Member

Posts: 97
From:usa
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-29-2003 03:36 PM         

---

I recently noticed my kitten has alot of black stuff in his left ear. I cleaned it out a couple days ago thinking that would help it go away, but today when i looked again it was just as bad, if not worse. I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen this and what it could be? He has a vet appointment thursday but im really worried. I was also wondering if i could put anything in his ear to help it until thursday? Is this serious? Hes also very hard of hearing and i dont want it to get any worse. Please if anyone has any ideas please post them. thanks so much

------------------
~*T*~

IP: Logged

New Member

Posts: 5
From:
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-29-2003 03:50 PM         

---

Sounds like an ear infection. You will not be able to get rid of it yourself because it could be caused by a variety of different bacterias, so only your vet can figure out what kind of medication to give. If you must clean the ears yourself, be very careful not to poke the Q-tip deep into the ear, and don't allow any water in the ears.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 11-29-2003 05:03 PM         

---

Hi,
My Cloe was a stray, and when I scooped her up she had some hardcore ear-mite issues.
It was black ick in her ears that would keep returning after I cleaned her ears with a q-tip.
After some medicine from the vet and a few weeks of treatment her mites went away.
The sad thing is she had had mites her entire kitten-hood and has developed some balance and depth perception difficulties. She is very clumsy for a cat, and sometimes misses her target when jumping, but we still lover her! J
My advice is go to the vet, good that you noticed it and with any luck the problem will go away with some eardrops and no harm done.

IP: Logged

Moderator

Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 11-29-2003 07:07 PM         

---

Sounds like earmites. Chieve and Bella had earmites when I got them...there was lots of black gunk in their ears. The vet cleaned them really good and gave me Revolution to treat them with. Chieve still had them the following year and had to be treated again. I think they are finally clear now.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 996
From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 11-29-2003 08:38 PM         

---

It could be earmites, a bacteria infection, or a yeast infection. My vet let me take a swab from the cat and drop it off for them to look at under the microscope. Maybe you can do that if he doesn't need to see the vet for another reason. Until you can see the vet clean it out with a Q-tip, but don't go too deep and put hydrocortisone cream in it if the ear is itching him. Remember the vet will need to see the gunk so don't clean it too well right before he goes in.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 97
From:usa
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 11-30-2003 06:27 AM         

---

thank you everyone, I would just take a q-tip in but his visit is a follow up and hes getting his shots finished up for the year.
The black stuff is only in his left ear and i thought if it was ear mites it would have to be in both the ears but i guess not, ill post how the visit gos with the vet. Thanks again

------------------
~*T*~

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 48
From:royal oak, mi, usa
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 12-02-2003 07:59 AM         

---

Cloe, as mentioned above had a hard core, icky, gross, ear mite problem. I had another cat, Charlie, and the vet warned me that Cloe could pass the mites to Charlie, and he back to her, keeping an endless mite infestation. Its hard to quarantine a rambunctious cat, so I was worried about Charlies ears, but he never got infected.
So your kittie may only have mites in one ear.

My dog had some brownish gunk in her ear and I assumed the worst (mites). But it was a yeast infection, a few drops of medicine and it was all better.

IP: Logged

All times are ET (US)