Feline Chin Acne

[MisaO]

Hi all, my 9 yr old orange tabby, Mikan (pron. Me-khaan), has developed an acute feline acne. It grew so big and nasty within one week, so I took her to a local vet. She gave me to wash her chin with PhytoVet CK twice a day. However, it seems to irritate her skin - she has less fur and more reddish on her chin now after using the wash. On top of that, the area of acne seemed expanded with more black heads around the edge. I am going to switch to just warm compress 3 times a day (according to Dr. Jeff's suggestion in the past thread on the same topic) What else can I do to relieve her symptom? I read Dr. Don Hamilton's book, and it suggests "Gunpowder" as a homeopatic rememdy. Should I try it? Any suggestions are welcome!! I tossed the ceramic bowls I was using for her feeding, and now, it is a glass bowl (made in USA).

Her mood is a bit off - cocooning by herself in our bedroom. Her appetite is pretty good. She mainly eats raw chicken with tuna flakes on top. Her behavior appears like "leave me alone" "don't bother me" attitude. She still loves being brushed, but when she sees me with the acne wash and pads, she runs away. I don't blame her... Environmentally, it has been a huge fluctuation in temperature here in Texas. Some days goes up to 71F, some days stays 30s. Also, we have cedar allergy season - Austin, TX is famous as a pollen allergy capital of America.

Here are the chronological pictures. I first noticed her chin on 1/24. I took her to the vet on 2/1
1/24 - I first noticed it. Then, it became so big so fast.


2/1 - Vet visit

2/2 - skin looked better briefly
2/3-2/5 It got bigger again and black spots again.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Misa-

When did this first start (before January?)?

Has she ever had any prior skin or ear issues?

Were there any vet visits, or other changes, about a week ago when the symptom worsened?

 

[MisaO]

Hi, Dr. Jeff - thank you so much for your reply!

When did this first start (before January?)?

- I don't know exact date that this first started, but I noticed it on Jan. 24th (top picture). Mikan had a teeth cleaning at the vet office on Dec. 29th. The vet didn't mention anything about it, so I am guessing it probably started maybe early to mid January?

Has she ever had any prior skin or ear issues?

- YES, when she was a kitten she had a terrible skin infection (ringworm & mange-like thing). It took her almost three months to heal. The picture is attached below. She is now 9 yrs old. She is FIV positive.
- Also, in May 2020, she had a chin acne not as bad as this time, but it healed itself in a month or so. I did not consult with a vet. I remember using colloidal silver externally several times, and not too often. When I thought the acne was over, in July 2020, she started itchy skin around neck, side of the body, and ear flaps with bumps on them. I did food trials, but nothing conclusive. A homeopathic vet gave her Praseodymium Phosphoricum 1M. No major change was observed after two doses two weeks apart. But, by mid-October 2020, she was slowly back to normal without extreme scratching.

- She has ear wax accumulation often. I need to clean her ears carefully every few weeks since she was a kitten. The vet check her ear wax at every visit, but no mites present at all. She itches the ears due to wax, I think.

Were there any vet visits, or other changes, about a week ago when the symptom worsened?

- That really puzzles me because there was nothing that I think of happened or changed in major way when the symptom worsened. Although prior couple of weeks leading up to Jan. 24th (when I first noticed her chin - before worsened), there were two changes in our house - one was the installation of cat shelves on the wall in the living room on Jan. 16th (they love it!) and the other was exterior walls and window washing on Jan. 6th. Both could have been very stressful to her. It is possible that those incidents triggered her chin acne in the first place. But, when it got so worse in the last week of January.

I will appreciate any input, suggestions, and advice!

 

[BillH]

Not sure if this will help? However , I have had clients in the past with both feline and dog facial skin issues. They found some success with a combination mixture of diatomaceous earth, Aquiterra clay and a Boo Boo butter mixture of ingredients to include:
All Natural Ingredients

• Shea butter
• olive oil
• coconut oil
• neem oil
• argan oil
• castor oil
• cocoa seed butter
• avocado oil
• beeswax
• Infusions of Chamomile, Calendula, Comfrey and St. John’s Wort Oil
• Dash of Essential Oils (Cedarwood, Cypress, Lavender and Orange)
• Soothes Irritated Facial Folds (Nose Wrinkles, Brows Furrows, etc.)

