Severe cat acne (?) not responding to steroids and cleaning
Hi all! Our cat has developed what we think is severe cat acne, but at this point I’ve become less sure if that’s the case.
This started as black specks on the chin, 5-6 weeks ago. We figured it was acne and cleaned it regularly with a warm compress. It seemed to go away, then suddenly came back much worse about 2 weeks ago.
His chin became red raw with black crusts as seen in the photos (last pic is just cat tax); it’s hard to see here but some of the skin underneath appears dark red when cleaning. Twice it bled in a small spot. It spread from a small area all the way up both sides of the lip. All this within 2 or so weeks, which feels quite quick given what we’ve been doing to prevent it.
We started cleaning his chin with cat-safe chlorhexidine wipes 10 days ago to no avail (after weeks of warm compress), so we brought him to the vet last week. The vet at one glance said it’s acne, and gave us steroids (Prednisolone) but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything either. I understand that it should have been very effective, if it was just acne. They weren’t very thorough so I’m worried it’s something more sinister and thought I would gather information here before calling the vet again when they open.
Relevant info:
- cat is male, neutered, about 5 years old, European shorthair, indoor cat with access to balcony
- Lives with another cat (his mum) who has no acne
- No known allergies, not tested
- Has had a few bouts of mild acne throughout his life, easily cleared within 1-2 weeks with daily cleaning
- Stainless steel bowls, stainless steel water fountain dish with plastic pump and tank, has been cleaned with vinegar then dish soap
- Wet food diet, mix feeding with all kinds of proteins, good quality food, no recent changes in the food or eating habits
- Acting normal aside from hiding around the times I clean his chin and occasional scratching
- Has tartar buildup on his back teeth, vet recommends a dental cleaning soon
- Likes to root around in “gross” places (behind kitchen cabinet boards etc)
- Loves sleeping in the sun, if curtain drawn he will push behind it and sleep there. Recently learned this increases the risk of cancer (SCC), which is very aggressive
We are also worried because we will be leaving in 1.5 weeks, for a 2 week trip on the other side of the globe. We have another vet appointment booked in just before we go. Our catsitter has been informed.
So my main questions are:
- Is this really just acne? (When I asked the vet he said he’d need to do a biopsy to know.)
- What should we discuss with the vet, especially before we go away?
- Should we cancel the trip?
- How exactly should I go about cleaning him? (I’ve been just wiping off what will come off with a few minutes of gentle cleaning with the chlorhexidine wipes, without removing all the black specks or scabbing, as it seems to hurt him. The vet also told us to wipe the chlorhexidine off after with some water. We don’t scrub, but I see some people are using a toothbrush to scrub it off.)
- Any other advice welcome!
Please help us figure this out! It really breaks my heart to see our poor boy like this. The last thing I want is to have left him alone while his health deteriorates, because I thought it was “just acne”… we just want the best for him. Thank you so much x