Best Treatment Methods for Feline Acne

Sometimes it can be so bad that you have to go to the Veterinarian. There are ways to prevent feline acne before it even happens. Here are some of the household products that can be used at home, as well as when to know that it's time to go see your veterinarian.

What Are the Causes of Feline Acne?

The causes of feline acne, can be either environmental causes or they can be based on your cat's skin condition. You need to decide which situation applies to your situation. You can of course, simply take your cat to the veterinarian. That works very efficiently, but it can also be costly. In order to save some money and see if perhaps you can treat the feline acne simply and easily with household products, try some household products that have been used for treating feline acne by other cat parents. Sometimes your lifestyle is the problem. Let's take a look at that as well.

The Signs of Feline Acne

The signs of feline acne are simple to identify. If your cat is scratching their chin more than usual then you might want to take a closer look. If you're feline has black marks under their chin that resemble dirt, then your cat may have feline acne. It is important to catch this before a secondary infection occurs with your cat. Many cats will scratch the area and end up causing more bacteria to be added to the area. It is a problem that can escalate if you are not diligent.

Household Products That Can be Used to Treat Feline Acne

Household products that can be used to treat feline acne are readily available around your house. You can use mild antiseptic soap on your cats' acne outbreaks. All that you need is a mild disinfectant such as mild soap and water and some cotton balls. Take the area that has acne and gently pull back the fur to expose the acne. Then take the cotton ball and wet it in the antiseptic mixture. Now gently wipe the cotton ball across the acne several times. After that, repeat this process by taking another cotton ball and dipping it in water and rinse the acne spot. Then you want to put something on the acne to keep it from itching. Place a pin dot of Benzyl Peroxide on a new cotton ball. You should gently wipe that over the acne spot on your cat. Repeat this for process until the acne clears up. It should clear up on one week.

How to Know That it is Time to Visit the Veterinarian

You know it's time to visit the veterinarian when your cat's acne has not cleared up in a week. At that point, you need to make an appointment for your cat. When you get to the veterinarian's office, he or she will run a general check up on your cat. Then he or she will discuss with you the source of foods that you feed your cat. They will also go over some of the habits that you have with water and food containers in your house that your cat is currently using. Your veterinarian is asking these questions, because he or she needs to see if some of the habits that you have could potentially be the cause for your cats' acne condition. This is important, because even after you have administered the treatment that your veterinarian will prescribe to your cat, you may need to make some lifestyle changes in order to help you prevent acne in the future. If your veterinarian does prescribe a prescription for medication, then you should follow that closely. Normally, your veterinarian will prescribe "Clavomax" for your cat. Make sure to ask about other side effects that the medication can have on your cat's general health and well being. Some Steroids that many veterinarians prescribe can be very harmful to your felines health. You might have to use the medication, but it is best to see if there is an alternative that can relive the feline acne without using medication.

One Lifestyle Change That You Can Make to Help Prevent Feline Acne

There is one lifestyle change that you can make to prevent feline acne. Those changes are very simple to make with your cat. He or she will even appreciate that change from you. Cats prefer fresh taste to stale. Make sure that your feeding bowls and dishes are made of stainless steel. This prevents the common bacterial residue that any pet dish would contain. Also, make sure that you wash those dishes at least once a week. Use hot water and soap, then rinse well. Often this simple lifestyle change can make all the difference in preventing feline acne.

References:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2023&aid=2517
Dr. Mike (author's veterinarian)