Cat With Itchy Ears? Treatment?

[steveromagnino]

Sawasdee krub

I have a Thai cat, very cute too, (not that you need to know that, but I need to point it out, because, well she is soooo cute) but she came down with very itchy ears about 2 months ago.

She was scratching constantly, and they were drooping down; and she looked very very sad. I took her to the vet straight away in the morning, (she starting scratching about 4am) and the vet concluded she had significant wax buildup which had become infected. He injected her with some sort of antibiotic, and also gave me some drops for her as well.

Since then, she is better, but still seems to scratch her ears from time to time. Now I am all paranoid. Does this mean that she needs to go back to the vet, or is it sympotmatic of something else?

I have never had a cat before, she is now 5 years old; I've checked and she doesn't have fleas; it is possible I suppose that she has mites, and she does scratch and lick as cats seem to do. Her ears don't smell, and don't seem to be filled with anything.

If I go back to the vet, he may jab her again, but I am thinking this is a symptom perhaps, and not the problem.

Any suggestions?

[bina]

mites??, allergies???

by the time u smell that icky smell in the ears, they are already filled with that icky waxy stuff and the mites, take her back now, they can take a 'scraping' and check under the microscope for mites, etc...

[steveromagnino]

mites??, allergies???

by the time u smell that icky smell in the ears, they are already filled with that icky waxy stuff and the mites, take her back now, they can take a 'scraping' and check under the microscope for mites, etc...

thanks; will do.

[Nienke]

the vet concluded she had significant wax buildup which had become infected. He injected her with some sort of antibiotic, and also gave me some drops for her as well.

Since then, she is better, but still seems to scratch her ears from time to time. Now I am all paranoid. Does this mean that she needs to go back to the vet, or is it sympotmatic of something else?

Any suggestions?

Hi,

I think in case of doubt ... go back to the vet and have him/her look into the ear (s) which such a ear thing.

It is possible that from the outside the ear looks clean but inside (the part we can't see) still has some infection.

Ear infections are definitely things where you have to act quick and alert.

(sorry about the 'thingy'language. Got a new book, couldn't come loose from it last night. went to sleep way too late and now my brains aren't functioning 100%)

[BambinA]

- mite : coffee grounded colour (ear wax) > dexoryl ear drop and maybe ivermectin injection also

- bacterial otitis : flatid yellow/greenish

-ring worm - hairloss ,round shape > ketoconazole/itraconazole cream

[sbk]

What about scabies? My cat had scabies on her ears when she was a kitten, looked terrible, scratched her ears until there was almost no hair left and she had a thick layer of scabs.

We used the lice cream for people (no vets here back in those days) and it cleared it right up.

[steveromagnino]

What about scabies? My cat had scabies on her ears when she was a kitten, looked terrible, scratched her ears until there was almost no hair left and she had a thick layer of scabs.

We used the lice cream for people (no vets here back in those days) and it cleared it right up.

Currently no scabs and no hairloss; I am guessing (based on owning a cocker spaniel b4 which are prone to ear problems) that it is either mites or some sort of infection causing wax build up.

Or my own paranoia :-)

I still have the dexoryl ear drops, maybe I will try a few more of those, but little creamy cat really doesn't like the ear drops much, even less than when I give her a bath.

Mind you, I haven't given her a bath since this whole ear thing; maybe that was what was keeping the mites away?

I take her with me to the beach, and she likes wandering around and annoying the dogs in that area, which are not the cleanest, so again, my money is on mites.

Thanx for all suggestions... :-)

[polehawk]

Well, if it's a case of mites then there's a good chance of recurrence. I would ask the vet to do a microscopic exam of the ear debris. My cat (feral from birth to about his first year when I gave him a home) had same symptom of intense ear itching about 5 years ago and the vet diagnosed mites so Novlamite was prescribed. Found out it's not easy to get a wild cat to let you put drops in its ears but it effectively cleared the problem.

[Patsycat]

It could be mange

[bina]

mange is mites

thats what i i thought; u do a scraping of the ear wax etc and can see the mites

mites go back and forth between animals (too each animal their own species of mite) but some animals are more susceptible than others (weakened system, or change in season hot to cold or what ever).... and follow up (more than onetreatment) is always recommmended;

[pistonpilot]

Sawasdee krub

I have a Thai cat, very cute too, (not that you need to know that, but I need to point it out, because, well she is soooo cute) but she came down with very itchy ears about 2 months ago.

Take a Q Tip, dip it into some baby oil and clean the cats ear with it. It is just that simple.