Why does my cat have painful scabs under her chin from scratching?

Question

Mother cat (Maya) has developed small lesions under chin, thought to be from scratching with a clawed paw. Now lesion has broken and scab appears, which keeps being scratched off. Painful to touch. Otherwise cat is healthy . I have Maya's 6 yr old daughter as well and she is healthy with no lesions. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 17 years and 2 months old | 12 lbs

Stephanie Echols, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am sorry to hear Maya isn't feeling well. It sounds like she has an infection on her chin. Sometimes this is from an allergy, such as weeds, pollens, grasses, dust- anything in her environment. Scratching it with her nails and eating out of her food bowl makes the area worse because she touches it to items with bacteria. If she will let you, I recommend washing the area with a mild soap (like Dial) and water and drying it well. You can do this 1-2 times per day. You can then apply a triple antibiotic ointment. If she is still scratching, she may need an E-collar to prevent the scratching and speed up healing. If she can't control the scratching, she may need to see the vet for steroids. Make sure to clean her food and water bowls daily so she doesn't re-contaminate herself. Good luck and kisses to Maya and her baby!

Why does my cat have painful scabs under her chin from scratching?

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