Why does my cat have black stuff on his chin

If you’ve ever noticed red bumps, black dots, or dirt on your cat’s chin, your cat may struggle with feline acne, often called chin acne.  

At its basic definition, cat acne is a disease in which the hair follicles—usually ones on a cat’s chin—produce too much keratin and become plugged. This results in red bumps, blackheads, and infected pimple-like lesions.

Cats can have a single, isolated bout of chin acne, or it may be a chronic struggle.

Cats of all ages can develop acne, as it is not believed to be related to sex hormones. Additionally, feline acne affects males and females of all breeds, as well as both and neutered and intact cats.

Symptoms of Cat Acne

The most common clinical sign associated with feline acne is a chin that looks dirty, hence the name “feline chin acne.” Your cat’s chin may look like it has specks of dirt all over it—you may even be tempted to try to wipe their chin to clean it.

Cat acne may also appear as red pimples or pustules with a head like pimples before they pop.

The lesions can also be found on your cat’s upper and lower lips.

Chronic Acne in Cats

Chronic or severely affected cats may have so many plugged follicles that they fuse together and form swollen, painful crusts. As the lesions get bigger, the follicles are more prone to rupture, which is a very sore (and messy) experience. It can also lead to chronic hair loss in the affected area.

Causes of Cat Acne

Feline acne is a poorly understood disorder that’s related to the overproduction of keratin—a key structure that makes up the outer layer of skin.

For a variety of reasons, this excess keratin becomes trapped, causing the formation of blackheads, or comedones. When these blackheads become infected with bacteria, they form pustules that look like quite similar to what you would recognize to be pimples.

Cat acne is believed to be associated with:

• Poor grooming

• Excessive sebum (oil) and keratin production

• The skin’s immune-barrier function

Regardless of the underlying mechanism, the result is that the hair follicle becomes “plugged,” and an infection often results.

How Vets Diagnose Cat Acne

Your veterinarian will diagnose feline acne based upon clinical findings, your cat’s medical history, and the elimination of other possible skin conditions.

A skin scraping and cytology may be needed to help rule out other causes, such as mange, various skin tumors, and a condition called eosinophilic granuloma complex.

Treatment for Cat Acne

NEVER pick at your cat’s acne. Picking will only worsen the condition and potentially cause more pain and even infection.

Initially, treatment may involve the use of oral or injectable antibiotics and topical shampoo or wipes.

If your cat’s skin begins to clear, the shampoos and topical treatments can gradually be stopped, but if the outbreaks reoccur, your veterinarian will help develop an appropriate maintenance routine to keep your cat’s chin as clear as possible.

Maintenance cleansing with gentle scrubbing has been successful for many cats because it extends the amount of time between episodes and treatment.

Tips for Cleaning Your Cat’s Face If They Have Acne

For most patients, improved hygiene is core to the treatment plan; in other words, you are going to need to start washing your cat’s face.

Your vet may recommend cleaning their face with benzoyl peroxide facial wipes, but you need to get wipes specifically made for cats, as human wipes are too strong.

Clipping the nearby fur can also cut down the amount of bacteria.

Cleaning water and food dishes with increased frequency and a switch to stainless steel, glass, or ceramic dishes may also help for some cats.

Recovery and Management of Cat Acne

If your cat is plagued with chin acne, remember this is usually only a superficial problem and not one that will have serious impacts on your cat’s overall health.

Most cases of feline chin acne are relatively harmless and respond well with improved hygiene.

The condition does become painful if it reaches the point where lesions swell and/or scab, so this is the point where more aggressive treatment is required to manage your cat’s acne.

Cat Acne FAQs

How do I get rid of my cat’s chin acne?

Improved hygiene is central to clearing up cat acne. This can include daily medicated wipes made for cats, topical shampoos made for cats, and systemic antibiotics when an infection has developed.

Is cat acne contagious to other cats?

Feline acne is not contagious. Cat acne is essentially plugged hair follicles related to the overproduction of keratin.

Should I pick my cat's acne?

You should NEVER pick your cat’s acne. This will only worsen the condition and cause an infection if one isn’t yet present.

Some cats, like some people, are unfortunate to suffer from acne. The condition in cats is generally mild and since cats do not worry about their appearance the condition rarely causes serious problems. However if your cat has any skin changes you should make an appointment to see your vet – skin disease may sometimes be a sign of something else more serious.

Feline acne, like acne in people, is a skin condition with blackheads and pustules on the skin. The condition is most commonly seen on the chin because, in the cat, this is the site of sebaceous glands which produce an oily secretion. These glands play an important role in territorial marking for cats – you will have seen your cat rubbing its face and chin around people and objects to mark them.

The first signs of acne developing are black spots on your cat’s lips and chin. These are due to blocking of the glands and most often the disease does not progress further; if it does, the blocked gland may become infected and pus-filled spots develop. In some severe cases of acne there is hair loss and scarring.

Some cats produce more oily secretions than others and are just susceptible to developing acne. You may recognise a yellow discolouration of the fur around the chin in these cats, or notice a black greasy build-up of secretions on areas where they rub. There are also some underlying conditions that can weaken your cat’s immune system and make them more likely to get acne.

In some cases specific skin infections can result in acne. If your cat suffers from acne you may be advised not to use plastic food bowls. This may be because these bowls are more difficult to clean than the smooth surfaces on metal or china dishes or because an allergic-type reaction to the plastic occurs.

It is likely that the first signs you would notice would be spots on your cat’s chin or a swollen chin. Sometimes the chin has a dirty appearance or appears to be crusted with black flecks. Sometimes the spots can spread around the face and eyes. Occasionally, if the condition is particularly severe, cats with acne may have a raised temperature and feel a bit miserable or be unwilling to eat.

Your vet will suspect that your cat has simple acne just by looking at the skin. However they may want to do some additional tests to see if they can find an underlying cause. Some cases can be triggered by stress or changes to routine so your vet may question you to identify a possible trigger factor. If there is still doubt about the cause of the lesions your vet can take a small piece of tissue from the skin (a biopsy) for analysis in a laboratory. This requires a general anaesthetic.

Your vet will want to rule out parasitic conditions such as demodex (mange mites) and flea infections; ringworm or Malassezia (yeast infection) as these can appear similar to, or occur at the same time as, acne. Persian cats can get a particular severe form of acne known as ‘idiopathic facial dermatitis’ which is particularly difficult to treat.

In mild cases no treatment may be needed although your vet may give you a wash to clean the skin surface in affected areas. This can often be effective but some cats may develop skin irritation and these cats are probably better off without treatment. Anyone who has experience of acne in people will know how hard it can be to eradicate completely and recurrent bouts are likely.

In more severe cases hot compresses can be applied and antibacterial skin shampoos or skin creams may be used. Long term supplements such as evening primrose oil or fish oil may help in some cases. Rarely are antibiotic tablets required.