Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 12/27/2011

Question
Hi, Dr. Gotthelf. I have one more question. My other cat has excessive wax in his ear. I can see it and it's almost close enough to wipe it off easily but he won't let me. His ear was is brown and from the way it looks, it is thick and has honey or caramelized brown sugar-like texture. I see him putting his paw in his ear and trying to scratch inside sometimes. If I can catch him before he starts doing that, I rub his ear for him but when I can't, he leaves scratches inside and sometimes it's bleeding. I'm afraid that he can get an infection by doing that some day. I'm also worried that he maybe in pain or be uncomfortable from itching. From time to time, he cries non-stop. I'm not sure if he is just being a brat or something else.

Answer
Excessive ear wax in cats is often a complicating factor from a skin allergy.  The glands inside the ear canal get stimulated from allergic skin disease.  Of course, your vet should sedate the cat and do a good examination to make sure that there are no ear mites present and that the eardrum is not perforated.  Sometimes mucus from the middle ear cavity will get into the ear canal and it will form a gel that is hard to differentiate from ear wax.  Cats rarely get bacterial ear infections, unlike dogs, but they can get yeast infections.