Acne
Acne:
A skin disease affecting the chin and the area around the lips. It can be caused
by faulty diet, constipation, or hormonal dysfunctions. In mild cases, the affected
area should be washed with neutral soap and immediately rinsed. In serious cases,
including sizable infected areas or the appearance of boils, the services of a
veterinarian are required for the administration of antibiotics or surgery.
9
Ways to Soothe the Skin Sure,
you won't find your Siamese staring moodily in the mirror, tube of Clearasil in
paw. Your Doberman won't have to cancel a prom date or swear off french fries
because of skin eruptions. But pets can develop acne that's as uncomfortable and
unsightly as any tenth-grader's. Located
on the chin or around the face, acne in pets is typically caused by a bacterial
infection inside a blocked oil gland, says Bernadine Cruz, D.V.M., a veterinarian
in private practice in Laguna Hills, California. It may occur when normal scratching
irritates hair follicles and causes inflammation of the glands. It can also be
caused by allergies or hormones that are out of balance. In cats, it can be a
result of less-than-thorough grooming. Acne
can occur in cats at any age. Among dogs it's most common in the younger set,
says Wayne Rosenkrantz, D.V.M., a veterinary dermatologist in private practice
in Garden Grove, California. For some reason it's the big breeds -- mastiffs,
Great Danes and their jumbo peers -- that seem to suffer most, he says. While
acne in pets isn't the social liability it is in humans, it can be uncomfortable,
Dr. Cruz says. Here's what experts recommend. For
Dogs and Cats Clean
it daily. Gently washing your pet's face with soap and a washcloth will remove
surface bacteria and help break down material that may be plugging the oil glands,
says Dr. Cruz. To be most effective, the washcloth should be "a little warmer
than a baby's bath, but not scalding," she says. Scrub gently, then rinse
well with warm water to remove the soap. You
can use any mild cleansing soap, or you can buy an antibacterial pet shampoo.
Don't use human deodorant soaps, which can be irritating, adds Dr. Cruz. Add
some heat. Another way to help open plugged glands is by holding a hot pack to
the area, says Dr. Cruz. She recommends wetting a washcloth with hot (not scalding)
water. Then wring it out and hold it on the affected area for about five minutes
or until the cloth is cool. Do this once a day until the acne goes away, she advises. Reach
for echinacea. Given orally, this infection-battling herb, which is commonly sold
in health food stores, may act like a mild antibiotic, stopping acne from the
inside out, says Nancy Scanlan, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in
Sherman Oaks, California. Echinacea
is usually sold in tablet or liquid form. Dr. Scanlan recommends giving one-half
the human dose to a large dog, one-quarter the human dose to a medium-size dog
and one-eighth the human dose to a small dog. But don't give echinacea to cats
without first checking with your vet, she adds. Some cats may have trouble digesting
it. Put calendula
on your calendar. A concentrated tincture made from marigolds, calendula may help
quell skin infections and speed healing, says Stephen Blake, D.V.M., a veterinarian
in private practice in San Diego. He recommends mixing six drops of the tincture
in an ounce of warm water. Using a clean cotton ball, apply the solution to the
acne twice a day, he advises. Raid
the planter. Applying a thin layer of gel from an aloe vera plant will help ease
discomfort caused by painful acne, says Michael Lemmon, D.V.M., a veterinarian
in private practice in Renton, Washington. If you don't have an aloe vera plant,
you can buy the gel at most health food stores. Don't
swap medicines. Drugs made for people are unlikely to be helpful when given to
pets, says Dr. Rosenkrantz. "Using any acne products formulated for people
would probably just worsen the problem," he warns. Avoid
the squeeze. When a serious acne outbreak is making your pet uncomfortable, you
may be tempted to squeeze the pimples yourself. Don't do it, advises Dr. Rosenkrantz.
Squeezing pimples can be painful and in some cases will cause infected material
to spread beneath the skin, causing a deeper infection. Look
at the big picture. While most outbreaks of acne will stick around for a few days
and then disappear, sometimes it's a constant problem. It may be that there's
something in your pet's environment -- a certain type of flea collar, for example,
or the presence of household pesticides -- that's causing the problem. Try substituting
an herbal flea collar for the chemical kind, suggests Dr. Blake. Go
to the source. As in people, acne in pets may be caused by hormonal surges or
imbalances. If it's an ongoing problem, you may want to have your pet neutered.
"That can do a lot to help," says Dr. Scanlan.
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