What's wrong with my outdoor cat's ear if it's not ear mites?

Poor Luna. It looks like she may have created a skin infection behind her right ear. We will commonly see cats create wounds from scratching at areas. I would recommend having her evaluated for an ear infection and to evaluate for any secondary skin infections. If there is an underlying cause for her to scratch that area (ear or other skin problem), you will need to treat that underlying cause first in order to allow that area to heal. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there. Itching and "dirty" appearing ears can be caused by either ear mites, or a yeast or bacterial ear infection. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking Luna to the vet for an exam. He/she can take a sample of the debris in her ears and look at it under the microscope to diagnose the problem, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat her depending on what is found.

I'm sorry to hear Lily is having this issue! Mites can be a common cause of itchy ears in younger cats but in older cats ear infections are more common. Food allergies can be a trigger for ear infections in older cats as well. Unfortunately because the problem has been going on for over a year she really needs to be examined by a veterinarian. They can take an ear swab to look for mites or bacterial infection. They can also make sure Lily's ear drums are okay. Without knowing what kind of infection is causing the issue and not knowing if her ear drums are okay there's really nothing safe you can do at home. Most veterinary clinics accept Care Credit so this may help you with payments and make Lily's treatment more financially feasible for you. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Lily's ear issue resolves quickly!

Ear infections in cats can also be caused by yeast or bacteria, and are more common causes of ear infections in adult cats. Ear mites are more common in kittens. In order to treat Belle properly, she does have to see a vet, and vets will see pets for sickness. This counts, as leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss. Give her vet a call to make her an appointment.

This could be a bad ear infection. Ear infections can be caused by yeast and bacteria as well as ear mites, so if your other cats do not have the same issue, I suspect Ariel may have a bacterial or yeast ear infection. You need to take her into a vet today to have this diagnosed and treated.

Without examining Lucy, it is hard to determine the cause of the lesion on her ear. She may have ear mites, a bacterial or fungal infection, ear polyp, vasculitis, a mass, etc. Lucy should see her vet for an exam and any necessary diagnostics (such as ear cytology or biopsies) so that appropriate treatment can be started.

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.