Itchy cat ears!

torils65

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Hello, I'm new to this site. My two cats have been scratching at their ears alot, so I took them in to see the Vet yesterday. After she examined their ears, she cleaned them out, and took samples for ear mites. She said she didn't find any mites but put them on Tresaderm just in case. My question is, why are their ears so itchy,  if they don't have any signs of mites? If any one is having the same issue with their cats, I would appreciate any feedback.
 

vball91

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There are many possible causes of itchy ears in cats other than mites - yeast infections, wax buil-up, environmental or food allergies.
 

dsminnick

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So how do you find out what the cause is when they have no mites and no infections? This had been going on with my cats almost one year. Have not changed food, litter or household cleaning products during this time.
 

vball91

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Allergies develop over time, so food allergies would be more likely if fed the same thing daily. What is their diet? Have you noticed any seasonal or time of day component to the scratching or is it just low-level constant itching?

Given that it is happening to both of them, it's something that they are both exposed to and responding to in the same way. Are they related? How old are they?
 
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torils65

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 I have already checked them for food allergies. They have been on Science Diet for the past 12yrs, but I've recently switched them to Hill's Ideal Balance. It's not the food because they're ears have been like this for quite some time. The scratching is off and on, there is no particular time of day. I'll just continue to give them the Tresaderm for 10 days, and hope the itching stops. Thanks for your reply.
 

vball91

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If the Tresaderm doesn't work, I would reconsider food allergies. Hill's products are full of grains that are common allergens for cats who are obligate carnivores who have no nutritional need for grains or starches of any kind. Good luck.
 
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torils65

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Hi, my two cats have finished the Tresaderm treatment for itchy ears. You mentioned in an earlier reply to reconsider food allergies, if the Tresaderm doesn't work. Well my cats have begun to scratch at their ears again! I've decided to take your advice and look into another type of food. My cats are currently eating Hills Ideal Balance. I've been considering Blue, is that a good food? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks
 

vball91

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Sorry to hear that the itchy ears are back. The most common causes of food allergies/sensitivities in cats are grains, starchy vegetables and fish. It is very difficult to eliminate all of those with a dry food. Dry food must have some kind of starch to bind the kibble together. A better option would be a wet food composed of as much meat as possible. Some options for you are Hound & Gatos, By Nature Organics, Wellness grain free formulas, Fancy Feast classic pates. Sometimes it can be chicken that causes the issue because chicken is in so many cat foods, so try a novel protein if you can (turkey, duck, venison, lamb, etc.).
 
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torils65

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Thank you, I'll look into the brands you suggested. :-)
 

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Did you ever find out why your cats had itchy ears? You asked about feeding them Blue Buffalo. Well about 2-3 years ago, I was feeding my cat Blue Buffalo and he had itchy ears while he was on that brand of cat food. But at that time I didn't know why his ears itched. I knew it was NOT ear mites. Then he started having problems going pee & poop. I took him to the vet and she found mineral crystals in his urinary tract. I had to change brands of food to Hill's Prescription Diet[emoji]174[/emoji] c/d[emoji]174[/emoji] Multicare because he got Bladder stones. That happened @ 2 years ago and he is doing ok except his ears still bother him. So today I took him to the vet for his normal checkup/shoots and I told the vet I wanted his ear problem fixed. She examined inside his ears and tested for ear mites but she found nothing wrong. She said it must be allergies. She told me that dust and even human dander could cause it. And very well could be the food I give him. She gave me some "Synotic" to use. Im going to start keeping close watch on when his ears bother him the most so I can try to isolate the cause.
 
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torils65

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Hello, I'm still not sure what caused my cats itchy ears, but they no longer have that problem. I see your cat has been put on Science Diet due to crystals, my male had that same problem back in 2001 and my Vet put him on the SD as well. Have you tried the Hill's Ideal Balance? that's what my cat's were on, before I switched them to Blue Buffalo. My cat's love the Ideal Balance, I only took them off of it, to avoid over exposure to the same ingredients. Some vets think it's better to switch your pets food, every 3-4 months to avoid food allergies. If you haven't  already try giving him a grain free diet. Or switching his protein, some cats are allergic to chicken. Good luck!
 

susank521

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Hello, I'm still not sure what caused my cats itchy ears, but they no longer have that problem. I see your cat has been put on Science Diet due to crystals, my male had that same problem back in 2001 and my Vet put him on the SD as well. Have you tried the Hill's Ideal Balance? that's what my cat's were on, before I switched them to Blue Buffalo. My cat's love the Ideal Balance, I only took them off of it, to avoid over exposure to the same ingredients. Some vets think it's better to switch your pets food, every 3-4 months to avoid food allergies. If you haven't  already try giving him a grain free diet. Or switching his protein, some cats are allergic to chicken. Good luck!
This thread is a little on the old side, but I hope your kitties are still itch-free and doing well in every other aspect. I have got a girl who's got itchy ears and I'm trying different things in an effort to help her, but honestly, I don't know where to begin. No mites or medical issues, so we're thinking maybe food allergies. I know in your last post you said you weren't sure what had been causing your kitties' problem, but I was just wondering if you thought that there was any connection between the itching going away and the change to Blue Buffalo? Are you still feeding it? Do you feed just dry, or do you feed any canned too?

Am I asking too many questions? 
  TIA! 
 
 
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