You might be thinking of a trip to the vet when your cat suddenly has ear trouble. Otitis externa is a common condition that can affect cats at any age. Before you rush off to the vet, however, make sure you understand what causes this problem and how it affects your feline friend. How to deal with Disorders of the Outer Ear in Cats.
Causes of Feline Otitis Externa
The most common cause of otitis externa is bacterial or yeast infections. This can be from either the middle ear or a skin infection on the outside of your cat’s body. If you suspect that your cat has an ear infection, see a veterinarian immediately to prevent further damage to its hearing and balance.
Symptoms of Feline Otitis Externa
The most common symptoms of feline otitis externa include:
- A waxy build-up in the ear canal caused by excess moisture. This can be a result of poor hygiene, or it may be related to an underlying health condition such as a skin infection.
- Inflammation and redness around your cat’s outer.
Treating Feline Otitis Externa
It is important to treat your cat’s otitis externa. A mild infection can be treated at home with an otic ointment, but if it’s more severe or frequent, you may need to see your veterinarian. Treatments vary depending on the severity of the infection and how often it recurs.
- Antibiotics: If there are no signs of inflammation such as discharge from the ear, then antibiotics will not help reduce bacteria growth in your cat’s ear canal—but they may help reduce pain and swelling as well as prevent future infections from occurring by killing off existing bacteria.
Keeping Your Cat’s Ears Healthy
Keeping your cat’s ears clean and dry is important. If you have a long-haired cat, it can be difficult to keep the fur out of their ears and help keep them clean. You’ll want to keep any hair trimmed around the ear canal area so that there are no dirty or scratchy places for the kitty to get stuck in.
Many ear disorders can be prevented by keeping your cat’s ears clean and dry
Keeping your cat’s ears clean and dry is the best way to prevent otitis externa, so it’s important to make sure that you do this.
- Clean your cat’s ears regularly. This can be done by using a cotton ball with some ear cleaning solution on it or by using Q-tips.
- If your pet has a lot of wax build-up in his/her ear canal, try using an olive oil spray before putting anything else in there this will help loosen things up so that everything comes out easier when washed later on down the line!
We hope this article has given you a better understanding of the most common disorders of the outer ear in cats. If you are concerned about your cat’s ears, get them checked out as soon as possible.
