Chin Buggers

Question
My two cats recently began getting bumps on their chins that kind
of dry out, turn to scabs and come off leaving raw/red skin. Can
you tell me what's causing it, if I should be concerned and what I
should do about it? I don't remember ever seeing this on them
before although it's possible something like this has happened
before and simply never gotten so bad it's become this obvious.
The cats are roughly 13 and 8 years old, one gray, one black, both
domestic short hair muts. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Evan.  It sounds like your kitties probably have a bad case of feline acne.  The symptoms are usually black flecks on the fur and skin along with minor skin irritation in most cases.  

Though generally harmless, some cats develop severe inflammation and must be placed on an anti-inflammatory drug, such as cortisone, to manage it.  Sometimes, the area becomes infected with bacteria such as staph, requiring an antibiotic to cure.  In rare instances, chronically inflamed tissue may need to be removed surgically to prevent pain and possible cancer.

The cause of feline acne isn't known for sure, but one of the largest factors seems to be the cat's food bowl.  Plastic bowls seem to be the biggest offenders.  We're not really sure if it's similar to an allergic reaction to the plastic, or if it's because plastic tends to harbor bacteria which are deposited on the cat's chin when he eats or drinks, but one thing is known - cats with feline acne usually show dramatic improvement when using stainless steel dishes instead of plastic, glass, or ceramic.  Also, daily cleaning with hot water and soap is a must.  Otherwise, grease from the cat's chin builds up on the lip of the bowl and is despostied back on the skin, causing impacted pores.

Some cats may need to have the area treated daily with a skin toner until the problem goes away.  Some vets recommend using Stridex pads for this.  However, I would not recommend to use it on raw skin at all.

There is also a possibility your kitties have what's called eosinophilic granuloma complex, a fancy term for an auto immune condition that causes sores in or around the mouth area, commonly refered to as rodent ulcers.  Treatment for this is typically a cortisone injection.  However, since both suffer the same symptoms, I'd imagine this is unlikely, as it is not at all contagious and is far less common than feline acne.

Try using stainless steel bowls if you don't already.  You should see improvement in a couple weeks if this is feline acne.  If switching to a stainless steel bowl doesn't help, you really should consult a vet to find out the real problem.