My cat's dirty ears: mites or wax? I cleaned with peroxide, what next?

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!

Because ear mites cause severe itchiness and can lead to more serious bacterial ear infections it is best to treat Mozart. It is also possible that Mozart already has a bacterial or yeast ear infection as this can look similar to ear mites. I recommend taking Mozart to see a veterinarian so they can take a swab from his ear and determine the cause of the ear infection. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Mozart is feeling better soon!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is most likely ear canal infection. Please, try to clean the ears with ear cleaner (Epiotic or Zymox can be recommended) for a few days. If it doesn't make any difference, you should take him to your local vets to examine the ear canals and possibly start a course of antibiotics ear drops.

Yes you can use a small amount to remove the ear mite debris. Continue to use the medication as directed to make sure you get rid of all the mites. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Silver and Blackie.

If Mau had ear mites or an infection, we would expect him to be scratching at his ears. Since his ears do not seem to bother him and there is no redness, swelling or odor, I would suspect that it is just debris that you are seeing in his ears. You can use a cotton ball (not a Q-tip) to gently wipe away the debris. You should not need to use any ear cleaner or medication. If the debris is getting worse or Mau starts scratching at his ears, I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine his ear canals. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

It looks like Chubby has been scratching his ears or that he has an infection of the outside of the ear. Since he was just treated for mites I’d recommend rechecking with your vet so they can see if he still has mites or an infection in his ear canal. There is not an over the counter medication that I would recommend using.