"My cat's ears have a terrible odor. What could it be?" "My kitten has been scratching her ears. The ears have dark,
crumbly material in them. What should I do?" These are some of the most commonly asked questions of veterinarians.
Ear disease is one of the most common conditions seen in pets. The medical name for inflammation of the outer ear
canal is 'otitis externa.' One study found that from 2% to 6.6% of cats admitted to hospitals were presented because of
otitis externa.
“Ear problems are very common in cats. For indoor cats, the most common cause is an ear infection, which can be due
to a number of causes like food allergies or foreign body. Outdoor cats are usually ear mites,” explained Dr. Lauren
Bowling of Bloomington Cat Hospital.
“It is very important for you to check the cat’s ears by looking at them daily/weekly and smelling them. You'll begin to
know what a normal smell/look is. If the cat starts scratching intensively, holding their head to one side periodically, or
folding their ear flap down, that's a sign of some intense itching or pain, so a vet visit is in order.”
Signs of ear problems include:
Cats can have ear problems for many different reasons. When a cat has an
ear disease we need to think about the possibility of:
Allergies: Cats with allergies, either to food or something they inhale, may have ear problems. As a matter of fact, the
ear problem may be the first sign of the allergy. Since the allergy changes the environment within the ear, we
sometimes see secondary infections with bacteria or yeast. If we just treat the infection, we are not getting to the root
of the problem. We need to treat the allergies too.
Parasites: The ear mite, Otodectes cynotis, is a common cause of ear problems especially in kittens. Some animals
are hypersensitive to the mites and the resultant itching can be intense. These animals may scratch so much they
severely traumatize the ear.
Bacteria and Yeast: Numerous types of bacteria and the yeast, Malassezia pachydermatis, cause ear infections. The
normal, healthy ear has a good defense against these organisms, but if the ear environment changes due to allergies,
hormone abnormalities, or moisture, the bacteria and yeast can greatly multiply and break down these defenses.
Foreign Bodies: Plant awns, those little "stick-tights" that cling to our
clothes and our cats' fur, can sometimes enter the ear canal. Their presence
causes irritation, the cat scratches, and before you know it we have a
traumatized, infected ear. So if you have a cat who goes outside, be sure to
routinely check the ears.
Hormonal Abnormalities: Deficiencies or excesses of various hormones
can result in skin and ear problems. Thyroid hormone, glucocorticoids
produced by the adrenal gland, and sex hormones all influence the health of
the skin and ears.
Ear Environment: Bacteria and yeast could not have a better environment
to live in than a warm, dark, moist ear canal.
Other Causes: There are various rare hereditary diseases that occur in
different breeds or lines and affect the ears. Eosinophilic granulomas are
related to a disorder of the immune system and can occur in the ears of cats. Squamous cell carcinomas, melanomas,
and other tumors can be seen in the ears.
Diagnosis
Because there are many potential causes of ear problems, we cannot just say it is a bacterial infection, dispense
antibiotics, and it will go away. Often more work is needed. Your veterinarian can use an otoscope to look down into
the ear canal and determine the amount of inflammation present, if the tympanic membrane (ear drum) is involved,
and if there are any foreign bodies, tumors, or other potential causes of the problem. Swabs of the ear can be taken,
smeared on a microscope slide, stained and examined for bacteria, yeast, and mites. A thorough history and physical
exam may help determine if this could be a hormonal, allergic, or hereditary problem. If these are suspected, further
diagnostic testing would be needed. If a bacterial infection does not respond to the first antibiotic therapy, a culture
and sensitivity may need to be performed to select a different antibiotic.
Treatment
The treatment is going to depend on what caused the ear problem
and what secondary conditions are there as a result. Antibiotics are
used for bacterial infections and antifungals for yeast infections.
Glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone are often included in these
preparations to reduce the amount of inflammation in the ear. Ear
problems caused by a systemic disease such as a hormone
abnormality or allergy must include a therapy that treats the whole cat,
such as hormonal replacement or allergy testing and hyposensitization
(immunotherapy).
While many of the problems are treated with ear cleaning, Dr. Bowling
does not recommend cat owners try to clean their pet’s ears without
veterinary advice.
“I do not advocate cleaning ears on a regular basis, simply because if there's nothing wrong, introducing the wrong
thing into the ear canal can CAUSE a problem. I've seen so many people treat an ear infection with mite medicine and
then I get a pus filled ear that I can hardly treat,” she said.
Preventing ear disease
The key to healthy ears is to keep them clean. Check your cat's ears weekly. A slight amount of waxy buildup may be
present in normal ears. Remember, if your cat is showing severe discomfort, the ears have a bad smell, or the ear
canals look very abnormal, do not delay in contacting your veterinarian. If your cat has a ruptured or weakened
eardrum, some ear cleansers and medications could do more harm than good.
crumbly material in them. What should I do?" These are some of the most commonly asked questions of veterinarians.
Ear disease is one of the most common conditions seen in pets. The medical name for inflammation of the outer ear
canal is 'otitis externa.' One study found that from 2% to 6.6% of cats admitted to hospitals were presented because of
otitis externa.
