Tenacity Needed in Treating Feline Acne
Q: My question is about a condition my cat has on her chin, namely little brown flakes. This started during the flea season last September. I just assumed the condition was caused by fleas. I was told it had to do with the hair follicles, too much oil.
She was given an antibiotic and the following treatment prescribed: shampoo the area twice a day with Pyoben Gel shampoo, soak for 10 minutes, rinse thoroughly with fresh water, towel dry and then swab with rubbing alcohol. The treatment started Sept. 29 and continued through Oct. 6. The condition improved somewhat.
I was told to continue the treatment once a day, which I have done every day since Oct. 6 and am continuing to do so. There is some improvement, some days no flakes and then they come back again.
Is there a treatment you can recommend for this condition other than the above? Also, I was told plastic dishes can be the source of this condition. My cat has never used plastic dishes, only stainless steel. Her food is Science Diet Feline Maintenance for the past two years, and she is an indoor cat.
Henriette King, San Clemente
A: I certainly admire your tenacity and thoroughness in treating your cat’s condition.
Such a condition is commonly called feline acne, although it is not related to the human condition. There are generally comedones or “black heads” on the chin and lower lips. The cause of the syndrome is not completely understood and varies from chronic skin disease to contact with irritants, such as a plastic bowl.
Treatment of uncomplicated cases is exactly as you describe, cleaning the area with a keratolytic shampoo and the use of astringents such as benzoyl peroxide. Alcohol can become very irritating to the skin with long-term use. If the comedones become secondarily infected, antibiotics and hot packing of the area may help.
It is unfortunate the recurrence of the acne is most common and such maintenance treatment is necessary. It would be beneficial to do some skin scrapings to rule out the possibility of a dermal parasite. A skin biopsy may be helpful in locating any secondary conditions or causes for the problem.
Q: In the past two months, my cat has been vomiting his food within a few hours of eating. He tends to vomit the canned food more than the dry.
I have tried several varieties of canned food, but he still seems to have problems keeping it down. The dry food doesn’t seem to bother him as much.
Should I stop the canned food and feed him only dry? Is there any medicine I can give him to help keep him from vomiting?
Loren Baccus, Santa Ana
A: Your cat is apparently sensitive to the canned food, and medication may not help improve this situation. Canned foods may be too “rich” for him or he may have some difficulty in digesting the fats.
You might try to make a list of canned foods that he is able to eat without too much difficulty and feed these in lesser amount with his dry food. It may be helpful to switch your cat to a prescription diet such as C/D or K/D from your veterinarian.
If your cat continues to vomit with the above changes, an examination will be necessary to make sure there are no other gastrointestinal problems.
