Cats with black chins are a problem that I believe many cat owners have encountered. In fact, black chins are folliculitis, which is a bacterial infection. It manifests as many small black spots on the chin, like cinders, and some cats also have them at the base of their tails. , the root of the tail always looks dirty, as if it cannot be washed clean. This disease is not contagious, it is just like the black nose or acne in us humans.

Analysis of the causes of black chin in cats

Plastic rice bowl/water basin, plastic toys that are often chewed

Plastic cat utensils can easily trap dirt and accumulate bacteria. When the cat's chin, mouth, and nostrils come into contact with the surface of the bowl, bacteria are transferred to the cat's skin, which can easily cause black chin. This causes black chin. , generally it will improve after changing to stainless steel tableware, porcelain tableware, or glass tableware, but it needs to be cleaned more often.

Endocrine disorders

After a cat reaches sexual maturity, if the secretion of sex hormones in the body is too strong, it will cause endocrine disorders in the body. The reaction on the skin is folliculitis. This type of disease is more likely to occur in male cats than in female cats, and is more common in the tail and chin. , sterilization may help the black chin get better, but it is not absolute. Cat friends are also asked to make an analysis and decision based on their own situation.

Food too oily

The fat content in cat food is too high. Nowadays, most people say that eating cat food that is too oily will cause black chin. I have searched a lot of information and talked to many cat friends about this statement, but there is no strong evidence to confirm it. Personally It is believed that due to individual differences in cats, eating cat food that is too oily can cause dark chins. Therefore, you can try to change the food to verify whether your cat has a black chin caused by cat food.

Feeding habits

Some veterinarians and senior cat owners believe that it has something to do with feeding habits. The last production process of cat food is oil spraying. If you put the cat food in the food bowl for a long time at will, the surface of the oil-sprayed cat food will easily increase in value. Bacteria, if you want to feed cat food, it is advisable to limit the feeding time to one hour, put it away when not eating, and develop good feeding habits.

Other bacterial infections

The hygienic conditions at home are not good enough, there is a lot of dust, and bacteria accumulate. When the cat comes into contact with these places, if the bacteria get on the cat’s skin, it will easily cause a black chin infection. Therefore, you must maintain good hygienic conditions at home. If it is really due to bacterial infection at home, Go to the hospital to perform bacterial culture on skin scrapings for diagnosis so that you can prescribe appropriate treatment.

How to treat a cat’s black chin

Folliculitis is not a serious disease and is relatively common, but treatment may be time-consuming. When the symptoms are mild, you can refer to the following methods for treatment.

Green tea water wipe

Gently wiping the cat's affected area with green tea water has a very good effect. This method is less irritating to the cat's skin, but you must insist on wiping it every day until the folliculitis is gone.

Sulfur soap, laundry soap

The effect of using this type of soap is indeed obvious, but the smell is too pungent for cats and there is a lot of residue. It is not recommended to use it on the chin. You can wash the tail, but you must rinse it thoroughly.

Anti-inflammatory lotion

Purchase cat-specific lotion at a pet hospital and use it according to the above instructions or doctor’s advice to avoid allergies or discomfort caused by licking.

For mild black chin (not infected), there is no need to treat it too radically. Cleaning with green tea or paying attention to diet can be helpful. Excessive and blind use of drugs may aggravate the mild condition and cause discomfort to the cat.

If the symptoms of black chin in cats are severe, the veterinarian will recommend us to use antibiotic ointment at this time. We trim the hair where the black spots are found, and then wipe the black parts with a cotton swab. After wiping several times, we apply antibiotic ointment on the skin where the black spots are found.

Most cats can return to normal after simple cleaning or medication. As cat owners, we must often help cats clean their dishes to prevent the accumulation of bacteria.