Expert: Tina - 12/23/2008

Question
Hi,
My cat has a red circle under his chin.  It is not a scab but is just a small, hairless circle...about a cm around.  Any suggestions would be helpful.  He will be visiting the vet soon.
Thanks.

Answer
HI Jessica,

It is probably feline acne, which is best treated by using a warm washcloth on the chin as a compress, and cleaning the area after every meal - most cats get it from rubbing against their food dish and not cleaning the area well enough. Oral antibiotics are not effective against feline acne.

Another treatment I have had success with (one of my cats is prone to this) is colloidal silver - put some on a piece of gauze and wipe it on his chin once a day. This is the one I use:
http://www.vitacost.com/Source-Naturals-Wellness-Colloidal-Silver-30-ppm-4-fl-oz

The other less likely cause is ringworm, which the vet can check for - but unless you know of another animal or household infected with ringworm that may have carried the fungus, this is much less likely.