Male and female cats of all ages are susceptible to feline acne. Cats with weakened immune systems are more prone, but otherwise healthy cats may get the disease as well. The specific causes of the disease are not known.
Contributing factors in the development of the disease include stress, poor grooming habits, and abnormal sebum production.
In affected cats, lesions vary in severity, but are typically mild and asymptomatic. Pain and/or itching are not common unless there is a secondary bacterial skin infection. Lesions usually initially present at about 1 year of age, and remain cyclic for the life of the cat.
Depending upon the severity of the symptoms, and whether or not any secondary conditions exist, treatment may or may not be required. Your veterinarian will have to make this determination.
Signs and symptoms of feline acne — Clinical signs may include lesions on the chin and lower lip. There may be swelling of the chin and around the lips. Your cat may have crusted reddish papules or dark brown comedones.
Secondary bacterial infections may be present, involving swelling of the chin area, or drainage of the lesions. In these cases, both systemic and topical antibiotics may be prescribed.
Sometimes, bacterial skin infections may appear to be acne, but are not. Sometimes ringworm or yeast infections may be mistaken for acne as well.
Feline acne treatment — Treatment is often not necessary, except in more serious cases. In fact, it’s believed that overtreatment may increase the severity of the skin lesions.
Topical therapy of some kind may be prescribed to help treat the comedones (blackheads). Depending upon the severity, more aggressive treatment may be recommended.
In order to facilitate cleaning of the affected area, as well as the application of topical medications, your vet may remove excess skin from the area around the lesions. You should never attempt this yourself as you can hurt your cat or cause an infection.
Antiseborrheic shampoos may be prescribed, and antiseptics, such as Listerine or alcohol may be used.
As with acne in people, topical benzoyl peroxide solutions are often prescribed. These are available in small animal strength formulas, which is one-half that of the human preparation, in shampoo or gel form.
Never use a preparation made for humans on your cat unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian. You should know that even the milder animal formula benzoyl peroxide treatments may be irritating to your cat’s skin when used repeatedly over time.
In cases where patients are immune compromised, such as feline AIDS patients, treatment may include steroid therapy. Additional supplements may be used as well, including off-label drugs.