My cat's ear is bloody and itchy. Could it be polyps or infection?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Ross. Not sure if anyone has done an ear smear or ear cytology but that would be a good first step to evaluate the problem. This test involves taking discharge from the ear and placing it on a microscope slide, staining it, and then evaluating it under the microscope. This screens for ear mites, bacteria, and yeast. If a problem is identified, treating effectively but continues to come back, then there is probably something going on to result in recurrent ear problems. This could be allergies or some other thing causing the ear problems. I would advise getting Ross re-evaluated or taking him somewhere else for a second opinion. Hopefully, the cause can be identified and treated accordingly. Good luck with Ross.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Thank you for sending along pictures but they are a little hard to make out clearly. This could be an infection-bacterial or perhaps fungal. It could also be due to a flea allergy. I would recommend keeping Jorfy on a flea preventative monthly to rule out a flea allergy but also have him see his veterinarian. Your veterinarian may do a skin scraping and/or fungal culture to rule out bacterial infection or a fungal infection. He may need antibiotics, antifungal medications, or other medications as needed. I hope this helps and thanks for posting!

This could be related to ear mites, however with repeat ear infections I am more concerned with an underlying disease like a food allergy or an ear polyp. It would be a good idea to have Romeo evaluated again by your veterinarian to have an ear swab taken and examined under the microscope to determine what kind of infection is going on. If the infection is bacterial or yeast related it would be a good idea to discuss a prescription diet like Ultamino for Romeo. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos you have provided, I would suspect this to be a severe allergic reaction or something such as a cancerous skin condition of the ear pinna. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine this so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. Vampira may need a course of steroids to treat this if it is a mosquito bite hypersensitivity or other allergy. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for your questions. I hate to hear Callie is having these issues but I can glad you are having them addressed. Make sure to ask questions about what procedure they want to utilize to remove the polyp and what you should expect as part of normal recovery. Make sure to ask about potential complications and what a time line would be like for those to develop (that way you will be able to identify any issues quickly). Ask about advanced imaging like a CT or MRI. It's important to remove any polyps that may be present in her ears or sinuses. Otherwise she could have a continuation of symptoms. Ask if the ears or any nasal secretions need to be cultured. If this has been a long standing problem, antibiotic resistance issues could be present. Ask about histopathology for any polyps removed. Make sure Callie is tested for Felv/FIV as well. Here is some additional information about polyps in general (there are a couple kinds): https://bluepearlvet.com/medical-articles-for-pet-owners/inflammatory-ear-polyps-in-cats/ https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nasopharyngeal-polyps-in-cats https://www.ovrs.com/blog/ear-polyps-pets-pet-owners-need-hear/ Once Callie is examined, you should get a better idea of what to expected. Lastly, make sure to get an idea of costs as well. I hope this helps and that everything goes smoothly!

Fleas or mites would still be at the top of my list. Unless there are a very large number of mites, you may not always see them by just looking. Collecting a sample of ear wax and looking under a microscope can help you find a few, but often ear mite treatment is still used even when there is only suspicion and no actual evidence of ear mites. Fleas don't live on a pet, they only jump on at meal times, so it is easy for a cat owner to miss them - especially since cats are very good at grooming them off before you can see! I would talk to your vet about a prescription topical flea and mite treatment called Revolution. Since Frida Katio (wonderful name, btw!) is indoor/outdoor that lives in Texas (parasites love this state, too!), she should be on a good preventative year round. Other potential causes for the scratching and twitching include bacterial or yeast ear infection (would need diagnosis by looking under a microscope), nasopharyngeal polyp (may need an exam under anesthesia or using and endoscope), or other allergies, like environmental or food.

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!