What's up with my cat's chin
November 18, 2011 6:55 AM Subscribe
What's up with my cat's chin? My cat has a strange spot on his chin that looks sort of like a wart, and I'm not sure whether I should be concerned about it or not.
He's had it a little over a week, and at first it just looked like a spot of missing fur. He tussles with his brother a lot, so it wouldn't be unusual for him to have a minor scratch. Then a few days ago, it was bleeding a bit, and he and his brother didn't seem to have been fighting. Since then it hasn't changed, but because it's been there for so long, I'm wondering if it's something I should have the vet check out. Getting to the vet right now would be fairly difficult for me, so I'd rather not take him if it isn't necessary, but of course if it's serious I will make it a priority. His behavior hasn't changed at all, and he doesn't act like it hurts if you touch it.
He's had it a little over a week, and at first it just looked like a spot of missing fur. He tussles with his brother a lot, so it wouldn't be unusual for him to have a minor scratch. Then a few days ago, it was bleeding a bit, and he and his brother didn't seem to have been fighting. Since then it hasn't changed, but because it's been there for so long, I'm wondering if it's something I should have the vet check out. Getting to the vet right now would be fairly difficult for me, so I'd rather not take him if it isn't necessary, but of course if it's serious I will make it a priority. His behavior hasn't changed at all, and he doesn't act like it hurts if you touch it.
Not to scare you, but my friend's cat's chin spot turned out to be cancer. Take a look at this cat lump/bump site because there are lots of things it could be, some serious and others not so much.
posted by shoesietart at 7:03 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by shoesietart at 7:03 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Cat acne usually just looks like little black dots, though (unless you get a really bad case). Can you take a picture and post it for us? My cat gets enough zits that I'd be able to rule that out for you.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:07 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:07 AM on November 18, 2011
Do you use plastic bowls for your cats' food and water? One of ours developed an allergy to the plastic and had a bump on his chin. Solution: ceramic or metal bowls.
posted by leslies at 7:08 AM on November 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by leslies at 7:08 AM on November 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
Nthing the "feline acne." I'd still have the vet confirm that, but it sounds an awful lot like feline acne; my cat got that on the underside of his chin too (it was about the size of a pinhead). And yeah, switching away from a plastic bowl helped; ceramic, metal, or even sturdy glass bowls work.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:14 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:14 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yeah, my cat had that, and the vet said it was a clogged pore. But they also said get it checked out, because it could be cancer.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:15 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:15 AM on November 18, 2011
My cats are prone to feline acne, and it's nothing like this.
posted by adamrice at 7:18 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by adamrice at 7:18 AM on November 18, 2011
Our cats had the chin acne. Vet suggested making sure that we washed the water bowl daily (previously we had just been rinsing it out and washing it only weekly) and make sure to use ceramic/metal bowl. Sure enough, bumps-be-gone.
posted by quarterframer at 7:21 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by quarterframer at 7:21 AM on November 18, 2011
Response by poster: We use metal bowls, and I'm trying to figure out how to post a photo (never done that on mefi before).
posted by odayoday at 7:24 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by odayoday at 7:24 AM on November 18, 2011
Response by poster: Okay, I'm having issues with my regular flickr, so I set up a new one for this. Will post cute photo in a sec, but the chin photo is up now. http://www.flickr.com/photos/67330889@N05/
posted by odayoday at 7:32 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by odayoday at 7:32 AM on November 18, 2011
I see no chin bump. I do, however, see a very cute kitty.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:56 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:56 AM on November 18, 2011
It it's a rodent ulcer, which would likely be bigger than what shoesietart posted, it's worth taking pictures of over time (every month?) and having a vet look at and keep tabs on it. I've know them to sometimes turn out to be cancerous. Better safe than sorry. Beautiful cat!
posted by SillyShepherd at 7:56 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by SillyShepherd at 7:56 AM on November 18, 2011
my cat hanzo (obligatory pic) has a (particularly virulent) case of feline acne, and it sounds like what you're experiencing. even though we are using metal and ceramic bowls, he still gets it pretty frequently. according to my vet, some cats (like humans) are just prone to it. one thing that has helped us keep the breakouts under control is swabbing his chin with hydrogen peroxide every night (recommended by vet).
it's never a bad idea to have the vet check just to be safe, though - my vet was able to diag the acne so quickly that she charged us a reduced visit rate.
posted by koroshiya at 8:01 AM on November 18, 2011
it's never a bad idea to have the vet check just to be safe, though - my vet was able to diag the acne so quickly that she charged us a reduced visit rate.
posted by koroshiya at 8:01 AM on November 18, 2011
Response by poster: Sorry, this is the link to his chin: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67330889@N05/6358429273/in/photostream
posted by odayoday at 8:02 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by odayoday at 8:02 AM on November 18, 2011
I'm also voting acne. Our girl kitty (medium coat, like yours) got them just like that on her chin. I'd say see the vet soon-ish just to be sure but don't panic.
posted by JoanArkham at 8:06 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by JoanArkham at 8:06 AM on November 18, 2011
To me, the picture looks like a scab from a wound. My guess would be that there was a tussle in which Guido took it on the chin (so to speak), or maybe he just scratched himself too hard. The blood got matted into the fur, making the bump you see. At some point the scab got dislodged from the skin, causing the bleeding.
