My cat has a sore on his jawline that hasn't healed for a few weeks, at least.

[Writer]

It doesn't seem to bother him, but it continues to bear a red scab about the size of an eraser tip of a pencil.

Overall, his health is great. He's just as mischievous as ever. I don't want to overreact by bringing him to the vet. Is this just a sore that he's picking at? Could there be something else wrong?

Oh - and the sore smells!

[Flaxbee]

1. weird. I just put some antibiotic cream on a sore on MY cat's jawline...

she had a small scab a week or so ago, and now it's the same size in diameter but there's a bit of a nodule underneath / some swelling. Doesn't seem to bother her in the least.

Are the pod-cats emerging to take over the world? 'Cuz I think you're in Colorado, I'm in North Carolina - probably is not a similar environmental irritant.

[Writer]

6. Pod cats? I guess it depends on what that sore turns into!

Maybe he'll become a gila monster... or a lizard or something. :scared:

[LeftyMom]

2. A sore that smells is almost certainly infected.

Please get him to the vet ASAP.

[Writer]

4. Will do. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Do you use plastic dishes for the cat's food and/or water?.

They can cause what is called feline Acne. Switch to ceramic or stainless steel dishes.

If you are not using plastic and/or it does not go away soon, I would suggest a vet visit.


The plastic dishes ALWAYS get scratched during use and cleaning. Those scratches in the dishes are breeding grounds for bacteria...Whenever the cat sticks his/her face in the bowl to eat or drink, their chin comes in contact with the bacteria.

[Writer]

5. Gandalf gets Grade A stainless steel bowls.

So to the vet he goes.

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Good decision....Keep us posted.

[LynneSin]

14. He can still get Acne - I have ceramic bowls and Abbott still has it

He's just a messy cat that drools. If I don't clean his jawline from time to time he'll get a breakout of Acne.

[Writer]

15. Well... the vet didn't mention that, but here's some more info.

The sore is located to the side - about a centimeter below the lip area. He IS a drooling cat, but he's 5 and have never had that problem.

It also doesn't quite explain the swollen scab... does kitty acne form a large scab?

[LynneSin]

17. if untreated it can scab

however it seems you were pretty much told to do the same thing I have to do for my cat's Acne.

If your cat is a drooler it's probably not a bad idea to wash his face a few times a week. It's not that hard.

I take a washcloth and only wet a small corner with anti-bacterial soap and another corner with just water. I then wash with soap and then rinse with plain water. It's not that bad - he doesn't mind it. Just glad it's him and not Evita.

Does your cat happen to have a white jaw? Abbott does, which is why it is much more noticeable.

[Skittles]

8. I'd take him to a vet

a few weeks is long enough to not be considered overreacting

[Writer]

10. In the morning I'm calling up the gentle vet.

He's been great with my man-eating dog.

[dysfunctional press]

9. we had $1000 worth of dental work done on our siamese...

during which they found the tumor that had been the actual cause of the problem and that killed her in less than 3 weeks after.

[Writer]

11. Oh how awful! I'm so sorry.

Gandalf had his teeth cleaned last year, so teeth certainly aren't the issue. This little red sore is, though.

[Writer]

12. Update on Gandalf the Harried

The vet says that it's not ringworm, but that it might be something called a rodent sore, which typically appears near the lips (this is a bit lower than that). He gave me some oral and topical antibiotics on the possibility that this is simply an infected cut, and told me that if it improves but doesn't fully heal, to call him so he can give me another dosage.

Poor thing: We live at 5300 ft. of elevation. As I opened the topical antibiotic, it spewed all over the place from the difference in air pressure. I decided to go ahead and dab some on the sore, but as I did that, the ribbon of ointment got caught in his fur, so I had to quickly wet a paper towel and try to get it out. He now has a rather wet head on top of the torture of drinking a liquid antibiotic via a syringe, riding around the car with me for a few hours in a carrier, and being manhandled by the veterinarian. He still has a smile on his face, though. He's quite a remarkable cat.

But good news: This "skinny" cat is now a whopping 10 lbs. Woot!

[LynneSin]

13. Cat Acne - my Abbott gets Acne

Does it look something like this? (no that's my cat)


That's Cat Acne, Abbott gets it bad. Basically saliva is allowed to buildup on the jawline and it gets nasty. I literally have to wash his face a couple days a week with a mild antibacterial soap to get rid of it. Plus I don't use plastic food bowls (it harbors the bacteria)

http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-acne.html

[busybl]

16. my cat got that

for some reason I don't know those are called rat bite abcesses. they are curable. Please off to the vet for kitty.
We thought is was acne at first too but when it started looking bloody, we knew it wasn't

[david13]

18. I was going to say cancer. I have seen that before. But let us say

abcess of some type. Cyst, that may be removed. They are troopers and will adjust and not complain. But get him to the vet and get it fixed. It won't be cheap, but once it's paid, you will be glad you fixed him up.
dc