Is dark, dried ear wax in your cat normal, or is it ear mites?

Good question! I would be concerned as well that a build up of gunk in one ear is an indication of an ear infection, even if you aren't seeing any other signs at the moment. Based on this, I think it's a good idea to have Nick seen by a vet in the next day or two to have his ear examined. The vet can diagnose if he does have an ear infection, what's causing it (ear mites, bacteria, yeast), and can prescribe medication to treat it. Even if it's just an excess build up of gunk and not an ear infection, the vet can give you an ear cleaner such as Epi-Otic to help clean out that ear. I hope this helps, best of luck!

Once or twice a day is not too concerning. Normal ear wax is a dark brown type of color and is usually seen in small amounts inside the ear. However, if the ear seems to be filled with the discharge, then there may be something irritating or infecting it. A very infected ear will also look red. It doesn't seem like Oliver has a big problem right now, so I wouldn't worry too much. You can attempt to flush his ear with some solution (can get this at pet stores, or vet offices) and see if that helps. I would recommend doing this no more than once a week. This can be very difficult to do with cats, but I've given a link below to a good instructional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Dh3mJBzts I hope that helps and all is well with Oliver.

Poor Kiara! Normal cat ears should not have any visible wax at all - so if you are seeing yellow, brown, or black waxy material in the ear, this means that she either has an ear infection or ear mites. Treatment will depend on what type of infection is present, so I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can take a sample of the discharge for analysis to determine the problem and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat it depending on what is found.

Hello. This ear looks like a normal, healthy ear with some wax buildup. Ear infections typically will have classic symptoms of odor, redness, inflammation and often discomfort or itchiness. Your cat’s ear looks good, but if he is experiencing any discomfort or rubbing/scratching at the ear, have your vet check it out. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Waxy debris like this can be seen with ear mites, fungal or bacterial ear infections or allergies. Occasionally cats can have an ear wax without any underlying problem. I’d recommend having Quinn examined by a vet when you first bring her home to make sure she doesn’t need medication.

Ear wax can be wiped out with something soft like a cotton ball. Using a commercial ear cleaner that is meant for cats can also help. You could clean out his ears and then monitor to see if it returns. You should also watch for any signs of infection such as itching, head shaking, redness to the ears or an odor. That cut may be from his back claws and that’s good that you trimmed them. Most healthy cats can heal this on their own but monitor it for any problems. Some ear wax is normal in cats but it should be equal in both ears. If one ear has it and the other doesn’t, this could indicate a problem. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for your request. This is likely to be caused by the proliferation of a certain yeast called Malassezia spp. In the pic the quantity of discharge does not seem a lot and does not look like there is any inflammation.. An ear cleaner like canaural or sancerum could easily resolve this presentation.