Discover Cat Ear Diseases

Parasites, bacteria, fungi, birth defects and even tumors can undermine the health of the organ responsible for your cat’s hearing and balance. Today we explain how to recognize the main diseases of cat ears.

Signs of cat ear disease

Together with sight, the sense of hearing in the cat is one of the indispensable tools for the perception of the world around it and therefore for its survival, especially when the animal lives free.

Therefore, it  is very important to be careful and take your cat to the vet if you experience the following symptoms.

• His ears smell bad.
• He often scratches his ears.
• He often shakes his head.
• He loses his balance.
• Has excess blood, scabs, or wax.

The main diseases of the ears of cats

In cats, the most common hearing problems are those in the outer ear, which extends from the tip of the ears to the eardrum and includes the pinnae, the vertical canal and the horizontal canal.

Among the diseases of the ears of cats that can occur in the auricles, it is necessary to highlight:

• Wounds: Most occur due to bites from other cats, so they usually become infected and require antibiotics.
• Hematomas: These are bubbles filled with blood, they occur from the rupture of a small blood vessel which causes bleeding between the skin and cartilage. They generally appear in the inner concave area of ​​the ear, due to excessive scratching due to an annoying itch of various origins (fungi, parasites, etc.)

• Sun dermatitis: These mostly occur in white or very light colored cats that are exposed to the sun. The ears initially appear red and scaly. Over time, ulcers and scabs appear, in severe cases malignant tumors can develop.

Other diseases of the auricle of cats

In addition, in the auricles of cats, the following can occur:

• Sarcoptic mange: The culprit is a mite. It causes a lot of itching and, at times, hair loss on the convex surface of the pavilion and surrounding areas.
• Autoimmune skin disease: It is a very rare pathology that manifests itself in crusted lesions.

Among the parasites that can attack this part of the cat’s ear are:

• The red mite: Generates irritation, appears to the eye as the tip of an orange needle.

• Rabbit fleas: These are usually contracted by animals that go out to “hunt”.

Diseases of the vertical canal and horizontal canal

Instead, the following pathologies can be identified in the vertical canal of the external ear of our cats:

• Parasitic Otitis: This is the most common ear disease and can occur in any cat. It is caused by a mite. Parasites are recognizable to the eye, they manifest themselves as whitish spots that are actively moving.
• Suppurative Otitis: These purulent infections occur both as primary diseases and as complications of a parasitic otitis. It is necessary to treat them urgently with the use of antibiotics.

In turn, a tumor that is specific to cats can originate in the horizontal canal, almost always near the eardrum. This is cancer of the ceruminous glands, which can also extend to other parts of the body.

Middle and Inner Ear Problems in Cats

The feline middle ear begins with the tympanic cavity and includes the chain of ossicles known as the hammer, anvil and stirrup. The inner ear, for its part, is the temporal stony bone and is formed by the organs of balance, such as the semicircular and auditory canals (organ of Corti).

A kitten’s balance is affected by cases of middle ear disease, even if the organ of balance is in the cat’s inner ear, as mentioned above.

Generally, this problem is due to a bacterial infection known as occult otitis media. The signs include body swaying and unsteady gait, a tendency to walk in circles and tilting the head.

Last but not least, deafness in cats, although generally an aging issue, can be caused by an infection or constant exposure to loud noises. On the other hand, the congenital deafness that some white felines present is caused by a defect in the organ of Corti.