My cat has dried blood in her ear. What could it be and what to do?

This definitely looks like a traumatic injury (bite/scratch). The first thing you should do with it is flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because cats tend to hate water getting near their face. I recommend having someone help you with this and wrapping Dixie in a towel to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Below is a link to a demonstration of an eye flush that shows how to restrain her well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDGzdUTUdNI Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. If the ear starts to swell or have pus oozing from the wound, then I'd recommend she go to the vet for treatment. Otherwise, the wound should heal fine over the next 2-3 weeks. I hope that helps and Dixie gets better soon.

It’s possible that Mellow scratched the inside of his ear after the cleaning even though you can’t see a wound, or if you used a Q tip you may have inadvertently caused bleeding in his ear canal. Occasionally the ear canal can bleed with a severe infection or polyp. If Mellow’s eats seem to be bothering him, if he seems painful, or if the ear continues to bleed you should see your vet.

That sounds most like an old dried blood clot. He could have had a small nick that bled, or a current ear infection, or even an ear polyp (which are pretty common in cats, although usually younger ones than Mr. President). I'd recommend a vet visit to get that checked out.

It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in cats, it is usually caused by either ear mites, yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take him to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.

That is more likely to be a mild amount of ear discharge (not dry blood), commonly caused by an yeast normally resident inside dog's ear canals. Alternatively ear mites can be present but usually cause clinical signs like head shaking/scratching. Considering the absence of these signs and the fact that there is minimal discharge there, I would suggest not worry too much about it at this stage. 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.

Your cat's eyes appear to be quite inflamed with a clear, watery discharge. The reddish-brown discoloration is more likely a reaction between the enzymes in the tear film with the hair rather than blood. This issue could be related to infection (bacterial or viral), allergic, or due to trauma (such as a corneal ulcer). She will need to be examined by a vet to determine the cause of her eye discharge so that the appropriate medication can be prescribed. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her until the time of her appointment to prevent her from rubbing/scratching her eyes. For your kitten, the picture is quite blurry, so I'm having trouble seeing the white lesions on her ear very well. These scabs could be a result of an ear infection, ear mites, ringworm or other fungal infection. If the scabs come off easily, you can try removing them. However, if they come back or spread elsewhere, your kitten will need to take a trip to the vet for evaluation. I hope that all goes well for both cats!

Poor Cinnamon Toast (I love her name!). It sounds like she has an ear infection, and it's pretty bad if she is scratching it until it bleeds. In cats, ear infections can be caused by yeast, bacteria, or ear mites. You need to take her into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose if she does have an ear infection, what's causing it, and can prescribe treatment for her. Best of luck.