Herbs for Acne

RuneAmok says:

Yes. Sophie got it because back when I fed dry food, I didn’t clean their bowls very often. On top of that Poppy would eat out of both bowls and she slobbers.

All I did was start washing the bowls after each use. I already knew to use ceramic or metal bowls so that was fine.

What I did for her was simply scrape it off with my nail. I might have wet it with a damp cloth, but I never even used soap that I recall.

That perhaps wasn’t the recommended treatment, but I didn’t know any better, it worked and it cleared up.

“Treatment of feline acne depends on the severity. If it’s mild – just a few blackheads or specks of dark skin discharge – washing the area daily with dilute antiseptic soap such as chlorhexidine (non-dental brands like Hibiclens or Nolvasan) or iodine (Betadine) until it’s cleared up, is just fine. (Both of these products are available at most grocery stores, and certainly at drug stores.) Since cats may not enjoy these washings, you may not get a chance to rinse, so be sure the soap is VERY dilute! Betadine in particular can be very irritating to the skin if your soapy water is too strong. A weak tea color is good for Betadine; very pale pink or blue for chlorhexidine soaps. Do NOT use “antibacterial” hand soap; it will leave too much residue. Detergent dish soap is far too strong and will damage the skin.

If the condition is more severe, your veterinarian will want to clip the chin area to help keep it clean. She may also prescribe other treatments, such as topical or systemic antibiotics, or a stronger soap such as benzoyl peroxide. Warm plain water or Epsom salt compresses can be used for draining abscesses. In some cases, sedation or anesthesia may be necessary if the area is very painful, in order to clip and clean it thoroughly. It is generally a bad idea to “squeeze” the pimples; the skin in the area bruises very easily, and this can also spread the infection.”

Krista B says:

My oldest cat just got over having it; it got so bad he had scabbies everywhere and the skin on his chin was red and swollen. A veterinarian-customer of my husband’s advised us to dump the plastic feeding bowls and wipe his chin down once a day with your regular acne pad (like Clearasil or Oxy), but it didn’t appear to be getting any better and I stopped treating it altogether. Dumped the feeding bowls and started switching them out for feedings and it took a while (3 or 4 months), but now his chin is as right as rain. Redness and swelling is gone, no more scabbies!

krazy4kats8703 says:

I both work in a vet clinic and have a cat with acne. There is no cure for it, but there are a few things you can do. Luckily, it is a cosmetic problem and does not seem to ever bother the cat. First of all, do not use any plastic dishes. Ceramic and stainless steel are best. You can wipe the chin with human acne pads. If it gets real bad, like my cat gets sometimes where the entire chin gets raw and bloody, I have the vet give my cat a steriod shot and I sometimes put him on antibiotics. I only do this then it gets that bad. Otherwise, he would always be on meds. The acne comes and goes. Most of the time he just has a few blackheads, but on occasion he will get large pimples that erupt and bleed and lose all the hair from his chin. My vet told me it is not necessary to treat with meds unless the outbreak is bad.