Humans, especially teenage ones, are familiar with the battle against skin acne. And, believe it or not, your cat might end up with the same glandular problem. But in cats, it's known as feline acne. How can your cat get acne? Because like humans your cat has glands in their skin. The two main glands are called the sweat glands and the sebaceous glands. The purpose of the sweat glands is self explanatory. The purpose of the sebaceous glands is to produce sebum. Sebum is an oil that aids in keeping your cat's skin soft and smooth. It also helps to waterproof your cat's fur coat.
Have you ever seen your cat rubbing its face, especially its chin and jaws, against you or an inanimate object? It's doing this in order to mark its territory with its scent. It uses its chin and jaws because those parts of their body contain a great number of sebaceous glands. As a whole, the glands around the facial area are known as the submental organs. The sebum oil that is released from these organs has a scent that can only be detected by other cats.
Sometimes, the submental organs produce too much sebum oil. Telltale signs of this condition include a shiny, greasy appearance to their fur coat, especially around the facial area. You might even notice dark specks around your cat's chin and jaws. As a result of this excessive oil production, feline acne can often occur. Feline acne is just like human acne in that it's caused by the formation of blackheads or pimples in the clogged pores. Your cat might get a mild case of feline acne which is relatively easy to treat. But, it can also develop into a more serious health problem known as Folliculitis. This health problem is an inflammation or infection of the hair follicles in a cat's skin. Signs of Folliculitis include the development of pus-filled bags and swollen lymph nodes.
If you notice a shiny, greasy appearance to your cat's fur coat, or, you see dark specks around their face, your cat might well have a mild case of feline acne. You can readily treat the problem yourself by washing the area around their chin and jaws with a mild, antibacterial soap once or twice each day. Be sure to consult your veterinarian to find out what type of soap would be safe for use on your cat. After washing the area, rinse it thoroughly with warm tap water. Then, dry the affected area with soft, clean towel. Often, applying a solution of benzyl peroxide or using acne solutions that are designed for use by humans can also alleviate the problem of feline acne.
A severe case of feline acne that develops into Folliculitis needs the care of your veterinarian.
He or she may prescribe steroids or antibiotics that are given orally, in conjunction with an antibacterial cream or lotion to cure the Folliculitis, as well as the feline acne. Your veterinarian might also trim the hair around your cat's face. This can help to reduce the accumulation of sebum oil.
Unlike human acne, feline acne can affect your cat at any age. Your cat might be prone to this health problem if he or she doesn't clean their face sufficiently, especially after eating.
