My cat's chin is irritated and she scratches. When should I see a vet?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Mittens. Yes, it does look like she has feline acne. You should head to the vet to get it definitely diagnosed, and the vet can prescribe a medicated wash. At home, use glass or metal bowls for her food and water, as plastic ones hold bacteria and aggravate the acne. I'd see if you can get into a vet today or tomorrow. I hope this helps!

Mia Rubi's chin looks like it definitely bothers her. I would actually recommend antibiotics to help with the infection. I would also recommend getting an elizabethan collar so she cannot scratch at her chin until it heals. I would definitely get a recheck with your veterinarian and see if they will treat Mia Rubi with oral medication. Her chin is getting worse from Mia Rubi scratching and rubbing it. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Georgia. Oh my, this looks quite irritated. Yes, I do think she needs to see a vet for this, as this does need veterinary treatment. Give her vet a call now to make her an appointment. Best of luck.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Key and for providing a picture, it's helpful. No, I don't think she needs to see the ER vet tonight, tomorrow will be fine as long as she is eating, drinking, behaving normally, and it's excessively rubbing at the area. I do wonder if she may have ringworm; that's highly contagious and if she does have it, her siblings and mom will also have to be treated. You would need to check out for spots of it on yourself, as it's contagious to humans too. Take her into the vet in the morning. I hope this helps!

Keep an eye on it and if it does not look better by tomorrow, or if he starts to scratch at it or rub his face, then get him seen by your vet as soon as possible. The worry is that if he starts rubbing or scratching, that he'll injure the eye itself and that will require more intensive treatment than a simple scratch or mild eye infection.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. She does have a very large open wound that does require therapy and warrants veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Cleo. Oh my, she is gorgeous! I see what you mean about the spot. It could be from an injury but it could also be a sign of feline acne. Without seeing her in person, I can't say for certain. I'd have her seen by a vet to have this diagnosed and treated. I hope this helps!