I have a male cat, He's about6 or 7 years old. Someone gave him to us in Nov. He was an indoor/outdoor cat, now he is indoors all the time. A couple weeks ago I noticed he keeps scratching behind his ears. From him scratching it gets all bloody and the hair falls out. He doesnt have flees, so I'm not sure what it is. I have an appt. with the vet on friday, but I was wondering if anyone ever heard of this and what i might be.
2007-03-13 05:35:35 · 8 answers · asked by kristinad21 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
Wouldn't he be scratching his actual ear if it was ear mites or dirty ears? He's not scratching the actual ear, just behind it which i guess would be his head.
2007-03-13 05:48:29 · update #1
thanks I will get some tea tree oil today. I been putting neosporin and and aloe spray on it, it helps but he sure doesnt like it.
2007-03-13 05:51:41 · update #2
well today, I went and bought ear mite drops, plus ear cleaner. I did get to put it in and so far he hasnt scratched at his ears. I did notice alot of brown stuff in his ears, its hard to really tell though, theres so much hair around that area. But we will see what the vet says on fri. thanks everyone
2007-03-14 09:20:19 · update #3
It could be ear mites or fleas, or just a skin irritation. The most common places to find fleas is behind the ears, the nape of the neck, and the base of the tail. Ear mites are very hard to see with the naked eye, but cats normally shake their head a lot when then have a mite infestation. When you get to the vet, ask for a cone (Elizabethan collar). If he wears this while recovering, he won't be able to scratch and injure his ears. Good luck!
2007-03-13 06:26:36 · answer #1 · answered by Courtney 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whatever it might be, it wouldn't hurt to treat him with Tea Tree Oil. A 10% solution would be best.
Just put a couple of drops onto his skin behind his ears, and scrub into his flesh. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic, which means it kills germs.
If you see any sort of a discolouration in his ears, you can put a couple of drops of the oil down there too, and then massage it by working the ear between your fingers in a rubbing action. You'll know you are doing a good job of getting the oil spread around, when you can hear a wet squishy sound as you massage on the outside of his ears. DO NOT EVER stick anything in there.
2007-03-13 05:50:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anastasia 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My list would include ear mites, ear infection, dirty ears, or a skin condition down in the ear canal. Be sure to ask the vet how the ears look down deep in the canal.
2007-03-13 05:41:36 · answer #3 · answered by dvm78 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kristina,
Back again.Sure sounds to me like your "tom" has ear mites.
IF,...he'll allow you to inspect the inside of his ears,...look for
rusty brown specks or larger spots(serious infestation).
Might want to check your other cats ears as well.It's my understanding,
that mites can be passed along just like fleas & they can cause some
real issues.
Their ears should be nice & pink inside.
The treatment calls for ear drops & cats can become MOST unpleasant
when trying to administer them.
Ask your VET how best to apply the treatment.
LOL
2007-03-14 07:04:23 · answer #4 · answered by huppercupper 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it could be something as little at just dry skin. one of my cat started scratching himself in different areas and we got worried and took him to the vet. come to find out it was just dry skin. we have forced hot air heat, and if you have it, you know that the air is very dry. but that's just what our cat had. it could be anything really, from allergies to and ear infection. best to talk to you vet on friday and see what he says. we started giving our cat 1 scramble raw egg every day and it helped him a little bit and helped improve his coat too. i remember hearing something about it a long time ago and it seemed to work for him a little bit, plus he absolutely loves the taste of it! hope this helps!
2007-03-13 05:48:43 · answer #5 · answered by panaphobic_17 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what kind of food are you feeding him? did you recently switch? food allergies are the second cause for cats scratching like crazy. also, he may have some sort of skind infection. you're vet will be able to tell you for sure. write back to tell us what the vet says.
2007-03-13 05:42:21 · answer #6 · answered by Twilite 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another thing you can check is his food. Some little critters are allergic to dyes and additives: My parents' beagle has that problem, and I daresay it can turn up in cats too.
Good luck!
2007-03-13 06:12:10 · answer #7 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like ear mites???
2007-03-13 05:42:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