Kitten with sores on head and ears - Answered by Dr. Slome

[franrhea]

We found a kitten here in Puerto Rico and it seems to be healthy except for the scabs on its neck, head and ears. They cover the entire area. I have tried putting Neosporin on the area but it is not helping much. Is there anything else I can do? Does anyone have any ideas what might have caused it? There are no open sores, just tons of scabs.

Thanks for any help.

Fran

[Lucky Rescue]

Can you take him to a vet? If he has ear mites, nothing you put on the scabs is going to help.

[Princesss04]

Have you checked him to see if maybe he has fleas and that is where the fleas were bitting him. I know when I found my puppy he had them all over and when we treated the fleas they went away. Just an idea, I would find out about the ear mites as well though!

[hddlstn02]

I bet the sores are from fleas too. I have had cats w/ them & when you put flea medicine on them they eventually disappear. One cat I had however kept scratching the scabs & they never healed (I guess maybe they itched as they healed, as scabs do on people sometimes.) he finally passed away from infection, but this was a very rare case. I would take him to the vet & try some flea medicine. The best I've found is Frontline +, it works great! Also, for the earmites, you can clean the ears w/ a mixture of vinegar & water (more water so it's not stinky) & this should clean them & help keep them from itching quite as bad, however, this will not kill the mites, you need medicine for that. Hope this helps!

[franrhea]

It probably is fleas and/or mites. We live in Puerto Rico and there is a huge problem with fleas here. I have used cat flea powder on her but think I will try dog powder instead. We can't afford any of the expensive brands since we have 25 cats. We started out with 3 and have adopted lots of others than have been abandoned and we found.

I do have a vet that I am doing a website for. I will take her there but can't do it for about 2 weeks since it is across the island. The posts help. At least I know of some things I can do until I can get here there.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

Fran

[sammiec]

Originally Posted by franrhea

I have used cat flea powder on her but think I will try dog powder instead. We can't afford any of the expensive brands since we have 25 cats.

WOW!!! 25 cats! That's alot! If this cat has fleas, then they all have fleas!! That's gonna be ALOT of treatment!! I would NOT use the dog flea treatment until you consult with the vet - at least a phone call! This could have very different agents that could cause much more damage then good!

If your cats does have ear mites I would take it to the vet, the ears need to be flushed and it's dangerous to do it yourself - can damage ears drums etc. LuckyRescue can tell you more about this!

[petdr]

The most common causes are usually one or more of the following: - namely flea allergic dermatitis, so you will need an effective flea treatment and control protocol if this is the case.

Another other common condition is food allergies, so a hypoallergenic diet trial is recommended for a 2 month trial.

There may also be an ear mite infestation which often causes intense itchiness to the extent that they cause some bad skin infections around the head and neck from the claws scratching at the head/ears.

Other causes include cat fighting and ringworm. You should really be counselled by a Veterinarian as to what the best course of action and management should be. It is always easier to treat something that you can diagnose rather than scramble for different treatments and hope one of them works.

Even if one of the above is correct e.g. fleas, often just flea treatments may not be enough, a course of cortisone and antibiotics is also needed sometimes, or medicated washes etc. to help keep this cat comfortable and treat it more effectively.

Good luck


Martin Slome DVM

Centre Street Animal Hospital
7700 Bathurst Street
Units 40-42
Thornhill, On.
L4J 7Y3
Tel: (905) 771-9855

[judykay41]

Hi I had kittens with sore on the head and ears also by the nose and one had eye infection with it. It was ring worm, the ring worm can infect humans as well and is VERY contagious. Everyone in my apartment got it and so did people I work with and other animals. It is VERY HARD to get rid of on animals. You can try over the counter products that kill foot fungas or yeast infection, but I would suggest going to your doctor or asking him.. It sure does sound like ringworm.