My cat has swollen, worsening chin acne. What should I do to help?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 5 months old
It looks like my cat has very swollen “cat acne” under his chin that has gotten much worse over the past week. What should I do to help it go away? Should I use any specific methods or treatments?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 12th, 2020
In this case (severe) of feline acne a check up would be absolutely needed as antibiotics are required. Anti-septic shampoos are required as well like benzoyl peroxide facial preparation or an antiseborrheic shampoo. Mupirocin ointment is highly effective in many cases.
7Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 19th, 2017
Feline acne is a difficult problem to treat and does tend to take a long time to get rid of. If the antibiotics didn't help, then they were either not the right antibiotics for the infection, or were not given long enough. However, I usually don't prescribe antibiotics and only prescribe the chlorhexidine wash for this condition; because it is usually a mix of yeast and bacteria that cause this. The chlorhexidine will kill all of these. There are a couple of things that you should do for successful treatment: 1) Wash gently for at-least five minutes twice a day. If you scrub too hard, then you will damage the skin and delay healing. 2) dry the area completely after washing. Moisture is favorable for bacteria and yeast growth. A dry environment will limit their growth. This will take at- least a month of dedicated treatment before it clears. The better you are able to keep up with the treatment, the quicker it will heal. I hope that helps and Toby gets better soon.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on October 10th, 2017
Was she diagnosed with feline acne or miliary dermatitis? For acne you can get the Clearasil wipes for people and wipe the chin after each meal to keep the are clean and help. If it is miliary dermatitis then that is an allergy or an immune system problems which usually requires medicine. You can see about a change in diet or talk to your vet about pill form of cortisone to help keep it under control
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on September 22nd, 2019
I would have Barf examined by a vet. Sometimes they need a round of oral or topical antibiotics to help it clear up. Also, make sure all food and water bowls are non-porous materials, stainless steel is best, and wash them daily. This article is a good summary: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/chin-acne-in-cats Some cats never quite clear it up, though.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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