My cat has raw skin around her mouth. Will it heal or need treatment?

Based on the photos, it looks likes the lesion on Vivian's mouth is getting a little worse. I'm thinking she either has an infection that is the primary cause or is having an allergic reaction with a secondary infection. Unless the issue becomes chronic, I would not suspect allergies. At home tips would be to wash (and rinse) the area with a plain antibacterial soap daily. Take care not to get this in her mouth as she may vomit. You have to be careful with cats applying any topical medication since the ingest the product when they groom. I would think Vivian licks the side of her mouth so I would not recommend to apply anything to it. Try switching her food to a different protein source and see if that helps. It will take at least one month before you know if it works or not. Keep in mind if this diet change does not work, that is does not mean that food allergies are not present. Pets can have many types of food allergies. There's also a potential for environmental allergies. If the lesions continues to worsen, take her in to see the veterinarian.

This looks like an allergy, especially because it healed with a steroid injection. I would not recommend continuing steroid injections are they can predispose her to health problems. I would switch her to stainless steel bowls and consider a dermatology appointment to work up the skin disease.

Margot has irritation on her lips. Many times this is related to an allergy but a viral infection is also possible. This allergy could be food related or sometimes related to using a plastic bowl. You can try changing all the food and water bowls over to metal or ceramic. Wash them once a week with hot soapy water. Food allergy may be a little more difficult to diagnose. I recommend a hydrolyzed protein diet for 12 weeks. I recommend to discuss this option worth your veterinarian. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The lesions on Chubbs' chin and mouth could be feline acne, viral in origin, among others. Make sure that Chubbs is eating from stainless steel or glass bowls rather than plastic or ceramic, as these materials are more porous and can harbor bacteria, leading to irritation of the chin and feline acne. You can also use dilute antiseptic solution (such as betadine or chlorhexidine) to clean his chin 1-2 times per day, but take care to rinse and dry the areas thoroughly. If he continues to scratch, you can put an e-collar (cone) on him. However, if the lesions persist or worsen, Chubbs may need to go to his vet for further evaluation and medication, such as antibiotics and/or steroids. I hope that he's on the mend soon!

Yes, a contact allergy to food or bowls is quite likely, but an allergy to bedding, cleaning products or air freshener could also be possible. I would change her diet to royal canin hypoallergenic which is hydrolyzed in order to avoid sensitivities and change all bowls to stainless steel and rinse them thoroughly daily with warm water

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Boo. Her sores look very irritated. They appear too raw for a topical ointment. She should see her veterinarian as she will likely need an oral antibiotic and potentially a medication to control any itching. In cats, I worry about allergies, ringworm, mites or even fleas with skin disease. Even without going outdoors, she could potentially contract any of these conditions. I hope this information helps!

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.