My cat's ears are getting bitten and bleeding. How can I help her?

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.

That area does look a bit flaky and irritated, however, it would be hard to say what's causing it without an in-person exam. It's a good idea to use an Elizabethan (cone) collar on June to keep her from scratching or pawing at it which can make the spot worse and lead to a secondary infection. Removing the debris and keeping the spot clean and dry can also help. If this doesn't help resolve it, the spot worsens, is oozing dirt or debris, has a strange smell, or swells, these are all signs there may be an infection, parasites, allergic reactions, etc going on which should be seen by your vet ASAP.

Poor Coco! I would have her seen by a vet, as that ear looks bad and possibly infected. I think it needs veterinary treatment to heal correctly. I'd make an appointment for her in the morning. After her eat is treated by a vet, there are a few things you can try to help keep the flies off her ears. You can use some petroleum jelly on the outside of the ear (do not get any down the ear canal) to keep them from biting. You can use a spray with the active botanical ingredient Pyrethrum, you may find one at a pet store. Keep your yard cleaned, pick up all the dog feces daily, make sure her food and water bowls are kept clean, and don't let your garbage overflow to cut down on the number of flies in your yard. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely due to allergies. Benadryl is good as is prednisolone for example. However, these are only going to help with the itch temporarily. However, it is crucial to get rid of the allergic component and treat the allergy as if not, the itch will continue. Also, it is crucial to treat the likely secondary infection. There is no at home treatments as the other medication that can be used in cats for this is a prescription medication called prednisolone. One thing you can do at home besides dealing with the possible allergies is using an e-collar which you can get from your local pet store or online to prevent any further self-trauma. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hello. I usually recommend Farnam's Fly-Off Repellent Ointment for wounds & sores like this. It is over the counter & you should be able to find it at any Petco. Just use it on a regular basis to help heal & protect the ears. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These little bumps are often caused by knats and insect bite allergies. In addition to what you are doing before Luna goes out I'd put some cat safe flea and insect repellent on a cloth and wipe the ears, forehead and neck area. Please do not get this in her eyes and nose. This will help keep the knats and insects off her when she's outside. Then use the wound spray when she comes inside to treat the sores. Usually as the weather cools and there are less insects the skin sores will heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Luna.

Poor Mishka. Thank you for providing a picture, it's very helpful to me. I would gently clean her wound with warm water and antiseptic soap. To keep her from scratching at it, you can put an Ecollar on her. You can get one at a pet store or make one at home. Keep her indoors for now at all times while this is healing. Do not let her outside, especially not with the Ecollar on. I wouldn't even take it off to let her outside, as she will immediately try to scratch the wound. Keep the wound clean and dry, and monitor it for signs of infection. If you see redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or pus, then it is infected and she will need to see the vet for antibiotics to treat it. I hope this helps!