Itchy ears

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
Post Reply
User avatar
Catfan5
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:46 am
No. of cats in household: 4

Itchy ears

Post by Catfan5 »

My 10yo ragdoll cat Bailey has had itchy ears all her life and vets can never find out why, no infection, ear mites, fungus etc.. but prescribed surolan or otomax drops which have helped in the short term. Allergy has never been suggested.I have recently weaned her off prednicare for chronic bronchitis (she has an inhaler) which had controlled her itchy ears too, but now of course the itch is back and driving her mad! The vet practice now has a new team of vets who won't prescribe the above ear drops as they are antibiotic and there is no infection. But they want me to restart the prednicare as that definitely helps. I am reluctant as she has been taking them for over two years already and I'm concerned about the long term effects of taking steroids. Is there anything else I can do to help her?
User avatar
Janey
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:04 pm
No. of cats in household: 1

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Janey »

I suffer with itchy ears and I get a steroid spray on repeat. I find that water in my ears seems to set mine off, when I’ve washed my hair especially so I try to avoid getting water in them. I think it’s like eczema and they get very dry, although the eczema stuff never worked for me. If I use the spray once that’s all I seem to need for a few more days or a week so it last me a good few months and I’m not using it that often. Unless I use the spray though they itch like mad and keep me awake. I wonder whether a steroid type spray would help your cat? I hope you can sort it as it’s a awful when they are constantly itching but nothing seems to help me permanently either, only the steroid spray and as I say use it only as a when.
User avatar
Catfan5
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:46 am
No. of cats in household: 4

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Catfan5 »

Thanks for your reply. I was surprised the vet didn't suggest something like that rather than tablets. Bailey's itchiness seems to be deep down in her ear and looks as if she can't get her foot in deep enough to scratch it! Not sure a spray would reach right down. She did that scratching reflex when the vet examined her ears, which looked completely clean and normal.
vanilla
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 167
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 9:43 am

Re: Itchy ears

Post by vanilla »

Have you tried olive oil drops in her ears? Olive oil is meant to be soothing and moisturises too. Also it's perfectly natural :)
User avatar
Janey
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:04 pm
No. of cats in household: 1

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Janey »

Catfan5 wrote:Thanks for your reply. I was surprised the vet didn't suggest something like that rather than tablets. Bailey's itchiness seems to be deep down in her ear and looks as if she can't get her foot in deep enough to scratch it! Not sure a spray would reach right down. She did that scratching reflex when the vet examined her ears, which looked completely clean and normal.
Yep, mine is deep down too and I can’t get to it. The spray is brilliant for getting right into the ear because you point it into the ear and it runs down, you can feel it. My ears look totally clean and normal too when the doc checks them. I would ask if they have something similar to Otomize ear spray, it may help a lot. It does say that it’s for ear infections, but I was told mine was eczema but it still works, none of the other stuff worked for me.
User avatar
Janey
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:04 pm
No. of cats in household: 1

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Janey »

vanilla wrote:Have you tried olive oil drops in her ears? Olive oil is meant to be soothing and moisturises too. Also it’s perfectly natural :)
Yep, I occasionally use this as my ears get very dry so it’s worth a try as it won’t harm. It doesn’t work as well as the spray to stop the itching for me but may help.
User avatar
Catfan5
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:46 am
No. of cats in household: 4

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Catfan5 »

Thanks for the suggestions of olive oil or a spray. I called the vet and she said I could try a steroid spray called Cortavance which is for dogs with itchy skin/ eczema but she thought it would be fine to try it for Bailey's ears. If she will tolerate the spray noise! She has an inhaler puffed in her face twice a day so I'm hoping she will let me do her ears and fingers crossed it will relieve the awful itching.
User avatar
Janey
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:04 pm
No. of cats in household: 1

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Janey »

Catfan5 wrote:Thanks for the suggestions of olive oil or a spray. I called the vet and she said I could try a steroid spray called Cortavance which is for dogs with itchy skin/ eczema but she thought it would be fine to try it for Bailey's ears. If she will tolerate the spray noise! She has an inhaler puffed in her face twice a day so I’m hoping she will let me do her ears and fingers crossed it will relieve the awful itching.
That sounds great, I really do hope the steroid spray helps your cat. I couldn’t be without mine (although one spray usually does me for another week or so, so I don’t have to use it often it works so well). Fingers and paws crossed xx
User avatar
greenkitty
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 787
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:30 pm
No. of cats in household: 3
Location: Hampshire, UK

Re: Itchy ears

Post by greenkitty »

Has she been investigated for polyps/cysts in her ears?
User avatar
Catfan5
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:46 am
No. of cats in household: 4

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Catfan5 »

I picked up the Cortamance and the vet gave me a small syringe to use so I could dropper the liquid in which is probably better than a sudden loud spray in the ear. Bailey wasn't impressed and is now sulking in the garden but I'm so hoping it stops the itching.
She's only had the usual ear exam using the otoscope, all has looked clean and clear. Would polyps be visible or would they be deeper down?
User avatar
meriad
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 1313
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:14 pm
No. of cats in household: 6
Location: Surrey

Re: Itchy ears

Post by meriad »

They can be both Catfan... My Harry had polyps removed a year or so back and his thankfully were in the outer ear and totally visible to the naked eye; so it was a very simple and straightforward operation to have them removed. But they can also develop further down the ear canal - and also (as in the case with Harry so we found out last week) in his nose; both of which areas can cause long term discomfort and issues.

Harry started developing ear problems again a few months back so I took him to another vet a few weeks back who did a very through examination (all sorts of ...oscopy's) under anaesthetic and it turns out that this time it's not polyps but that he has some form of cystomatosis / cystic adenoma which he had surgery for yesterday. it looks similar to polyps and can be breed related apparently?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cysti ... 40&bih=770
(sorry rather long link)
http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/sites/de ... atosis.pdf

both polyps and these cysts can in the short term be treated with steroids which will provide some relief, but it's not a forever solution. With Harry we most likely will be facing a more major operation anything up to two years time (or more if we're lucky)

His symptoms were scratching at the ears, a smell coming from the ears because they couldn't self clean as they should so ended up with deep down infections, sensitivity to wind and he'd often walk with his ears at 'half mast' (if that makes sense).

Good luck with Bailey and fusses
User avatar
Catfan5
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:46 am
No. of cats in household: 4

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Catfan5 »

Hi, thanks for the info and links regarding ear polyps etc.. sorry to hear your cat's had trouble with those, poor thing. The vet has never suggested polyps as a cause and there are no obvious signs of anything going on in there. Baileys ears are often 'down' when they are bothering her though. The vet treats it as an idiopathic condition.
User avatar
Janey
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:04 pm
No. of cats in household: 1

Re: Itchy ears

Post by Janey »

Catfan5 wrote:I picked up the Cortamance and the vet gave me a small syringe to use so I could dropper the liquid in which is probably better than a sudden loud spray in the ear. Bailey wasn't impressed and is now sulking in the garden but I'm so hoping it stops the itching.
She's only had the usual ear exam using the otoscope, all has looked clean and clear. Would polyps be visible or would they be deeper down?
Hopefully it does the trick. To be fair the spray I have doesn’t make any sound at all it so small, all you get is the feeling of a small blast of spray, although if you just press the little nozzle gently it will just dribble down the ear. Do let us know how you get on.
Post Reply