Cat won't stop itching ears

[GingerMay]

I adopted a 12-year-old cat from a shelter 6 months ago. She has settled into her new home with me very nicely and seems to be enjoying life. However, she keeps itching the area around her ears. She shakes her head frequently too. I noticed some sneezing when she first came home with me, but she hasn't sneezed so much in the last few months. It is to the point where she is losing fur in that area due to excessive itching.

 

I took her to the vet, and the vet looked in her ears and said she thought it was an allergy and suggested I try an over the counter allergy pill ground up in her food. I tried that with a few different kinds, but she still itched. Also, after a few days, she began walking up to her food and sniffing it like she could smell the allergy pill then she wouldn't eat much. So, after I was able to "trick" her for a few days, she may only have been getting a portion of the allergy pill.

 

She is on Advantage flea & tick so I don't think it's due to fleas. I also feed her grain-free cat food, so I don't think it's food related. Does anyone know of any home remedy to treat a cat with skin allergies? Does anyone have a cat with similar symptoms and how did you successfully resolve it? (I also noticed it seemed to have gotten worse when I turned up the heat in the house during winter, so could it be indoor air quality?)

 

Thanks.

[RainyCoast]

an allergy sounds possible, but maybe it's fungal or bacterial?

 

keep an eye on her ear, as she keeps scratching she may get a fluid filled "pillow" in that spot. vets sometimes drain it, but it often fills up again. you can choose to not drain it if it happens, it goes away on its own and it leaves her with a bit of a cauliflower ear but isn't dangerous.

 

you may have to dilute the crushed pill with water and squirt it into her mouth with an empty syringe, followed by a piece of ham of something. alternatively, maybe they can prescribe an antihistamine ointment, or something in liquid form?

[zeino]

One of my cats I found on the street (around 4 years old) was constantly thought to have allergies but then we discovered it was ear parasites - mites?

 

They gave her something with selamectin and it was resolved.

[RainyCoast]

i forgot to add, when my dog had this problem my vet at the time only prescribed a clorhexidine solution to clean his ears with, but of course that didn't kill the pathogen (my dog doesn't have allergies). eventually, i healed it with coconut oil. the hair grew back too. ideally, you'd get an rx for an antifungal/antibiotic for if it is a pathogen that's causing the itching.

[WithLove]

My girl had ear problems, too. Turned out, it was a tumor. Not trying to scare you, but definitely something to check out. (It also took 2 different vets to find it.)

[Wolfshook]

Does she have any dark brown residue in her ears?

 

My dog had those and cats can get them too,there are ear drops for that. I dont know how to translate it though.

 

But I guess vet would notice it.

[Fudgie]

Did the vet do a culture of the ear? Fungal/bacterial issues need to ruled out, as well as ear mites. Not all flea/tick medications kill ear mites so it's something to look into.

 

I used to have a cat who had chronic itchy ears. His wax was tested and he had no mites/infections but he just had really itchy, irritable ears that got dirty REALLY, REALLY quickly. The only thing that really helped was doing an at-home ear wash with a solution that the vet gave me. He hated it but I did it anyway.

[reinventmyself]

I have a 15 year old who has food allergies and she scratches her ears or shakes her head if you touch them.

 

Outside of taking the antihistamine, you need to change her food. It took me years of trial and error to find the right one.

 

The vet prescribed food she absolutely hated. Her ears cleared up but she lost so much weight she didn't look well.

Add in I have another cat and trying to feed them separately is close to impossible, so my second cat lost weight too.

 

There are some good dry cat foods in most grocery stores now. I am having luck with ones that are grain free.

It takes a while to figure it out. My cat would show signs of improvement with one only to slide backwards again.

 

Good luck. I personally don't think taking a pill in order to tolerate a food that doesn't agree with her is the best option.

 

You need to eliminate what's bothering her.

 

Came back to add. .I agree with others. First eliminate the possibility of bacterial, fungal or mites.

[Wiseman2]

Get a second opinion if the treatment isn't working. Could be something other than allergies that needs to be treated promptly.

[reinventmyself]

I reread your original post and you mentioned this has been going on since you brought her home?

Did the vet check for anything else other than give you an antihistamine?

They should have taken a culture from her ears to see what's going on.

 

What caught my attention was that you said that she was sneezing.

 

I adopted a cat who from the time I brought him home was sneezing and scratching his ears (different cat)

From living amongst a feline community, there are very contagious viruses that are pretty typical.

 

I took him to the vet and they treated him for `kennel cough' (respiratory virus) and ear mites.

 

Considering the kitty is newly adopted this is the first things vets look for.

If your vet didn't, you might consider a new vet.

[GingerMay]

Thanks. I think I will get a second opinion. When I told the vet that my kitty was still very itchy even after taking the allergy pill, she suggested I try a different brand of allergy pill. So, I tried a couple different types but she still itched. I really don't think an allergy pill/anti-histamine is going to work. Ahhhh, so second opinion here we go.

[GingerMay]

Thanks. I just decided I'm getting a second opinion. The vet looked in each of her ears with a scope/light device. I assume she was checking for mites or other parasite and didn't find anything. I look at her ears and do not see any brown specs, fluids oozing, nor is there any odor. There are however a few small red spots on her skin, but I assume it is irritation from scratching? Don't know, but the vet should have known. I get the feeling this vet thinks I'm a "nervous new mother" and she is shrugging off my concerns.

The last few weeks, I've also noticed she is scratching around her neck. Ugh!

Also, when I rub my hand around her cheeks and pet her there, she leans into me immediately and closes her eyes like she is really getting some relief. I used to think she just like being pet around her ears/cheek, but perhaps it is more? Thanks.

[RainyCoast]

scratching around her neck.

that is an infection then. something is nomnomming on her skin. my dog had a few spots on his head that were itchy and baldy like the ear too. the vet never bothered finding out what it was and it sucked to use home remedies on something that deserves medical attention but the coconut oil did the trick.

 

found a great vet afterwards.

 

if they don't listen and check, pay someone who does.

[GingerMay]

Thanks. How did you use the coconut oil? Apply it directly to the skin, or as an additive in the food bowl?

[RainyCoast]

i used it on the skin and also applied some on the inside of the ear (melted it, dipped a ball of cotton wool in it). i repeated that i think twice a day, more if he kept scratching.

 

putting a bit in her food sounds like a good idea too!

[Esglee]

Sounds like she just has Ear Mits. I am surprised that no one has thought of this.

[luminousone]

Welcome to my world, or my cat's world. My cat has allergies, and without medication she itches her ears and loses her fur. I give her an allergy med called Atopica. It takes a few weeks to make a difference. And there is no way she will eat her food if I put it in there. I have to wrap her up in a towel, give her the pill, then shoot a bit of water to help her swallow it.

[xxcrystalfear]

feel the area. is it slightly warmer then the surrounding area? if so she may have hot spots. my cats have been getting them around the base of their tails and along their spine. they were ripping the fur out where it was warm and i assumed that was to try to cool it off. the dont have fleas so i knew that wasnt the problem. ive used coconut oil and olive oil as an inexpensive way to treat it. both are non toxic if the cat licks it and help with moisturizing the area. also if she has scratches and wounds around the area the oils can help heal them and ease the itching