How to Diagnose Feline Ear Problems
- 1). Examine the inside of your cat's ear. If you notice excess wax, redness, an oozing discharge or inflammation, your kitty probably has an ear infection. Also, take notice as to whether or not you see scabs or sores on the ear. This is an indication that your cat has been scratching her ear excessively.
- 2). Look at the color of the wax that is in your cat's ears. If the wax is pinkish-brown in color and has a sweet smell to it, more than likely it is a yeast infection. If the wax is black and there is a large amount of it, that is probably indicative of an ear mite infection.
- 3). Take a sample of wax out of the ear using a cotton-tipped applicator. Be careful not to go too far down into the canal, as you can cause serious damage. To be safe, try to collect the sample from the ear folds.
- 4). Place the ear debris on a microscope slide and apply a drop of mineral oil on top of it, if you are looking for ear mites. To look for yeast and bacteria, spread the wax on the slide and place the fixer on the sample.
- 5). Look at the slides under a microscope. If the cat has ear mites, you will see the mites on the sample. If the cat has a yeast or bacterial infection, you will be able to detect that by identifying the different shapes that are indicative of yeast and bacteria (see Resources).
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