That Embarrassing Acne

I remember how awful it was, usually on a very important day like the prom or class pictures, getting that humongous red zit smack dab in the middle of my forehead for all the world to see. Of course, most of my classmates were probably battling their own self esteem issues and no one cared a wit about my forehead. But it sure felt like everyone was staring at me despite all the concealers and Clearasil ointments.

I wonder if cats suffer the same feelings of embarrassment when they get outbreaks of acne. Yep, cats get acne just like we do, and Mixer is a great cat that came in today for just that reason. He was probably due to have Christmas pictures taken or something else really important, the poor guy. Cats usually have a pretty severe infection localized to the chin, and Mixer was no exception. His entire chin was filled with comedones (black heads) and pustules (white heads) and was swollen and very sore. When we shaved the hair from the affected skin, we saw it was all purple and there was evidence he had been rubbing or scratching at it, just making the condition worse.

Many cats develop the acne in response to an allergic reaction or a sensitivity to their plastic food bowls, so we advised Mixer's owners to change these to ceramic or stainless steel. We also told her it would be very important to keep those dishes meticulously clean, as that greasy residue that builds up on the bowls from the oily foods can also be a trigger for some cats. (I'm guilty of just filling the bowl over and over as Spartacus and Stella are screaming at me-Mixer's condition reminds me that I should do better about changing bowls and keeping them clean.)

Some cases of feline chin acne respond well to topical medications-benzoyl peroxide, just like in our Clearasil products but at a different concentration to avoid burning the cat's skin, can be used. That is one reason we shave the hair off this area-it is much easier to put ointments on the skin without hair getting in the way. It also helps us monitor the healing much better. Mixer's condition warranted systemic antibiotics as well as some antiinflammatory medications to take down some of the swelling and discomfort. We also put him in an Elizabethan collar or satellite dish to prevent him from more self trauma (and also to keep him from grooming off the topical medication.)

We'll check back with Mixer's owners in a few days and be sure he is getting his medications OK and not having any reactions to them. One complicating factor is that Mixer happens to have FIV or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. His immune system is not normal, so any infection he gets may be more difficult for him to handle. His owner knows this, thus the immediate appointment when she noticed the problem on his chin. We will have them come in before the medications are finished to be sure we have a complete cure; if there is any chance some infection remains, or if it just isn't getting any better, we may have to culture some of the pustules to see if we have a resistant infection (MRSA or multiple drug resistant staph has been reported in some of these cases.) Hopefully we will have him smiling pretty and have his self esteem boosted in time for those Christmas photos. He is a handsome dude when his chin isn't swollen and purple.

Peace,
DrReneigh