“Ear problems are very common in cats. For indoor cats, the most common cause is an ear infection, which can be due
to a number of causes like food allergies or foreign body. Outdoor cats are usually ear mites,” explained Dr. Lauren
Bowling of Bloomington Cat Hospital.
“It is very important for you to check the cat’s ears by looking at them daily/weekly and smelling them. You'll begin to
know what a normal smell/look is. If the cat starts scratching intensively, holding their head to one side periodically, or
folding their ear flap down, that's a sign of some intense itching or pain, so a vet visit is in order.”
Signs of ear problems include:
- Odor
- Scratching or rubbing of ears and head
- Discharge in the ears
- Redness or swelling of the ear canal
- Shaking of the head or tilting it to one side
- Pain around the ears
- Changes in behavior such as depression or irritability
Cats can have ear problems for many different reasons. When a cat has an
ear disease we need to think about the possibility of:
- Allergies such as atopy or food allergies
- Parasites - ear mites
- Microorganisms - bacteria and yeast
- Foreign bodies, e.g., plant awns
- Trauma
- The ear environment, e.g., excess moisture and ear anatomy
- Hereditary or immune conditions, and tumors
Allergies: Cats with allergies, either to food or something they inhale, may have ear problems. As a matter of fact, the
ear problem may be the first sign of the allergy. Since the allergy changes the environment within the ear, we
sometimes see secondary infections with bacteria or yeast. If we just treat the infection, we are not getting to the root
of the problem. We need to treat the allergies too.
Parasites: The ear mite, Otodectes cynotis, is a common cause of ear problems especially in kittens. Some animals
are hypersensitive to the mites and the resultant itching can be intense. These animals may scratch so much they
severely traumatize the ear.
Bacteria and Yeast: Numerous types of bacteria and the yeast, Malassezia pachydermatis, cause ear infections. The
normal, healthy ear has a good defense against these organisms, but if the ear environment changes due to allergies,
hormone abnormalities, or moisture, the bacteria and yeast can greatly multiply and break down these defenses.
Foreign Bodies: Plant awns, those little "stick-tights" that cling to our
clothes and our cats' fur, can sometimes enter the ear canal. Their presence
causes irritation, the cat scratches, and before you know it we have a
traumatized, infected ear. So if you have a cat who goes outside, be sure to
routinely check the ears.
Hormonal Abnormalities: Deficiencies or excesses of various hormones
can result in skin and ear problems. Thyroid hormone, glucocorticoids
produced by the adrenal gland, and sex hormones all influence the health of
the skin and ears.
Ear Environment: Bacteria and yeast could not have a better environment
to live in than a warm, dark, moist ear canal.
Other Causes: There are various rare hereditary diseases that occur in
different breeds or lines and affect the ears. Eosinophilic granulomas are
related to a disorder of the immune system and can occur in the ears of cats. Squamous cell carcinomas, melanomas,
and other tumors can be seen in the ears.
Diagnosis
Because there are many potential causes of ear problems, we cannot just say it is a bacterial infection, dispense
antibiotics, and it will go away. Often more work is needed. Your veterinarian can use an otoscope to look down into
the ear canal and determine the amount of inflammation present, if the tympanic membrane (ear drum) is involved,
and if there are any foreign bodies, tumors, or other potential causes of the problem. Swabs of the ear can be taken,
smeared on a microscope slide, stained and examined for bacteria, yeast, and mites. A thorough history and physical
exam may help determine if this could be a hormonal, allergic, or hereditary problem. If these are suspected, further
diagnostic testing would be needed. If a bacterial infection does not respond to the first antibiotic therapy, a culture
and sensitivity may need to be performed to select a different antibiotic.
Treatment
The treatment is going to depend on what caused the ear problem
and what secondary conditions are there as a result. Antibiotics are
used for bacterial infections and antifungals for yeast infections.
Glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone are often included in these
preparations to reduce the amount of inflammation in the ear. Ear
problems caused by a systemic disease such as a hormone
abnormality or allergy must include a therapy that treats the whole cat,
such as hormonal replacement or allergy testing and hyposensitization
(immunotherapy).
While many of the problems are treated with ear cleaning, Dr. Bowling
does not recommend cat owners try to clean their pet’s ears without
veterinary advice.
“I do not advocate cleaning ears on a regular basis, simply because if there's nothing wrong, introducing the wrong
thing into the ear canal can CAUSE a problem. I've seen so many people treat an ear infection with mite medicine and
then I get a pus filled ear that I can hardly treat,” she said.
Preventing ear disease
The key to healthy ears is to keep them clean. Check your cat's ears weekly. A slight amount of waxy buildup may be
present in normal ears. Remember, if your cat is showing severe discomfort, the ears have a bad smell, or the ear
canals look very abnormal, do not delay in contacting your veterinarian. If your cat has a ruptured or weakened
eardrum, some ear cleansers and medications could do more harm than good.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Bloomington Pet Pals We Play While You're Away |
| Our Pets |
Ear disease is one of the most common pet conditions