Acne in Cats

Digg   Del.icio.us   Stumble   Share

Next

Pages 

1

23

Section: Overview

See Larger Image

Feline acne is a relatively common problem in cats. It is a life-long skin disease limited to the chin and lips. Unlike human acne, it is not limited to puberty.

It starts at around one year of age and may have periods of remission and periods of exacerbation. It often begins as tiny plugs of dark material, like blackheads, around the hair shafts 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. Hair loss and loss of pigmentation may occur in chronic cases.

The exact cause of feline acne is not known. It is thought to be a disease in which an excessive amount of oil is produced from oil glands that plugs the hair follicles. Since it is seen in both male and female cats, hormones do not seem to play a role.

What to Watch For

The frequency and severity of symptoms vary with each cat.

Oral retinoids can be tried in cats with acne. They are quite expensive and take several weeks to work. Assessment of the efficacy is done after the first month. If your pet responds to this therapy life long treatment is usually required. These drugs may induce liver damage and periodic blood work is recommended to monitor liver function. In addition these drugs are teratogenic (they cause malformation in the fetus), thus should not be used in pregnant animals.

Home Care

At home, you may be asked to do daily soaks with Epson salts or apply antibacterial and/or antifungal creams on the chin to disinfect the area. Topical therapy may help promoting the drainage of these lesions. It is important that topical therapy is not too aggressive to avoid trauma in the area and excessive scarring. Clipping of the area may increase the efficacy of topical therapy.

You may be asked to wash the chin with medicated products once or twice weekly to remove the scabs and the excessive sebum from the skin. A contact time of 10 minutes is recommended.

In severe cases you may be required to administer systemic drugs. They include oral antibiotics, oral antifungal drugs, oral steroids or oral retinoids. The antibiotics are usually given for several weeks. They may cause stomach irritation and nausea causing loss of appetite (anorexia) and diarrhea. Antifungal drugs have the potential of inducing liver disease, thus any loss of appetite should immediately reported to your veterinarian. Other adverse effects include vomiting and diarrhea.

You should monitor your cat closely and call your veterinarian is necessary.

Next Page

Pages 

1

23

 

Printable Version

Digg   Del.icio.us   Stumble   Share

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

 

Have a Pet Question?

Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

 

 

Related Articles

Search Over 15,000 articles

• 1 Miliary Dermatitis

  Miliary dermatitis is a papular, crusting skin disease accompanied by varying degrees of pruritis. Cats with miliary dermatitis have multiple, small bumps on their skin that are usually associated with...

  Read More
• 2 Acute Moist Dermatitis

  A hot spot starts because something irritates the skin, and the body either itches or becomes inflamed. The itching then causes the dog to lick or chew the area, which further damages the skin, creating...

  Read More
• 3 Contact Dermatitis in Cats

  Contact dermatitis is an uncommon skin disease of dogs and cats caused by contact with plants, medications, and various chemicals. It is not as common in animals as in people because the skin is protected...

  Read More
• 4 Allergic Dermatitis in Cats

  Allergic dermatitis is a general term to describe a group of skin allergies that may be caused by a multitude of factors.

  Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens