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 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: Last December,
my kitten was diagnosed with skin acne. We began replacing plastic dishes
with glass, and using Pyoben (cq) gel, CEFA tablets (an antibiotic) and
steroids, but nothing helped. The vet took skin scrapings to analyze and
did a biopsy, which was negative. We began using several kinds of ointments
and shampoos but some even made the problem worse. We tried hypoallergenic
foods, then more creams and lotions. Nothing has helped. Any ideas? --
L.B., Orlando, Fla.
A: It sounds like
you’ve tired everything short of Clearasil . From the sound of it, your
efforts may have been (ital) too (end ital) valiant. For example, to figure
out whether a pet is allergic to something in its diet, it takes at least
two months to determine if a novel special diet is really succeeding.
The time frame isn’t specified in your letter, but according to feline
vet Dr. Deborah Edwards, of Largo, Fla., you may have mixed too many lotions,
creams, antibiotics, etc., in your zeal to rid your cat of pimples.
Dr. Suzanne Cayatte,
a board certified veterinary dermatologist in Largo, Fla., says cats can
get acne due to a chronic yeast infection, Demodex mites, allergies, or
a chronic bacterial infection. In fact, some develop acne as young teenagers,
and the problem dissipates by itself as the cats mature, just as in some
people.
Cayatte recommends
starting over with a skin scraping. If there’s no definitive explanation,
your vet can inspect the material inside the acne. If the vet still has
nothing to go on, try another biopsy and be sure to include a deep tissue
culture.
We understand that
all this effort has cost you a pretty penny. Still, you may consider an
opinion from a veterinary dermatologist.
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