What Causes Cat Acne?
Cats have more in common with humans that a person might think. Cats and humans share similar medical conditions, an example of which is acne. If you have noticed acne on your cat, it is important to understand the various factors that might have caused the acne and how feline acne can be treated.
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The Causes
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Cat acne can be caused by a number of different factors. These factors include such things as as not enough grooming, a damaged immune system, stress, dermatitis, irregular hair follicles, and excess amounts of oil being produced by the skin.
Checking for Cat Acne
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Cat acne usually appears on the lips or the chin of the cat. However, Persian cats sometimes have a tendency to develop acne in their skin folds and other parts of their face. Cat acne, also known as comedones, might give the chin the initial appearance of being dirty.
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Cat Acne Development
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As the comedones continue developing, they can become abscesses. These abscesses have the potential to break open and cause crusts to form. Severe cases of feline acne are marked by swelling and hair loss. Cat acne can also be itchy. The cat might try to frequently scratch the area, which can result in various bacterial infections. Some cats might get acne multiple times throughout their life, while others might only get it once. The age, breed or gender of a cat does not affect its chances of developing cat acne.
Diagnosing Cat Acne
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The veterinarian will begin the diagnostic process by taking some skin scrapings. Skin scrapings are done to rule out the possibility of other problems, such as ringworm or yeast infections. If a serious medical problem is suspected, a biopsy might also be done. In cases where bacterial infections might be present, a culture might be done.
Treating Cat Acne
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While there are several different things that can be done in order to treat cat acne, it is very important to note that acne is never cured, but rather controlled. Some forms of very mild cat acne might not require treatment at all. Benzoyl peroxide gels, or antiseborrheic shampoos (shampoos that contain Benzoyl peroxide) might be used in cases where the cat acne as been determined to have been caused by excess oil production in the skin. If a bacterial infection is present, the cat acne might be treated by antibiotics or prednisone shots. If an allergy is found to the cause of the acne, switching food and water bowls might be necessary. Acne in cats is sometimes caused by plastic food and water bowls because cats can be allergic to various dyes. Thus, a switch to stainless steel bowls that are cleaned on a daily basis can help in the treatment of cat acne.
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