Expert: Jessica - 2/25/2010

Question
Hi, I'm concerned for my cat. She is a little over a year old, I got her from a litter a friends cat had when she was about 6 months old. I've never seen any skin problems until yesterday, I looked behind her left ear and there was what looked like a small scratch. Because of the location I figured she just scratched herself and I cleaned it up and forgot about it. Today I checked it and it's almost double in size. Almost all her fur on that patch is gone, it's about 1/4 - 1/3 inch long and slightly raised. It looks scabby with a bit of dried blood and some peeling. Right now it looks like a normal scab that's peeling off but I know there are so many animal skin problems, I just want to be safe not sorry. How long can I moniter this before I should take her to a vet? What's a clear sign that I should take her right away?  Is scabbing a symptom of anything I should be worried about? Sorry if this is a stupid question but I love my cat and just want to make sure she's healthy and taken care of. Thanks!!

Answer
Hi Ally.  You should get her to a vet at your earliest convenience.  It sounds likely that your kitty may have ear mites.  These are microscopic creatures related to spiders, which feed on debris in the cat's ears.  They are insanely itchy and cause a cat to scratch at her ears.  You will usually see scabs in front or on back of a kitty's ears when they have ear mites.  If ear mites go untreated, it's possible for the ear drum to rupture.  More commonly, cats will violently shake their heads trying to get some relief, and burst blood vessels in their ear flaps.  Blood fills up the ear flap, causing a painful condition called an aural hematoma.  An expensive surgery is required to repair it.  If you opt not to repair it, the kitty will be in pain for 4-10 weeks before it heals, and the ear will be permanently disfigured.

There are other possibilities.  Cats can get itchy yeast infections in the ears, or have itchy ears and skin due to allergies.  Less often, they can have mange, which tends to surface on the head area before the rest of the body.  Also, there's a fungal infection called ringworm (despite the name, there is NO worm), which is found on the ears many times.  Ringworm is contagious to people.  So, no matter what it is, I think the vet should check it out.  This way, you'll know what you're dealing with, and have an appropriate treatment plan.

Best wishes!

Jessica