Our male siamese attack cat has recently shown us a scab on the bottom of his chin. I thought he had been diggin in one of the plants as there were these little black flecks on his chin. When I picked him up and rubbed them off I realized they were small flecks of blood…I then saw that he had a small scab on either side of his chin. I do not see him scratching very often, but I do see him seeking out water all the time. Licking the faucets, water cooler etc…etc… I’m not sure this has anything to do with his current ailment. Anyone have any idea how these little scabs could have got there? Allergy perhaps? We don’t have fleas as far as I know. They are soley indoor cats…
It sounds like feline acne. As in pimples. It’s pretty common in cats and usually not a problem unless they get them all the time or they get infected.
Does your cat eat from a plastic bowl? Plastic holds bacteria that gets on the chin and causes pimples. Sometimes cats who are just a little messy with their food get it too, even if they don’t have a plastic bowl.
well, you should have signed the new contract and not the union labor go on strike
Seriously, tho, I find my cat has scabs every now and then simply because he rubs his face on stuff to mark it… and rubs hard.
I agree with missbunny that feline acne is a very likely cause of your cat’s chin scabs.
One common cause of chin acne is the use of plastic food bowls. Ceramic and stainless steel bowls solved our cats’ problems with chin bumps.
Well he’s definitely a messy eater. And we did just switch from metal to plastic food bowls. However he doesn’t eat wet food. Does that have anything to do with it?
I think it’s more likely with wet food but cats who don’t eat wet can still get feline acne.
You should google it - there is a lot of info - it’s possible it’s something much more serious than just acne, but if your cat seems otherwise healthy, then I’d first try switching to a non-plastic bowl. If you notice an improvement and no other health changes, he’s most likely fine.
I have seven (sigh) cats and only one gets any kind of acne. She started about 4 years ago (she’s 10 now) with one, then another, then she’d have three or four. For some months, she always had at least one pimple. I switched to non-plastic bowls and now she might get one every few months. She’s a bit of a messy eater. And she drools a lot when she purrs, so maybe her saliva is collecting on her chin. Anyway, in her case it was just acne and no other health issues. I’d just try changing his bowl back and just giving his chin a wipe every day.
Re his drinking a lot of water - is that a new thing? I don’t know if that’s connected to acne but if he didn’t used to drink a lot and now he does, that would definitely call for a vet visit. (Diabetes and kidney problems are just two things that will make a cat drink a lot.)
With the combination of two different problems, I’d get him in for a check-up. (Yes I know I always say that but it’s better to be safe than sorry and a vet office visit is a whole lot cheaper that one for me.) I agree that the chin thing is most likely feline acne, but the drinking lots of water thing concerns me. Cats have very sensitive kidneys.
And, one symptom of feline kidney problems is greasy-feeling fur. (Not like it’s coated with Crisco but there’s a definite greasy feeling to it. Kind of like week-old unwashed hair.) Grooming greasy fur might cause the chin to become greasy, which would cause acne. So, if the drinking a lot is a new thing, you might want to have him checked.
How old is he?
He’s a year and a half, and very mischeivous. He talks all day and into the night. More than I have heard any other cat talk… His fur is not greasy.
He’s a Siamese, of course he talks. Mine can say “Mooooooooooom” and "noooooooooow’ clearly. I usually hear them when I am on the other side of a closed door.
I was petting my cat and found little scabs and bumps all over the top of her skull. I took her too the vet, who said “abrasions and bruises”. AUGGH! Who’s been bruising the kitty?! The same week, I noticed a lot of nuts and bolts missing off Zahzoo the Grey’s parrot cage. We could not find the missing hardware. Zahzoo went to the vet, who said “Nope, he didn’t swallow any”. Later that week, I saw Zahzoo sitting on one leg, as relaxed parots are wont to do. The cat walked by and Zahzoo uncurled his other foot, which had been hiding a metal bolt. He whipped it at her head and scored a direct hit from a good six feet away. This was darned impressive for a life form whose eyes are on the sides of his head. We replaced his cage hardware with locking bolts, and the cat’s skull scabs went away. Zahzoo is now limited to throwing almond shells, which hurt less. I am a little worried that the cat never learned to connect “sudden head injury” with “walking near Zahzoo” but this problem is beyond my power to correct.
