How does a cat get ear injuries? Maybe as a result of scratches and trauma of this type, or due to underlying diseases: how to find out.
Do your cat’s ears look different and do you think your cat has trouble hearing? Absolutely strange, given that the feline’s developed hearing is one of its greatest characteristics. In fact, the cat uses it not only to know the world but also to defend itself from potential enemy attacks and protect itself and its territory, including the owner. Here’s how to distinguish the various causes of cat ear injuries and how to remedy them effectively.
Cat’s ears: how he uses them and other curiosities
It is really true that cats are always able to be alert and cautious: this is also due to their powerful hearing, which allows them to never be caught unprepared. In fact, these are extremely sensitive sensory organs, which are used to perceive in a clear and ‘amplified’ way (compared to ours) all its environmental elements that come from the outside.
They can be of different sizes, but also of different shapes: round, triangular etc. but an incredible curiosity is that they have 32 muscles. Thanks to these cats are able to rotate them and use these movements in a real language.
They are essential for maintaining balance when moving, as the vestibular apparatus is located right inside the ear. The movements of the fluid inside are felt by the hairs, which send the signal back to the brain: this is why cats can hear so well!
Injury to the cat’s ears: signs of some problem
Does the cat seem to be unresponsive to your call? Before we worry that there is an underlying health problem, let’s make sure the feline isn’t just ignoring us. But in addition to this which can only be an attitude, we also pay attention to other signals in the external appearance of the ears.
We may notice the presence of:
scabs,
traces or loss of blood,
inflammation of the area,
absence or scarcity of hair in the area,
swelling,
tendency to keep it low.
Certainly the cat will tend not to be touched, precisely because it feels a strong pain in the ears. We do not insist on touching them at all costs, because the cat could also react badly and maybe even violently.
Injury to the cat’s ears: if the cause is trauma
Cats are quite ‘combative’, they are hunters, they love fighting and can naturally run the risk of injury. It’s part of the ‘game’ to fight, but in the end they could easily retire home with a few injuries.
There is no way to avoid it or prevent such a problem, but the only thing to do is to keep an eye on it and make sure that the problem does not evolve into even more serious and more problematic infections to treat.
Sometimes the trauma can be caused by the cat itself which, with its long nails, can inadvertently get hurt or to chase away some insect that buzzes around it. The main problem is that the part can swell and have an abscess or hematoma (i.e. blood deposit).
… What if the cause was a disease?
Unfortunately, the cause can also be a manifestation of a pathology that also manifests itself with ear problems. The symptoms listed above can also be caused by:
mange ,
ringworm ,
external agents (mites, blades of grass etc.),
ear tumors.
What to do in case of injury
If we have noticed that the cat has started bleeding from the ears, we owners can intervene momentarily, waiting for the vet to receive us for an urgent visit.
The means to stop the blood from leaking are actually quite scarce: after putting on a glove, we try to dab with a little gauze or absorbent cotton (wadding). A good idea is to cut your cat’s nails and keep them short at all times, so that they can’t get hurt or scratch themselves, further inflaming the area.
It will be the veterinarian to ‘go to the bottom’ of the matter and understand what is the triggering cause: he could take a sample of fluid and subject it to culture tests. Once the mites are isolated, he may prescribe selamectin products or antibiotics. In case of deep wounds, he will first have to disinfect them and perhaps proceed with a suture.
Any presence of hematomas will be resolved with a drainage of the blood and with points that will prevent the formation of further infections. We make sure that the cat touches as little as possible the dressing and keep the wound under control.
