Every cat owner should check their cat's ears for signs of problems as part of their regular grooming routine. A healthy ear will be soft pink inside with no discharge or wax accumulation, and it will be clean and odor free. A small amount of clear wax is usually not a sign of trouble, and you can wipe it away with a dry cotton ball. Do not dig down into the cat's ear canal, only wipe the external "shell."
-
Symptoms
-
If your cat displays any of these symptoms, you should suspect an ear infection: an offensive odor, black or yellow discharge, pain when touched, swelling of the ear flap or canal, abnormal scratching at the ear, head shaking, excess wax accumulation, deafness, a discharge that resembles coffee grounds or bleeding. A cat who becomes irritable or lethargic, suffers a loss of balance or seems disoriented could also have an ear infection, but these are also signs of other, life-threatening diseases, and you should get professional help immediately.
Causes
-
The most common cause of ear infections is mites, tiny little parasites usually visible only under a microscope whose waste resembles coffee grounds. If you are a multiple cat owner and the veterinarian diagnoses ear mites, you should treat all the cats in your household, as they are highly contagious. Other causes include bacteria or yeast infections. Again, you need to see a veterinarian as they require different medications to treat. Some cats have a genetic predisposition to infections, usually manifested by excess wax accumulation. Allergies are another common cause. A not-too-common cause could be a foreign body trapped in the ear.
Diagnosis
-
Your veterinarian will take a history from you and then examine your cat's ears with an instrument called an otoscope. This allows him to see far into the cat's inner ear and check the ear drum as well as search for a foreign object. A cat with extremely sore ears may have to be sedated for this exam. Next, the veterinarian will take a sample swab of your cat's ear and examine it under a microscope to check for mites as well as bacterial or yeast infections.
Treatment
-
Treatment varies depending on its causative agent. A bacterial infection will require an antibiotic, while a yeast infection will be treated with an anti-fungal medication. Ear mites will need to be treated with an anti-parasitic and requires a follow-up visit in 4 weeks to make sure all traces of ear mites are gone.
Interesting Fact
-
Some cats have excessive hair growing inside their ears that impedes the flow of air and does not allow the normal discharge of wax to occur, leading to infections. This condition is commonly seen in poodles, and affected cats benefit from the same ear plucking as is used on dogs.
-