Another vote for feline Acne. My cat had this. It comes and goes occaisionaly. My cats fur isn’t greasy either, but she is a bit overweight and was pretty fat when the acne was at its worst.
I would recommend taking him to the vet for treatment, in addition to changing his food bowls, as feline acne can turn into a serious infection. In the meantime, clean the area off with some hydrogen peroxide, and if you can get him to take it, feed him some plain yogurt (the live cultures are good for him).
1.5 years old would be unusual to get kidney problems. It’s normally a disease of older cats. If the water thing is not a new occurrence, it’s probably just pimples. Those darn teenagers!
If he’s only recently been drinking a lot, or trying to drink, then you should have him checked. Diabetes can develop at any age. If he’s lost weight recently, then definitely have him checked. If te water-drinking isn’t new and he seems good otherwise (eats well, acts normally), then it’s probably just acne. Try changing the bowl.
[QUOTE=Shayna]
I would recommend taking him to the vet for treatment, in addition to changing his food bowls, as feline acne can turn into a serious infection.
[QUOTE]
I definitely agree it’s possible to turn into something serious - google “feline acne” and you’ll be horrified - but if he’s only got one or two pimples and no other health issues, it’s probably nothing to worry about.
IF he’s not drinking a lot as a new developement, AND he’s acting normally, AND he’s eating normally, AND he’s not urinating excessively, AND he only has 1-2 pimples that do clear up (even if he then develops more a few weeks later), then I would just figure it’s a mild case that can be treated without a vet visit. If he has ANY other signs of illness, then absolutely take him in. Or take him in anyway if you’re not sure. I am very experienced with feline medical issues so what other people freak out about might not bother me. But not everyone has my experience. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Meow
Feline acne? Two of our cats (the long haired ones) occassionally get this little black rash on their chins. We thought it was just a scratch that got ugly-now I’m wondering if it might be acne.
Is it safe to assume it’s not a good idea to pop the cat’s zits?
::d&r::
My one cat, Guinness, has a tendancy to develop cat acne. It is just as Phlosphr stated.
The first time I noticed it I called my vet and described the problem and she gave me a pet Rx for the ailment. It is Bactoderm ointment 2%. Only cost around 10 dollars and a tube lasts super long.
When I notice his chin getting weird, I put some on his chin every night and it clears up really nicely.
Yep, I’m with ya. Having a 21 year-old cat who’s had practically everything including cancer, I’m pretty experienced with feline medical issues, too, and if I found acne on Miss Mew now, I’d just keep it clean with hydrogen peroxide and feed her some yogurt until it cleared up. But that’s because I’ve seen it before, can recognize it and distinguish it from, say, ringworm (which she’s also had, when we lived in Mexico) and know how to treat it and what to watch for. You know, it’s like us girls going to the OB/GYN the first time we get a yeast infection, because we really don’t know what we’ve got. After that, we know how to tell if that’s what it is, so we can just go to the drugstore and self-treat.
And seeing as how this is Phlosphr’s first exposure to whatever is ailing his kitty’s chin, I think it’s wise to have the vet diagnose it and discuss treatment options the first time around, even though the most likely cause is acne. Didn’t mean to put any panic in him – just think it’s wise to be cautious with something he doesn’t recognize and isn’t qualified to diagnose on his own, having never seen it before, that’s all.
Prrrrrrr =^…^=
Am I the only person who thought of both “unions” and “pussy” when they saw the title of this thread?
Seriously, I think you should check with your friendly neighborhood veterinarian as soon as possible.