This in tandem with kelp & menhaden fish oil helped a Alaskan Malemute, at the time, with coat funk and facial mange. Hope some of this info assists you? Thanks GB

 

[MisaO]

Thank you for your suggestions, Bill. That is some very extensive list of ingredients! I started "warm compress" with just warm water since yesterday. I will see how it goes for another couple of days, and decide on something simple and gentle on her skin - maybe pick one from your list and try. By the way, the picture I inserted with her horrible face was when she was a kitten (9 years ago). Current photos are in my initial post. Just in case, it was confusing. Thank you. Misa

 

[catdoc]

Hi Misa, your poor kitty! I have had a good deal of success with many skin issues using the following: 50ml of purified water, into which you will add 10 drops of Mother Tincture of Calendula. Give it a bit of a shake to blend each time you use it. Normally, I bathe kitty and doggy skin with this solution 3 times a day. You can find the Mother Tincture in a health food store or Homeopathic remedy store.

 

[Dr. Christina]

However, since she does not love you compressing the chin, and her whole head seems involved, it may be time to schedule a homeopathic veterinary appointment (can be done by phone) or great TCVM locally.

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Misaono,
You have received excellent suggestions for treating the acne.
I would ensure that there is nothing on the cat shelves that could be an irritant. You note that they were installed around the time this started, and that the cats love them. Cats can be sensitive to resins in wood, paints, and sealants. If the cats lie on the shelves, they will be exposed to these substances, and acne can develop in the sparsely haired areas. I would suggest that you make sure there is clean bedding between the cats and the shelf surface. This will eliminate one possible source of allergens.
Let us know how things go!
Dr. Sara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Misa-

Ah, context is key! Thanks for sharing that she already is immune challenged by FIV and the her past ringworm.

Thanks as well Bill and Bonnie for your great suggestions!?

Misa, you can certainly try the Gunpowder homeopathic remedy both topically as well as orally.

Does she get any food aside from chicken and fish flakes? Is the chicken a raw frozen blend? If not, you may want to introduce some other foods in her diet to balance her nutrient intake.

Since she loves being brushed definitely do it as much as she'll allow. Is there anything else she usually loves? The more you can help her to purr happily, the better.

This is also a great spot to use topical negative ion therapy to help her heal. If you have an ionbox, just keep it close to the area (and her nose) at least 10 minutes/day if she'll allow.

~1/4 cup of structured ("gel") water/day can also help activate her healing ability.

Gel Water For Increasing Hydration Support | Goop

Because gel water is transmitted through the body via our fascia, it can potentially deepen our understanding of both collagen and fascia.

goop.com

I was also about to suggest the great allergy protocol from our friends at Pet Health and Nutrition but they may not ship across the border.

Dog and Cat Natural Allergy Supplements

Allergies in dogs and cats treatment options with recommended supplements and herbal remedies have been provided by certified Master Herbalist Philip Reich and certified Canine Nutritionist Maria Reich. Philip and Maria specialize in herbalism and nutrition for animals with conditions like...

www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com

If you are working with an integrative vet or vet homeopath, you may want to contact them about her decreased BEAM (and the skin eruption).

 

[MisaO]

Hi Misa, your poor kitty! I have had a good deal of success with many skin issues using the following: 50ml of purified water, into which you will add 10 drops of Mother Tincture of Calendula. Give it a bit of a shake to blend each time you use it. Normally, I bathe kitty and doggy skin with this solution 3 times a day. You can find the Mother Tincture in a health food store or Homeopathic remedy store.

Thank you so much, catdoc. When I did warm compress last night, the cotton pad showed her bleeding. I saw her scratching chin once right before I did the warm compress, so it makes sense. She usually doesn't scratch the spot often though. I would like to try your Calendula formula, and do the compress with it. Would it be okay to use this with open wounds? I just ordered Mother Tincture of Calendula, but it takes a week to arrive. I have Boiron Calendula cream at home - can I use it meanwhile? Or, is it too much of a blend of stuff that I should avoid?

 

[MisaO]

Dear Misaono,
You have received excellent suggestions for treating the acne.
I would ensure that there is nothing on the cat shelves that could be an irritant. You note that they were installed around the time this started, and that the cats love them. Cats can be sensitive to resins in wood, paints, and sealants. If the cats lie on the shelves, they will be exposed to these substances, and acne can develop in the sparsely haired areas. I would suggest that you make sure there is clean bedding between the cats and the shelf surface. This will eliminate one possible source of allergens.
Let us know how things go!
Dr. Sara

Thank you for your input, Dr. Sara. I will be watching where she is closely however, Mikan never hangout on the shelves. The shelves are installed 10 feet up on the wall next to the windows. She has been in our bedroom almost all day and night since the vet visit last Tuesday.

