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My cat's chin is irritated and she scratches. When should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | European Shorthair | Female | spayed | 4 years and 10 months old

Hi! My cat has a weird irritation on the chin, sometimes she scratches it. It also under her chin, but the most affected area is the one photographed in the attached. Should I be concerned? Is it bad? should I take her immediately to the vet? she is a 5 year old healthy cat, never have I had a problem with her. She is also sterilized since 3 years ago.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 20th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Gogoasa. It may be she has feline acne. This would cause the irritation and scratching. It should be checked out by a vet, but it's not an emergency. I'd get her into a vet this week. If she does have it, a medicated wash can be prescribed to treat it. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 11th, 2017

    Hi there and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what the cause of the irritation may be without examining Callie first but it may be related to an allergy (flea or food allergy), feline acne, or a bacterial or fungal infection. Your veterinarian can identify the cause with an exam and a few skin tests. I would recommend Callie see her veterinarian soon for this. Hope this helps and best wishes to you and Callie!

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