Cat Has Mats Under Ears

Generally unless your cat has picked up mites from another animal ear infections are a secondary condition.

Cat has mats under ears. Use a metal mat comb for cats to detach the smaller tangles. Christine cain the section chief of dermatology and allergy at the university of pennsylvania school of veterinary medicine. They are easily passed between cats and are most commonly diagnosed in kittens. That can make it really difficult for us to resolve their middle ear infections because there s a compartment that you just can t get to very easily.

There are several causes of crusty scaly ears in cats. Golden retrievers with mats behind the ears and other breeds like bernies newfies setters pets usually older cats with very thin skin due to a medical problem aging arthritic debilitated or obese pets who groom less or cannot reach certain areas don t lie to the vet. Never try to cut out a mat. One of the things that we struggle with in patients who have middle ear infections is that cats have a septum like a bony shelf that separates their middle ear into two compartments says dr.

Be as gentle as possible and apply short fast strokes so there s less pulling of the skin. To determine if your cat has ear mites check your cat s ears for material that looks like coffee grounds. Crusty ear margins may be the only symptom your cat has or you may notice other signs. Cats have very delicate skin and with mats forming close to it it s easy to miscalculate and cut too deep.

Ear mites make cats shake their heads and scratch themselves around the ears head and neck. Start by holding the hair below the mat close to the skin and separate the tangled fur into smaller pieces.