Ear infections are a common ailment of cats, and many different things can cause them. Your cat’s ear canal might become inflamed due to an infection with bacteria such as Staphylococcus, which is commonly found on the skin, or it could be because of allergies. Ear mites can also cause your cat’s ears to feel uncomfortable and irritated. With all the different causes of ear infections in cats, there are also many ways to treat them. This article will give you some different methods to treat an ear infection in your cat.
Keep It Clean With Saline Solution
This is one of the basic things you can do to help treat an ear infection in your cat. If your cat’s ears are infected with bacteria, keeping them clean will cut down on or eliminate the bacteria causing the problem. The best way to keep them clean is by flushing out their ears with a sterile saline solution once a day. You will want to fill a plastic syringe with the saline solution and squirt it into your cat’s ears until the ear canal is full. You can gently clean the excess fluid out of their ears with a cotton ball or a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger.
Treat It With Antibiotics
If your cat’s ears are infected with bacteria, you should treat that with antibiotics. You can get a prescription for specific antibiotics from your vet, but buying an over-the-counter one from the pet store is much easier and can be just as effective. Squirt a few drops into the ear once a day until all signs of infection are gone. Continue this treatment for at least a week after you notice the infection clearing up to ensure that the bacteria is gone completely.
Treat It With Antifungals
If the infection in your cat’s ears is due to a fungus and not bacteria, then you will want to use antifungals. The best way to treat this fungal ear infection is by using a topical solution such as miconazole or clotrimazole, which you can buy over-the-counter at your local pet store. Apply the solution to your cat’s ear twice a day for at least ten days, and if it doesn’t improve, you will want to take your cat to the vet.
Treat It With Antihistamines
If your cat’s ear infection is due to allergies, you can treat it with antihistamines. Make sure that when you are treating your cat with antihistamines, you are using them for the right kind of ear infection. For an ear infection in cats due to allergies, you can use a product that contains chlorpheniramine or diphenhydramine. These products will relieve the symptoms caused by the inflammation in their ears. Use these products twice a day until your cat’s ears are back to normal.