This said, I can't actually see the spot in person, so if you (who can actually see it from all directions and in proper lighting) don't think it's a scab, feel free to discard this hypothesis.
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:08 AM on November 18, 2011
This said, I can't actually see the spot in person, so if you (who can actually see it from all directions and in proper lighting) don't think it's a scab, feel free to discard this hypothesis.
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:08 AM on November 18, 2011
Response by poster: Johnny Assay, it's more a raised bump than just missing fur, although the blood could have been from his brother irritating the spot. It's textured sort of like a wart, and based on the advice here I probably will go ahead and call the vet about it, just in case.
posted by odayoday at 8:20 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by odayoday at 8:20 AM on November 18, 2011
I was agreeing with Johnny Assay that it looks like a scab, but considering the texture and its sudden appearance, I would definitely call a vet.
Hope everything turns out okay!
posted by saveyoursanity at 8:26 AM on November 18, 2011
Hope everything turns out okay!
posted by saveyoursanity at 8:26 AM on November 18, 2011
It looks like dried blood... it's a good photo but it's still really hard to say any more than that. I can't see the bump... the center just looks like a little pink skin.
I can tell you that the feline acne my cat had on its chin didn't have an actual bump to it, it just looked like a tiny dark spot.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:28 AM on November 18, 2011
I can tell you that the feline acne my cat had on its chin didn't have an actual bump to it, it just looked like a tiny dark spot.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:28 AM on November 18, 2011
I think that's too big for feline acne, but it looks to me (not a vet, but a cat owner many times over) that it's a scab from where his brother may have jabbed him.
I'd say let Guido be your guide here- is he pawing at it? If so, and it bleeds again, I'd go to the vet. If not, I'd wait a few days and keep an eye on it. Clean his chin with a washcloth every day, and see what happens. If it doesn't look like it's healing on its own, go to the vet.
posted by mkultra at 8:32 AM on November 18, 2011
I'd say let Guido be your guide here- is he pawing at it? If so, and it bleeds again, I'd go to the vet. If not, I'd wait a few days and keep an eye on it. Clean his chin with a washcloth every day, and see what happens. If it doesn't look like it's healing on its own, go to the vet.
posted by mkultra at 8:32 AM on November 18, 2011
If he doesn't seem to be in any pain when you touch it--which would indicate an abscess, usually--I'd just clean it up really well and wait another day or two. That looks a lot more like what my cat does to himself when he scratches his zits than a zit or something to worry about.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:47 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:47 AM on November 18, 2011
The Fuzz had something that fit that description and picture and we went to the vet. Like others above, we were told it was just feline acne and to ditch the plastic bowls, was the new bowls frequently, and put neosporin on the sore until it healed. It cleared up in about two weeks and we haven't seen it come back in the last few years.
posted by advicepig at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by advicepig at 9:03 AM on November 18, 2011
Our vet recommended using some hydrogen peroxide on our cat's feline acne. You can try it before you get to the vet, just in case. It certainly won't hurt.
posted by annsunny at 9:17 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by annsunny at 9:17 AM on November 18, 2011
I'd treat it with the peroxide--benefits: cheap and easy,mhelps prevent infection, which is a real problem for cats and wounds--and then I'd really watch your cat's behavior.
Lethargic, not eating, any atypical behavior and I'd take him to the vet for antibiotics at least.
posted by misha at 10:22 AM on November 18, 2011
Lethargic, not eating, any atypical behavior and I'd take him to the vet for antibiotics at least.
posted by misha at 10:22 AM on November 18, 2011
Data point: my cat used to get big zits on her chin and when they popped (ick!) there would be blood and an eventual scab.
posted by mimo at 11:49 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by mimo at 11:49 AM on November 18, 2011
Go to a vet-- most likley acne (my kitteh needed antibiotics for his) but also could be eosinophilic granuloma...sometimes this presents as a hairless, raised spot on the lower lip (among other things).
posted by oflinkey at 11:59 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by oflinkey at 11:59 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Another vote for acne -- looks pretty much like the acne my cat has gotten in the past.
posted by puritycontrol at 12:10 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by puritycontrol at 12:10 PM on November 18, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Sounds like it might be it.
posted by InsanePenguin at 7:00 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]