Expert: Jessica - 1/12/2012

Question
Please can you offer some advice.  I have a 3 year old Ragdoll with a catagory 4 heart murmour, but you would never know it from his behaviour!  He is a house cat.  About 2 months ago I noticed what looked like black freckles under his chin, but they didn't really feel raised to the touch and he wasn't scratching or itching at all.  Then all of a sudden last week we noticed that he had a scab under his chin in the same area, then on Sunday he came in with all blood down his white front so we cleaned him up thinking he must have scratched himself.  We took him to the vets on Monday but they weren't particularly helpful, saying it was probably a sebaceous gland problem and gave us some cortesone cream to put on.  The scab now seems larger, about a centimeter and isn't showing signs of improving.  Please can you offer any help, advice or guidance.  He's my baby and I'm worried about him.  He seems fine in himself but I just want him to get better.  Thank you in advance, Rachael

Answer
Hi Rachael,

To me it sounds likely that Bertie Boo Boo has feline acne that has become infected. Feline acne is a condition that is a little similar to human acne in that it's caused by blocked pores. Pores become blocked with sebum, an oily substance created by sebaceous glands, which help to keep the skin and fur healthy. In cats, acne is found on the chin and is thought to be caused by an allergic reaction. It is exacerbated by the presence of bacteria. Most of the time, the root can be traced back to plastic or sometimes glass food bowls. This is because cats often have a sensitivity to plastic itself AND because plastic and glass scratch easily. Bacteria have the opportunity to grow in the scratches, no matter how well the dishes are washed. As the cat eats or drinks, his chin touches the food dish, and the bacteria are deposited on his chin. The best way to combat feline acne is to switch to stainless steel food and water dishes. Stainless steel does not scratch and is quite hypoallergenic.

If you are already using stainless steel, be sure to wash the bowls in the dish washer or using a diluted bleach mixture every couple of days to ensure bacteria do not have the opportunity to grow.

Most of the time, when the chin becomes infected, antibiotics will be required to help the area heal. I think Bertie is probably at this point. I don't know if you feel comfortable requesting this from the vet or if you should seek a second opinion. Sometimes a mild acne wash or antiseptic flush prescribed by the vet is also very helpful in getting the area to heal. This would be used prior to applying the cortisone cream. A cortisone injection may also be more helpful than a cream at this point.

There are other conditions possible that can occur on the chin. Rarely, eosinophilic granuloma complex will occur as far down as on the chin. This causes a build up of inflammatory tissue, usually in the mouth or on the lips, but sometimes in other areas. Typically this is not black in color though. Cancers can ulcerate, too. These conditions are pretty characteristic in appearance, and I think your vet would have suspected them quickly upon examination, but a tissue biopsy would be required to definitively rule them out.

Best wishes!
Jessica