Constant Ear Scratching

vintageprop · Dec 7, 2009

Hello I will appreciate any advice. My 14 week old kitten scratches his ears and shakes his head a lot. His ears are balding and he even made little puncture wounds that are now scabs. He just finished his 3 week Ivermectin treatment for what the vet thinks he has (sarcoptic mange). Its going on week 4 now and he still scratches and shakes his head. I have him in a cone right now so he won't do any further damage. I have noticed he scratches mostly just after waking and during play sessions when he gets particularly excited. Is there any pattern to this? Ear mites came up negative. Ear wax builds up quickly after cleaning. The vet said I shouldn't worry about cleaning his ears but the vet assistant said I should clean his ears daily. Could it be allergies? Is the fact that I use two different types of littler bothering him? I just stopped feeding him two different types of dry food and now just feed him iams. I feel so bad for him

stephanietx · Dec 7, 2009

It could be allergies and it could be ear mites, if you've not had him tested in the last week or so. He could also have an ear infection or a yeast infection in his ears.

brookesphynx · Dec 7, 2009

Originally Posted by vintageprop

Hello I will appreciate any advice. My 14 week old kitten scratches his ears and shakes his head a lot. His ears are balding and he even made little puncture wounds that are now scabs. He just finished his 3 week Ivermectin treatment for what the vet thinks he has (sarcoptic mange). Its going on week 4 now and he still scratches and shakes his head. I have him in a cone right now so he won't do any further damage. I have noticed he scratches mostly just after waking and during play sessions when he gets particularly excited. Is there any pattern to this? Ear mites came up negative. Ear wax builds up quickly after cleaning. The vet said I shouldn't worry about cleaning his ears but the vet assistant said I should clean his ears daily. Could it be allergies? Is the fact that I use two different types of littler bothering him? I just stopped feeding him two different types of dry food and now just feed him iams. I feel so bad for him

Hi vintageprop,
When your vet tested for ear mites, did they also check for yeast or a bacterial infection? Do you notice if he is tilting his head at all?

Yes, ear problems can be caused by food allergies or they can be a result of mites (which you say he tested negative for) or bacteria or yeast which can easily be treated with drops in the ears - but if left untreated can cause permanent damage. If he's still shaking and itching, not getting relief from the mange treatment, I would definitely recommend taking him back to the vet and having them analyze the debris in his ears for bacteria and yeast.

Best of luck! I hope he's feeling better soon. Please keep us posted.

sharky · Dec 7, 2009

Originally Posted by BrookeSphynx

Hi vintageprop,
When your vet tested for ear mites, did they also check for yeast or a bacterial infection? Do you notice if he is tilting his head at all?

Yes, ear problems can be caused by food allergies or they can be a result of mites (which you say he tested negative for) or bacteria or yeast which can easily be treated with drops in the ears - but if left untreated can cause permanent damage. If he's still shaking and itching, not getting relief from the mange treatment, I would definitely recommend taking him back to the vet and having them analyze the debris in his ears for bacteria and yeast.

Best of luck! I hope he's feeling better soon. Please keep us posted.

to add to the above.. yeast can come from a food allergy also

vintageprop · Dec 8, 2009

Thank you everyone for your replies

The vet is getting costly but they'll just have to look at him again.
you know I wonder if some vet hospitals do this on purpose to get more money instead of giving him the right treatment right away.

sharky · Dec 8, 2009

Originally Posted by vintageprop

Thank you everyone for your replies

The vet is getting costly but they'll just have to look at him again.
you know I wonder if some vet hospitals do this on purpose to get more money instead of giving him the right treatment right away.

IMHO if you are thinking they are just taking you for a ride get a second opinion

just by knowing what dry he is now eating ... corn , wheat , fish ,soy are KNOWN allergens in cats ... does he get wet food? ... Is he on a probiotic after that long on a antibiotic

vintageprop · Dec 8, 2009

he does get wet food and i've recently made the decision to not feed him dry anymore so wet is all he gets. (fancy feast for now) and no, he hasn't been on a probiotic, i wasn't aware of this.

thanks for your reply

vintageprop · Dec 9, 2009

well i brought him back to the vet where they tested him for a yeast and bacteria infection. the vet said the test showed he had some of both so i was given the drops.
whenever i mentioned allergies, she kept saying how unlikely it is that my kitten has allergies to food. however, i have stopped feeding him dry and plan to get him some higher quality canned food.

sharky · Dec 9, 2009

well I half agree with the vet.. having both infections may or may not be food related...

Constant Ear Scratching

vintageprop

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stephanietx

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sharky

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vintageprop

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vintageprop

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