All kinds of ear diseases are found in cats much less often than, for example, in dogs. But sometimes the owners of such pets nevertheless encounter a similar problem. In some diseases, there is a need for a procedure such as cleaning the ears of a cat. Of course, such an operation must be performed correctly. The owner, among other things, should know about the structure of the ears of a cat.
Structural features
The ears of a cat consist of three main departments:
- outer ear;
- average;
- internal.
The function of this organ in such animals, as in most mammals, is twofold. First of all, ears in cats are, of course, for hearing. This organ also allows animals to maintain balance and determine where the top is and where the bottom is.
Cat hearing
Such pets can catch various kinds of sounds very well. To determine where the prey is located, for example, a mouse, a cat can in complete darkness only by the rustle published by the rodent. These animals easily determine the location of the sound and the distance to it both in length and in height.
Auricle
The outer part of the hearing organ of cats, in turn, consists of:
- cartilage;
- entrance to the external auditory meatus.
Since the shell of such pets is cartilage, it stands in most cases upright. On the outside, the outside of the cat’s hearing organ is covered with short hair. Inside, the shell of fluffy pets is smooth and hairless.
The ears of cats are capable of turning in the direction of the sound source. Including thanks to this, cats have excellent hearing. The auricles of these animals are located on both sides of the upper part of the head. At the same time, their cats are able to turn in different directions.
Cat Ear Anatomy: Acoustic Tube Structure
The opening of the auditory canal leading to the tympanic membrane in such pets is located in the middle part of the base of the conch. The acoustic channel in cats is a cartilaginous hollow tube covered with a leathery membrane over the entire length. The latter, in turn, is capable of secreting sulfur. This substance is necessary for self-cleaning of cats ears from foreign objects and dust.
In its lower part, the acoustic channel bends and connects to the hollow horizontal section, ending in the eardrum. The structure of the ears of cats, among other things, is a high degree of protection of the acoustic membrane. To damage the membrane of the pet during cleaning, so you should not be afraid, for example.
Middle ear
This part of the cat’s hearing organ is located in the skull, in the temporal part. It is represented by three aurekal bones - an anvil, a hammer and a stirrup. Also part of the cat’s middle ear are two muscles. The bones of these animals are connected to the cochlea. The middle ear of a furry pet looks like a webbed tambourine. Vibrations from the membrane are transmitted to the bones and then enter the oval window of the cochlea.
The structure of the ears of cats is such that they are able to well capture vital sounds. In this case, too loud noise in the middle ear in such animals is muffled.
Intimate ear
This part of the organ of hearing in cats, like in other mammals, is a snail or a labyrinth. The place of concentration of sound-absorbing cells and various auxiliary structures is called a Corti organ.
Sensory cells in cats are placed in a liquid and protected on all sides by a membranous texture. Among other things, they have microscopic protrusions. It is the latter that perceive sound vibrations, and then transmit them to the receptors of the auditory nerves connected to the Corti organ.
In any cat breed, there are three microscopic semi-oval openings in the ear. These formations are filled with fluid and are adjacent to each other at an angle. The main purpose of these holes is to balance and maintain balance to animals. Fluid vibrations in them are captured by thin hairs and transmitted by them to the brain, which, in turn, fixes the position of the body relative to the horizon.
What shape can the ears have?
The external auditory organ in most cat breeds is small and set upright. But in some breeds of these domestic animals, the shell has an unusual shape. For example, the structure of the ears of cats of the Scottish breed can be called very original. In such animals, the shells are directed forward and, as it were, hang over your head, fitting tightly enough to it.
There are also breeds with large ears, for example, sphinxes. In curl cats, shells are completely turned outward. In addition to the color, the ears and tail of the cat - this is exactly what basically determines its belonging to a particular breed. In any case, no matter what shape the sink of such a pet has, the hearing will be just fine. The internal structure of the ears in such pets is the same.
