your cat or cause an infection.
Antiseptics may be used, such as Listerine or alcohol, as well as antiseborrheic shampoos. Some of these contain a common component of human acne treatment formulas, salicylic acid.
As with acne in people, topical benzoyl peroxide solutions are often prescribed. These are available in small animal strength formulas, which is one-half that of the human preparation, in shampoo or gel form.
Never use a preparation made for humans on your cat unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian. You should know that even the milder animal formula benzoyl peroxide treatments may be irritating to your cat’s skin when used repeatedly over time.
Cats with acne who have weakened immune systems may receive steroid therapy. Additional supplements, including off-label drugs, may be used as well.
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