Why Is My DSH Cat Still Scratching His Ears After A Negative Mite Test? (Vet Answered)
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Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats and garden!
The Question
I had Dexter neutered a week ago today and they swabbed his ears for mites and it came back negative.. his ear has been bothering him and he’s been trying to scratch through the cone at it pretty aggressively and when I tried to give him some supervised cone free time he started scratching and I had to physically hold his paw and head so he would stop to put the cone back on before he hurt himself.. I’m unsure of what could be the cause and I can’t afford to pay over 100$ at the moment due to losing my job and needing to save what I have for food and rent. Any advice or ideas of what it could be so I could ask for a specific test instead of a generalized appointment is greatly appreciated.
Quick Info about Dexter
Dexter's profile picture📹 Vet's Video Reply (scroll down to see text answer)
Hi Autumn,
That does sound really frustrating, and I know firsthand what it's like to watch your cat struggling with an irritated ear!
Using the cone is a good idea in the interim, as at least it stops Dexter from traumatising the ear and making the problem worse. The discharge you're describing does sound consistent with ear mites, but other things could be to blame, and it may also be that the infection is gone but debris remains, which can be really annoying.
Ideally, examination of samples from the ears under the microscope to look for mites, yeast, or bacteria should be the first step in getting a diagnosis and the right treatment, but there are a couple of things you could try at home first.
Cleaning the ears is a good idea, but you do need to be really careful with Q-tips and only ever use them on the very outer parts of the ear (you can check out the article and the video below that I made with my cat, Clutch, for a demonstration). Without knowing exactly what is happening in the ear canal, it can be risky to use a cleaning solution. If there is a tear in the eardrum, any ear drops or cleaners could be harmful. Having said that, in order to get a good look at the eardrum, we would first need to clear any wax or discharge from the canal, so it's something of a catch-22!
There are lots of different cleaning solutions out there, but one that I personally use on patients and my own pets is MalAcetic Otic Cleanser. It's great for drying out moist ear canals and combating Malassezia (yeast), but some cats don't like the smell, so if you are going to use it, make sure you've got someone to help you.
Some spot-on flea treatments are also licensed to treat and prevent ear mites, so it's worth taking a look at those options as well. Revolution Topical Solution is one that includes ear mites on the label.
I would persist with the cone until the ears are under control, and if things are not improving within 5-7 days, you'll definitely need to take Dexter to see the vet. Any signs like ataxia (unsteady walking), loss of balance, head tilting, circling, or walking against walls can be a sign of middle ear problems, so if you see any of these, contact your vet immediately.
I hope these tips help!
Dr Karyn