Cat Ear Infection Or Mites

If your vet has ruled out ear mites the culprit in about half of all feline ear infections they ll have to do some sleuthing to figure out what s causing your cat s outer or middle ear infection.

Cat ear infection or mites.

Ear mites can thrive inside your cat s ear munching on ear wax and skin oils. Ear mites can also cause an ear infection as well so treatment shouldn t focus solely on getting rid of the mites the ear infection should be treated too. Symptoms of ear mite infestation. Cats that are afflicted with ear mites will typically scratch at the ears excessively and shake their heads.

The infectious agent is most commonly bacterial although fungus otherwise known as yeast can also be implicated in an inner ear infection. Cats tend to scratch their ears a lot anyway but if you notice that yours is doing so more than usual this could be the first sign that there is some cause for concern. Otodectes cynotis mites in cats. Otodectes cynotis mites most commonly called ear mites are a common and relatively mild external parasite infection complications may arise when an animal has an immune hypersensitivity reaction that results in intense irritation of the external ear.

Their presence causes inflammation and can also lead to secondary ear infections. Ear infections in cats. If left unchecked and untreated ear mites can lead to serious issues including deafness coordination or balance issues and permanent ear scarring. Treating cat ear mites.

Ear infections often cause a cat s ears to become more red and swollen than do mite infestations and the discharge from an infected ear tends to have a distinctly foul odor. Ear mites are responsible for a majority of the ear infections seen in cats. Eggs are laid in the ear and it takes about three weeks for eggs to hatch and develop into adult mites that can reproduce. Your veterinarian will probably diagnose an ear mite infection by checking a sample of your cat s ear wax under a microscope.

Ear mites primarily live in the ear canal where they feed on skin debris. Ear mites can lead to secondary bacterial fungal infections so your vet may diagnose an additional ear infection. In fact ear mites will be one of the first things your veterinarian checks for if your cat has an ear infection. Cats don t often get ear infections but when they do the cause can be complex.

Ear mites cause a characteristic dark brown to black colored discharge in the ears that looks a bit like coffee grounds. If your cat has ear mites in the external ear canal this can ultimately cause a problem in the inner ear and pose a greater risk for a bacterial infection. To appropriately treat an ear infection a veterinarian first has to microscopically examine a sample taken from the ears to determine whether yeast or bacteria and. The term ear infection is most commonly used to refer to a bacterial yeast overgrowth in the ear canal.

An ear infection is any bacterial viral fungal or parasitic organism that affects the body.