My cat has recurring ear yeast infections and anal gland issues. Why?

The discharge inside the ear needs to be cultured so you can know what is growing in the ear canal - what bacteria, yeast, etc. That way the vet will know what medication to use to get it to clear up. The ear may also need to flushed out under anesthesia. There must be an underlying cause. Cats typically don't get ear infections chronically like dogs. It is not likely to be a food allergy. More testing needs to be done.

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!

I'm sorry to hear Millie is having these issues! Many times in cats an ear infection indicates an underlying problem like a food allergy or ear polyps. It would be a good idea to talk with your veterinarian about putting Millie on a special prescription diet for food allergies (like Royal Canin hydrolyzed protein). Sometimes sedation and a deep ear flushing can be helpful and a veterinarian can also look for the presence of polyps while Millie is sedated. You may also want to look into a veterinarian who is a board certified dermatologist in your area. They may be able to help you with Millie as it sounds like she is a more complicated case. Finally, if Millie is sleeping more it would be a good idea to have blood work on her. She may have some other underlying condition that is affecting her health. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Millie is feeling better soon!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds as though there are two separate problems going on. The sore in the ear could indicate an ear infection or ear mites if he is scratching at the ear. The intermittent GI issues could be related to the diet or an imbalance of normal gut bacteria. I would recommend switching the diet to something different altogether such as Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina One or Natural Balance. You can also add in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora, which can be found online quite easily. 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.

Poor kitty. He may need his anal sacs expressed. I'd have him seen by a vet to have them expressed. Then I would give him Glandex, which is a supplement that can help with anal sac health. Make sure he has plenty of fiber in his diet. Brands of cat food I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, and Iams.

Thanks for the question. When we have pets with repeated ear infections we worry about underlying allergies. This may be food allergies or environmental allergies. Often until we get the underlying problem under control, the ear infections will continue to come back. So to answer your question, yes there could be more going on than just an ear infection. I hope this helps.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Gracie regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy. allergy tests are quite expensive and usually not very helpful.