Itching, pain or discomfort in the hearing region of our cats is a relatively common problem in feline medicine. Cats can scratch their ears due to a multitude of processes, infectious or not, that affect the external auditory pavilion. Cats tend to hide everything that happens to them, but the sometimes intense itching they can suffer from makes it inevitable that they use their paws as a response.
Continue reading this article on our site to find out what are the causes that explain why your cat scratches his ear a lot, as well as their solutions.
Ear mites
Mites that affect cats' ears are the most frequent problem of ear scratching. Specifically, cats are affected by the mite Otodectes cynotis These mites can affect any cat regardless of their conditions and whether they are home or not. They are found in large numbers in cats' ears, sometimes from a very young age. The cycle of these parasites lasts a total of 3 weeks and occurs in the ear, from the laying of eggs to the death of the adult mite. Outside of cats' ears, these parasites can live for 10 to 20 days.
These parasites feed on the wax of the ears, so during their feeding they bite the soft skin of the ears, which It ends up getting irritated and causing a lot of itching. This causes cats to scratch their ears intensely and frequently. In addition, the damage caused by these mites predisposes to secondary infection with bacterial microorganisms in the inner ear, which worsen the condition and cause greater discomfort and pain in cats.
Treatment
To kill these mites, use topical products with antiparasitic activity, such as ivermectin, and can be combined with insecticide products, such as fipronil, to also kill the parasites that are outside the ear at that time. In addition, to help regenerate the damaged epithelium, it is necessary to maintain proper hygiene of the cat's ears, using cotton swabs or swabs with specific cleaning liquid, doing it gently to avoid damage.
Allergy
Allergies in cats can also cause scratching of the ears by causing itching or itching. The main causes that produce this are:
- Food hypersensitivity: appears as a consequence of an allergy to some protein in the diet, such as chicken or turkey, and that is treat and diagnose with an elimination diet for several weeks. This disorder predisposes to otitis, in addition to causing itching and reddening of the skin and digestive signs such as vomiting and diarrhea.
- Flea Bite Allergy Dermatitis (FAD): Some cats may be sensitive to salivary proteins produced by flea bites. fleas when they bite to feed. Generally, it affects the neck, which can also cause scratching of the ears, tail and hind limbs, causing lesions such as redness, itching, scabs and alopecia. Therefore, if your cat scratches its ears and neck a lot, you should check if it suffers from a parasitic infestation of this type. The treatment is deworming with external antiparasitics.
Atopic dermatitis
If it is not due to a flea bite or food, the allergy can be from an environmental allergen such as air fresheners, dust, pollen, perfumes or chemicals, among others. The clinical signs of atopic dermatitis in cats are as follows:
- Pruritus.
- Symmetrical alopecia.
- Miliary dermatitis (papulocrusted).
- Placonodular dermatitis with feline eosinophilic granuloma complex lesions.
- Erosions on the neck and face.
- Ulcers on the neck and face.
Treatment
The treatment of these cats should include therapy with corticoids or cyclosporine to reduce itching and inflammation and modulate the immune system, as well as how to reduce or eliminate exposure to the triggering allergen if possible.
Otitis
An otitis is an inflammation of the ear canal produced, generally, by some infectious cause, whether bacterial, fungal or parasitic. With inflammation, the external ear canal becomes red, swollen, and susceptible to colonization by pathogens.
Bacterial otitis is especially frequent in kittens, which will appear listless, weak, with pus coming out of the ear, fever and pain. Other bacterial otitis arise as a consequence of a parasitic otitis caused by Otodectes cynotis. Sometimes, instead of external otitis, middle ear otitis can occur when Pasteurella multocida, a bacterium that can be isolated from the pharynx of 94% of cats, reaches the middle ear and infects it through the fallopian tube. Eustachian, a structure that connects the tympanic bulla and the pharynx.
Clinical signs of otitis in cats include the following:
- Pain
- Bad smell
- Head shaking
- Ear scratch
- Tilt head to one side
- Redness
- Swelling
- Secretions
- Hot ears
- Lack of balance
- Vomiting
Treatment
To treat these otitis, you should apply specific antibiotic or antimycotic treatment, in addition to properly cleaning the cat's ears. In severe cases of otitis or when the ear canal or pinna has been damaged, surgery may be necessary.
In the following article on Otitis in cats we talk in depth about this pathology.
Wounds
Injuries to the ears cause scratches and wounds that will start a healing process As the new skin sheds and fades regenerating the tissue, this process produces itching which will make the cat scratch his ear a lot. If this occurs, there is a high risk of the wound reopening, predisposing to secondary infections.
Some causes of injuries in cats are falls, fights and shocks. The solution is to care for these areas with products that clean and help with healing, scratch prevention and, if necessary, control itching.
Tumors
cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma can cause itching and self-induced lesions on the ears, as well as the rest of the face and neck. Another tumor that can cause ear scratching in cats by injuring them is feline squamous cell carcinoma In both cases, it is common to observe that the cat scratches the ear and gets wounds, so it is essential to check them and go to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
Treatment
The treatment of these tumors should include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, electrochemotherapy and even surgery In tumors that affect the horizontal portion of the ear canal resection of the ear canal may be necessary.
Because many of the causes that explain why a cat scratches its ear a lot require veterinary treatment, it is essential to see a specialist to obtain a better prognosis.
