Why does my cat have black dirt under her chin? Fleas or chin acne?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Persian | Female | spayed | 2 years old | 8.4 lbs
My cat has dirt under her chin. It looks like flea dirt. However, only at the chin area. I have another cat, but he is clean. Is this flea infestation? Or something else?
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on October 1st, 2017
There is a possibility this is related to flea dirt but it also could be related to feline chin acne, ringworm, food allergy, or dermatitis. It's a good idea to have Lolita on a quality flea preventative like Frontline, Revolution, or Feline Bravecto incase this is flea related. Feline chin acne can result from using plastic bowls so it's best to use stainless steel or ceramic bowls. You can use a gentle shampoo to keep the skin clean and remove some of the debris. If the issue persists then I'd recommend having Lolita examined by your veterinarian as skin samples may need to be checked for infection. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and Lolita!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 3rd, 2017
Hello and thanks for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, the pictures did not go through so I am not able to see them. Black things under the chin may be flea dirt, comedomes (black heads), or feline acne. It is hard to say exactly what they may be without examining Gauss first. I recommend Gauss visit her veterinarian soon to have this looked at and evaluated. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and Gauss!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on October 27th, 2018
Hi, and thanks for your question. This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. Feline acne is a possibility but a picture of it would help to confirm it. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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