Adopted kitten scratching ears with dirt. Is it ear mites? How to clean?

This could still be earmites although the dark residues from earmites can remain for several weeks after it has been treated successfully. you will want to have it checked by your vet just to make sure.

Poor Toby! He could have a middle ear infection caused by yeast or bacteria that you cannot see. His symptoms do indicate a problem with his ears, and I would take him into the vet today or tomorrow for an exam. The vet can look down his ears with an otoscope to see if he does have an infection, and can treat him for it. It's important to have any ear problem examined and treated promptly as leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss.

If Mau had ear mites or an infection, we would expect him to be scratching at his ears. Since his ears do not seem to bother him and there is no redness, swelling or odor, I would suspect that it is just debris that you are seeing in his ears. You can use a cotton ball (not a Q-tip) to gently wipe away the debris. You should not need to use any ear cleaner or medication. If the debris is getting worse or Mau starts scratching at his ears, I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine his ear canals. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She could have dirty ears, it could be ear mites, or there could be an infection. I recommend taking her to a vet to find out and get her treatment if needed. Purring can mean multiple things- happy, painful, worried. The only way to know would be for a vet to check her out and make sure she’s not in any pain. I bet she is probably happy to be inside and being taken care of. Congrats on the new kitten!

It is difficult to diagnose an ear infection without examining the discharge under a microscope to see if there are any bacteria, yeast, or mites. Based on the pictures, it does not appear to be a large amount of discharge. There aren't any OTC ear medications for infections but you could clean the ear with just an ear cleaner labeled for cats and see if that helps. Clean three times a week for now and then once weekly and see if that gets rid of all the discharge. If not, he really needs to go to a vet for treatment.

This looks like a possible bacterial or yeast infection now. This can happen secondary to a primary issue such as mites. You will have to take Maggie to your vet to get the ear debris tested again and treated based on what type of infection it is (bacterial or yeast). I hope that Maggie's ear issues resolve soon! Best wishes and take care.

Hi there. Itching and "dirty" appearing ears can be caused by either ear mites, or a yeast or bacterial ear infection. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking Luna to the vet for an exam. He/she can take a sample of the debris in her ears and look at it under the microscope to diagnose the problem, and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat her depending on what is found.