 

[MisaO]

Hi Misa-

Ah, context is key! Thanks for sharing that she already is immune challenged by FIV and the her past ringworm.

Thanks as well Bill and Bonnie for your great suggestions!?

Misa, you can certainly try the Gunpowder homeopathic remedy both topically as well as orally.

Does she get any food aside from chicken and fish flakes? Is the chicken a raw frozen blend? If not, you may want to introduce some other foods in her diet to balance her nutrient intake.

Since she loves being brushed definitely do it as much as she'll allow. Is there anything else she usually loves? The more you can help her to purr happily, the better.

This is also a great spot to use topical negative ion therapy to help her heal. If you have an ionbox, just keep it close to the area (and her nose) at least 10 minutes/day if she'll allow.

~1/4 cup of structured ("gel") water/day can also help activate her healing ability.

Gel Water For Increasing Hydration Support | Goop

Because gel water is transmitted through the body via our fascia, it can potentially deepen our understanding of both collagen and fascia.

goop.com

I was also about to suggest the great allergy protocol from our friends at Pet Health and Nutrition but they may not ship across the border.

Dog and Cat Natural Allergy Supplements

Allergies in dogs and cats treatment options with recommended supplements and herbal remedies have been provided by certified Master Herbalist Philip Reich and certified Canine Nutritionist Maria Reich. Philip and Maria specialize in herbalism and nutrition for animals with conditions like...

www.pethealthandnutritioncenter.com

If you are working with an integrative vet or vet homeopath, you may want to contact them about her decreased BEAM (and the skin eruption).

Dr. Jeff - I appreciated your advice. I will get gunpowder and see it helps her. Yesterday, I bought new chicken raw mix at a local pet shop (Smallbatchcat brand) to try. After she gets used to this, I can try other meat variety. Regarding her diet. She grew up with raw meat all her life. She has phases in her eating pattern and preference as if she knows what's good and not good in her body. Since last December, chicken became "the thing" for her. Sometimes, she eats rabbit mix that her brother cat eats. I give her cooked tilapia, egg yolk, ghee butter (as a treat). What she doesn't agree with are, turkey, beef, lamb, and any kind of liver or hearts - she throws them up.

I appreciated you mentioned about doing more brushing! I tend to forget doing something enjoyable when I'm so worried about her. I started reiki with her, so I will continue. She likes that, too.

I will read the articles you've linked. I don't have ionbox, but look into it. She is a very sensitive girl who can "sense" my next move (she knows the warm compress coming her way, way before).

Thank you, again!

 

[MisaO]

However, since she does not love you compressing the chin, and her whole head seems involved, it may be time to schedule a homeopathic veterinary appointment (can be done by phone) or great TCVM locally.

Dr. Christina

I agree. I think it is time to work with a homeopathic vet for her wellness. Thank you!

 

[Dr. Christina]

Calendula is great on open wounds.
Dr. Christina

 

[MisaO]

Calendula is great on open wounds.
Dr. Christina

Thank you, Dr. Christina!

 

[catdoc]

Thank you so much, catdoc. When I did warm compress last night, the cotton pad showed her bleeding. I saw her scratching chin once right before I did the warm compress, so it makes sense. She usually doesn't scratch the spot often though. I would like to try your Calendula formula, and do the compress with it. Would it be okay to use this with open wounds? I just ordered Mother Tincture of Calendula, but it takes a week to arrive. I have Boiron Calendula cream at home - can I use it meanwhile? Or, is it too much of a blend of stuff that I should avoid?

Yes, it is ok to use on open wounds as I use this solution on abscesses very successfully. I would not use the calendula cream, for the reason you have outlined here. . .too much of a blend of other stuff.

 

[MisaO]

Yes, it is ok to use on open wounds as I use this solution on abscesses very successfully. I would not use the calendula cream, for the reason you have outlined here. . .too much of a blend of other stuff.

Thank you. it is so hard watching her growing wounds, but I started Gunpowder (30c) dilution orally twice a day yesterday. Will see what happens.