My healthy 3 year old male cat has been scratching his ears lately at night. I didn't think anything of it at first but a few days ago I noticed some hair loss at the tip of his outer ear. This weekend he started scratching more and today the ear tip is inflamed and red... I think he scratched too hard with his nails.
He spent night in the kitty hospital around Xmas time because he ate a bow off a Christmas present ( he is totally fine, the overnight stay was just a precaution) and I am worried he might have caught ear mites there since the symptoms just recently started. I don't see any black stuff in or around his ears though, which I understand is the hallmark of ear mites.
I have another cat ( the little girl in my avatar) who was recently at the vet for her annual physical and the vet noticed that she had a bacterial ear infection and gave her some drops that seem to have clear it up quickly. She has been prone to ear problems for as long as I have had her (yeast infections) so I wasn't worried that her infection had moved to my other cat but now I wonder if it might be that....? Though her infection did not affect the outside of the ear and whatever is ailing my boy seems to be outside and at the tip.
I am calling the vet tomorrow and will bring my boy in ASAP this week, but I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas or experiences like this? Does anyone know of a bacterial infection could happen outside the ear like this? I hate to bring him to the vet because it's a MAJOR ordeal for him, and he just went through so much with the bow incident... But I don't want to take any chances so I think I have no choice. I also don't want to try any home remedies on him... He is super skittish and I just don't want to take any chances with that; if something is wrong i want the vet to help him. But I am worried and would love some feedback if anyone had ideas or similar experiences.
Thanks in advance!
He spent night in the kitty hospital around Xmas time because he ate a bow off a Christmas present ( he is totally fine, the overnight stay was just a precaution) and I am worried he might have caught ear mites there since the symptoms just recently started. I don't see any black stuff in or around his ears though, which I understand is the hallmark of ear mites.
I have another cat ( the little girl in my avatar) who was recently at the vet for her annual physical and the vet noticed that she had a bacterial ear infection and gave her some drops that seem to have clear it up quickly. She has been prone to ear problems for as long as I have had her (yeast infections) so I wasn't worried that her infection had moved to my other cat but now I wonder if it might be that....? Though her infection did not affect the outside of the ear and whatever is ailing my boy seems to be outside and at the tip.
I am calling the vet tomorrow and will bring my boy in ASAP this week, but I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas or experiences like this? Does anyone know of a bacterial infection could happen outside the ear like this? I hate to bring him to the vet because it's a MAJOR ordeal for him, and he just went through so much with the bow incident... But I don't want to take any chances so I think I have no choice. I also don't want to try any home remedies on him... He is super skittish and I just don't want to take any chances with that; if something is wrong i want the vet to help him. But I am worried and would love some feedback if anyone had ideas or similar experiences.
Thanks in advance!