What diseases are most common
The hearing in cats is thus very good. With diseases of the ears of such animals, their owners are extremely rare. But sometimes the owners of cats still have to solve such problems. The most common ear diseases of such pets are:
- otitis;
- dermatitis;
- ear scabies.
All of these diseases can be dangerous for cats to hear.
Otitis in a cat: symptoms
The causes of this disease can be trauma, an ear tick, water getting into the ear, etc. Otitis in cats is manifested primarily by itching and copious sulfur secretion. The animal in this case constantly shakes its head. If the disease is localized in the middle or inner ear, a purulent exudant also appears in the cat’s shell.
Otitis can also be diagnosed by:
- bad breath;
- high body temperature.
The ears of a cat with otitis media are usually hot. Also, with a high degree of probability, this disease can be suspected in a pet if he has previously been diagnosed with otodectosis.
Treatment of otitis media
In order to alleviate the condition of the pet in this disease, he first needs to clean the shell of scabs and sulfur. To use for this purpose it is best to swabs moistened with a choice of:
- boric acid;
- peroxides;
- chlorgesidine;
- furatsiline;
- miramistine.
If there is a lot of pus in the cat’s ear or it is deep, the animal will still be better taken to the veterinary clinic. The specialist will perform the procedure in this case, of course, as efficiently as possible.
For the treatment of otitis media in cats, various kinds of preparations for instillation into the ears can be used. An animal should also be prescribed by the veterinarian. The fact is that with otitis media, the eardrum of a cat can become like a net. In this case, some types of drugs are contraindicated for furry pets.
Most often, the following types of drops are prescribed for instillation in cats with otitis media in the ears:
- Otovedin.
- Sofradex
- Aurikan.
- "Tsipam."
- "Surolan."
With purulent otitis media, antibiotics are also often prescribed to such animals. It can be, for example, "Erythromecin", "Spiramycin", "Cefazolin".
Symptoms of Ear Dermatitis
This disease in cats is quite common. Ear dermatitis is a group of diseases that are primarily characterized by symptoms such as redness of the skin and rashes. The reasons for the development of this ailment in cats can be, for example:
- parasites;
- allergy;
- injury;
- chemical or thermal burn.
Sometimes dermatitis also occurs with uncontrolled administration of any medication to animals. Any cat disease should be treated in strict accordance with the recommendations of the veterinarian.
How to treat food dermatitis
It is precisely as an allergic reaction to any food that this ailment is most often encountered in furry pets. The ears of both lop-eared cats and ordinary breeds can suffer from dermatitis. Unfortunately, drugs that can cure food dermatitis in such animals once and for all have not been developed. Owners of such a cat just need to carefully monitor what she eats and try to identify the products causing the reaction. It is quite difficult to do this, because after eating and the first signs of allergic dermatitis, quite a lot of time passes. But with a little effort, it’s most likely that they will be able to determine the products that are unsuitable for the pet.
Symptoms of Ear Scabies
This disease is most often found in kittens and young animals. The ears of Scottish cats, sphinxes, Maine Coons, etc. are equally prone to scabies. The main symptoms of this disease are:
- the presence of scratching on the ears;
- dark or brown discharge;
- baldness around the ears;
- scab on the skin and auricles.
How to treat scabies
This disease is caused by ticks that come in contact with other animals, birds, humans, or objects. To cure a pet, its shells must first be cleaned of scabs and dirt. The structure of the cat’s ears is such that it will be very easy to perform this procedure.
At the next stage, the affected areas are lubricated with a special drug. A variety of funds is chosen depending on the type of mite parasitizing on the ears of a cat. For example, drugs such as aversectin ointment 0.05%, creolin 3%, cidectin, etc. can be used to treat scabies.
To prevent the development of scabies, owners should limit their cat's contact primarily with stray brothers. In this way, the mite usually migrates from animal to animal. In particular, this recommendation should be adhered to the owners of cat breeds with large ears. The lesion area of such an animal can be very large, because of which it will experience significant suffering.