Why does my cat have a black crusty ear and act so strangely?

This sounds very frustrating! Mittens' ear crusts could be a result of a fungal infection (such as ringworm), bacterial infection from allergies, or vasculitis (from underlying systemic disease or immune compromise). If the final fungal culture is still negative, consider talking to your vet about performing blood testing to evaluate underlying organ function and a skin biopsy. Good luck!

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria but fungal infections are possible as well). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching (if any). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

That was likely a little chicken flea. They tend to latch on to the ears and do not move until they are fully satisfied. As for the black debris in your kitty's ear , this may be an ear infection caused by ear mites or bacteria. I suggest you take Rex to your vet for an ear exam. If you do flea preventive care with your cat the chicken fleas should get killed as all other fleas will too.

I wonder if this is actually dried discharge or debris - sometimes the ear wax and debris that can accumulate from an ear infection can look very similar to dried blood. It's also possible that Gracy has a scratch or polyp in her ear. I'd recommend having your vet examine Gracy's ears in person.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This looks possibly consistent with ear mites. If not, an ear infection would be considered likely. I recommend you have him evaluated by your veterinarian so this suspicion can be confirmed and he can be treated for it. Treatment usually result in quick relief. Good luck!

Your kitty has either a bacterial infection above his eye or ear mites making him scratch his ears and this area raw. Look inside the ears, and if there is black nasty crusty discharge, he has ear mites. The infection above his eye needs to be seen by a vet for antibiotics and possibly even allergy treatment. If he has mites, he needs a Revolution or ivermectin treatment to kill them. Hope that helps!

This is common with cats that are getting over an upper respiratory infection. You can clean the nostrils with a warm, damp cloth to remove the crusties and then apply a thin film of Vaseline around the area. This will prevent discharge from sticking to the fur. Make sure you clean out the ear discharge with a cotton ball before applying more medication in the ears. It often takes several weeks for all of the discharge to come out and for the ears to become clean. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for James.