My cat has an ear infection. Is Surolan safe with a ruptured eardrum?

Ear infections can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, or a combination of these, and can be associated with dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. If the Surolan helped but the infection has returned, Melcho needs to see a vet to have an ear swab done. Your vet can look at the sample under the microscope and treat appropriately based on what is found. Trying different medications without testing to determine the cause is not effective, and can lead to bacterial resistance to medication. Your vet will likely need to examine the ear with a scope to see if the ear drum is intact, as some medications cannot be used safely if the eardrum is ruptured. They may also recommend a culture and sensitivity test of a swab from the ear to help figure out what specific bacteria could be present and what medications they are sensitive to. Ear infections can be very painful, and as you mentioned, can sometimes progress to include the middle or inner ear, where they can cause neurologic signs or permanent hearing loss. Please book an appointment to have Melcho seen as soon as possible to help get him feeling better, and you can request a referral from your veterinarian if they are not willing or able to provide further care as you mentioned.

Gentamycin is a common ingredient in ear medications. There is a small risk of damaging the hearing, especially if the ear drum is not intact. When I diagnose an ear infection in a pet, I recommend a two-part treatment. The first is with a cleaner to remove any debris; I like DECHRA DermaPet Malacetic Otic. This is important as ear medications need to contact the skin of the ear and if there is ear wax or other debris in the way, then the medications can't work. After the ears are dry, you can apply the medication. Ears typically need to be treated twice a day for 7-10 days. Cats can commonly get ear mites that may look like an ear infection. If you have not treated Melcho for ear mites, I recommend doing so now. If the ear infection does not resolve after using an ear cleaner and the Dexoryl within a week, then Melcho should see the vet as he could have a resistant bacteria growing, yeast infection, parasites, or even a polyp causing problems deep in his ear. I cannot find a list of ingredients for the Trixie ear drops, so I cannot tell you if they would be helpful.

That would likely be safe as long as the ear drum is normal. Sometimes infections if the ear can cause the ear drum to tear. EpiOtic ear cleaner is another option that is safe and should be ok even if the ear drum is slightly damaged.

I agree that Max's ear could be infected. I would hold off on putting anything into his ear for now until after he has seen the vet. Before any medication is given, the vet needs to check if his ear drum is intact or not. I hope this helps!

It would be much easier for us to help you if you could give more information. How long have you been treating him? What antibiotic is he taking and how frequently? What ear drops are you using and how much/how frequent? One ear or both ears? Please post again with more information.

If your cat had a ruptured eardrum, healing should take between 3-5 weeks. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent scratching, pawing or rubbing at the ear. He should be rechecked several times during this time frame to confirm healing is taking place.

I can certainly understand your frustration. I would highly recommend not putting CBD oil in your cats ear however. If the eardrum is still ruptured, then nothing but sterile saline should be introduced inside the ear, because anything else can negatively affect her nervous system (balance, coordination, etc). Also there is no evidence that CBD oil will do anything for an ear infection unfortunately. However, I think you should get additional testing done if your kitty isn't doing better. If an inner ear infection is present, this will be evident by a physical otoscopic exam of the ear, to confirm a ruptured ear drum, and a skull radiograph to detect fluid build-up in the inner ear. If an inner ear infection is present then oral antibiotcs, and sterile saline topically, should be able to resolve the infection. In some cases a bacterial culture of the ear needs to be done to determine which antibiotic will clear the infection successfully. I hope that this is helpful and I wish you all the best with your cats care moving forward. If you need to discuss her case further, then don't hesitate to request a consultation request with either myself or another expert here on the site. Best wishes and take care.