Cats will need to be evaluated so that proper treatment can be carried out. Occasionally, itchy ears have other causes-such as an underlying allergy, foreign body, ear polyp or other mass. Surgery will minimize the scarring and deformity, but the earflap will always remain somewhat thickened and irregular-often called a cauliflower ear.In some cases, cats with ear mites develop secondary ear infections with bacteria or yeast, which will require further treatment. Hematomas can be surgically drained and corrected, or left to resolve slowly over time. The violent scratching and shaking of the ears results in a blood vessel bursting within the flap, causing it to blow up like a water balloon. Another complication of severe scratching and shaking of the ears is a condition called a hematoma, where the earflap fills with blood. The wounds, which may be raw or covered with scabs, serve as telltale signs of infection. These are caused by the cats’ own claws during bouts of scratching. Many cats with ear mites create small wounds on the backs of one or both ears, near the base. Infestation can be confirmed by examining the discharge under a microscope to positively identify the presence of ear mites. Over time, most cats with ear mites develop a characteristic dry black ear discharge that resembles coffee grounds. Infection is easily perpetuated as female mites produce microscopic eggs that hatch into larva and eventually develop into adult mites. They feed on epidermal (skin) debris, causing irritation and inflammation. Because they are highly contagious, they are very common in multicat environments, especially those in which cats do not receive regular veterinary care.Įar mites typically live and reproduce in the external ear canal, although they occasionally migrate to the head, face and neck. Ear mites are most common in young cats and kittens, but adults can also be infected. The most common cause of ear infections (otitis externa) in cats, they can cause intense itching. What Are Ear Mites?Įar mites (Otodectes cynotis) are tiny parasites that live in the external ear canals-they can just barely be seen with the naked eye, resembling tiny white dots that slowly move. And if one cat has them, the rest of the kitties around her will soon have them, too. After a while, she stops and looks up at you while holding her ears in an odd position-sideways and slightly down instead of up and forward like normal. This time maybe it’s her other ear that she scratches, or maybe she rubs it with a front foot instead. If you’re around a lot of cats, you’ve probably seen it: Suddenly, one of them stops what she’s doing and begins violently scratching one of her ears with a hind foot, then shakes her head so hard that her ears flap, and then begins to scratch again. What's that bug in your ear, kitty? Recognizing and treating ear mites in catsĪnimal Sheltering magazine Articles from HumanePro Photo by Denis Nata/ShutterstockĬlick here for a downloadable, printable reference on diagnosing and treating ear mites.
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