Keeping Your Cat's Ears 
Free of Diseases

By Teri Champigny

Many cats get the same disorder of their ears which is called “Otitis Externa”. This disorder causes the external ear canal to be inflamed. It is typically caused by mites, which are very tiny annoying parasites that measure from 0.3 to 0.5 mm, and belong to the genus Otodectes family.

Not all cats will attract these types of disorders, even if they are being inhabited by mites and other parasites. The truth is that it depends on the health of your cat and how resistant he is to attacks. For example, when I brought my cat to his first check-up my veterinarian told me that he had been a carrier of mites for at least six months, but because he had high resistant levels he remained healthy.

What Are The Signs Of Infestation?

If your cat is affected by mites, then from the very start of the infestation your pet will be plagued with severe itching and will scratch his head almost non-stop. You will not be able to see these mites by looking in your cat's ear but the more light-colored mites can be viewed with an otoscope.

Very soon, patches will form that will be brownish-black in color and will eventually turn into very thick crusts inside your cat's ears. These patches and crust formations are preceded by cloudy lymph fluid that is mixed with ear wax and the excretions from the mites. As you may guess, this creates a very good breeding ground for bacteria (and fungi) to grow in. Worst still is that when the ear mites have died off, many infections are caused by these secondary pathogens.

Cleaning Your Cat's Ears

You should never ignore your cat's ears if they are dirty. And better yet, this should be considered a sign of a possible abnormal condition. If there is indeed an infection and the external ear canal is taken care of promptly by your veterinarian, then a few ear drops will usually take care of everything.

Inflammation of your cat's ears may not be caused by mites or diseases at all. In some cases the presence of small foreign objects inside the ear can be the cause. This is why it is extremely important to have your cat's ears checked out and cleaned by your veterinarian on a regular basis.