In this article, we will be taking a look at if you should be treating feline acne with witch hazel or not. Although feline acne is a relatively common condition, many cat owners struggle to treat it effectively.
Unfortunately, witch hazel is in a grey area when it comes to use with cats so we always recommend our readers use a proven acne wipe treatment for cats instead. Our article on The Best Cat Acne Wipes For Quick And Easy Feline Acne Treatment may help you further with this.
Click Here To Check For The Best Price On High-Quality Feline Acne Treatments!
Feline Acne Witch Hazel Treatments
The main problem with witch hazel is that it is actually poisonous to cats if they ingest it. Although it is difficult to find sources to confirm this, the San Fransisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals published this document that lists a number of things poisonous to cats. As you can see witch hazel is clearly listed as one of the items that is poisonous when ingested.
Now, the grey area comes when people use it as a topical treatment for conditions such as acne or other common skin problems with their cats. When used as a topical treatment for acne, the acne symptoms may begin to fade over time but the witch hazel can actually cause slight problems if your cat licks the area where it has been applied.
Although the symptoms will usually go no further than your cat vomiting, some rare cases may require a visit to the local veterinarians for a checkup. This is one of the reasons that we don’t think that it is worth the risk of using witch hazel to treat your cat’s acne.
Feline Sensitive Skin Issues
Another problem with witch hazel is that it can have a negative effect on the skin of some cats. With cats usually having a more sensitive skin that humans and many other animals, the pH of witch hazel can end up irritating it.
If your cat is already having issues with acne then the skin around that area may already be having problems. Adding witch hazel as a topical treatment to the area may inflame it and end up causing the problem to get worse.
Alternative Treatments To Witch Hazel
Although your local veterinarian is able to prescribe a number of prescription treatments for your cat’s acne after a checkup, there are a few home remedies or home treatments that you are able to use to your advantage.
The first one that we mentioned earlier in the article is to use a high-quality cat acne wipe. We recently published this article on the two best acne wipes for cats and how best to use them to treat your cat’s condition that may help you.
The second treatment that we would recommend is a high-quality apple cider vinegar. It is not as effective as a commercially available treatment like the cat acne wipes but it can still provide results when used twice per day as a topical treatment to the area suffering from the acne breakout. Our article on using apple cider vinegar to treat acne in your cat may offer additional assistance on the topic.
