[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

860.0. "Advice needed: sprinkler ears" by PNEUMA::BAUMANN () Wed Oct 28 1987 10:39

    I'd appreciate hearing some opinions on whether or not my cat has
    a problem.  
    
    Yesterday morning I noticed that in the middle of writhing around
    ecstatically on top of the refrigerator -- a daily ritual -- Pollux
    stopped to scratch his ear briefly and shake his head. When he shook
    his head I could see a few drops of water shake out of his ear(s).
    It all looked quite natural -- he didn't seemed distressed -- but
    he does twitch his left ear fairly often.  Now that I think about
    it, I've noticed these water droplets when he shakes his head for
    quite awhile (couple of months).  I've thought he was just drooling
    -- he does that when he purrs.  This was very clear yesterday, though.
    That water came out of his ears.  His ears aren't weeping, his eyes
    look fine, he seems to be in good health.  His ears are filthy --
    vet said he had ear mites as a baby and now produces the dark wax.
    Last time he was at the vets (in March) his ears were checked and
    cleaned and he apparently did not have ear mites.  He doesn't look
    different now.
    
    Should I take him to the vet.  Is it normal for cats to shake water
    droplets out of their ears occasionally?  What could be causing
    this?
    
    Thanks in advance.
    
    Laura
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
860.1My vet gets more than my doctorSALES::RFI86Wed Oct 28 1987 11:455
    I'd say call the vet first. He might be able to tell you what to
    do just by hearing the symptoms. Also this could save you some time
    and money.
    
    						Geoff
860.2D.P. still has this problemSQM::MURPHYIs it Friday yet?Wed Oct 28 1987 12:0431
    I've been going through the same thing with D.P.  When I first found
    him abandoned in April he had an infection in both ears from having
    earmites.  After testing him again just last week although there
    are no signs of earmites living in his ears, he has junk in them from
    having had earmites. 
    
    I'm now trying still another medication that I have to put in both ears
    twice daily.  Don't remember name of it right now but I know it has an
    antibiotic in it.  
    
    I have to put drops in and squish the outer base of the ears around with my 
    fingers to move the medicine through the wax-like buildup.  I originally
    was using Q-Tips to swab the ears out but the Vet told me that I
    should use a Kleenex to lightly swab ears out.  Q-Tips may have
    caused packing of the substance in the ear canals and preventing
    drainage outward.
    
    It gets frustrating at times but the Vet told me that he probably
    had mites for awhile before I found him (he was 6 mos. old then)
    and it sometimes takes several tries of different medications to
    finally hit on the right one to straighten things out.  It's a good
    thing D.P. has a good disposition about treatment (even though he
    makes a "face" when he sees me reach for the bottle).  The hardest
    thing is trying to keep him from shaking his head before I get the
    medicine worked into the canals.
    
    Other than the ear problem, D.P. is a happy, playful, and full time
    Gremlin!
    
    Pat
    
860.3How about a kitten?OPUS::STYLIANOSWed Oct 28 1987 23:003
    Best earcleaner I've seen is a friends toung!
    
                                  Tom
860.4Yep...RHODES::BAUMANNFri Oct 30 1987 08:5212
    Tom,
    You're right.  We got Pollux a kitten after his brother died
    in March.  Ruby is a good ear cleaner, but apparently not good
    enough.
    
    I'm a little relieved that it doesn't seem outrageous that
    Pollux shakes water droplets out of his ears occasionally.
    I am going to take him into the vet for a look though, I think.
    
    Thanks for the responses, folks.
    
    Laura
860.5Water from EarsCSC32::JOHNSYes, I *am* pregnant :-)Thu Nov 05 1987 15:364
    Laura, have you been to the vet yet about those ears?  What was
    the outcome?
    
           Carol