Our 16-year-old cat, Clementine, was found to have a mass in her ear when we took her to the vet because she was scratching at her ear until it bled. The vet suggested removing the ear entirely, as the mass is already partially covering her ear canal and is not removable without damaging the ear. Her blood work is good, but given her age and her anxiety at the vet, we hesitate to do that. She's absolutely terrified of being at the vet's office - she growls, moans, and loses bowel control, even with doses of gabupentamin(sp?) the night before and two hours before her appointment. So, we've been giving her antibiotics daily for over a month now (drop form), but she still scratches at the ear until it bleeds and, when she does, it stinks like infection. We now have an Elizabethan collar on her to keep from scratching, but after a week of that, the smell isn't getting better. We're a little worried that she may have fluid that has drained from the mass down into her ear canal and it can't get out, because we can hear sloshing when she shakes her head. We've called our vet a few times, but her opinion is that the only thing we can do is what we are doing already, or do the surgery. She's miserable in the collar. It's impeding her ability to get entirely into the litter box, so she's urinating all around it and then can't clean her paws when she steps in it. Without the collar, she scratches until she bleeds, then sprays it all over the house, which makes us not only worried for her, but our other two cats and our 5-year-old daughter. We're even more worried that she could suffer a major infection if we can't get the fluid out of her ear. Do you have any suggestions for other things we can do to get her symptoms under control and give her a good life for the few years she likely has left? We're getting a little desperate.

I took my kitty to get some lumps on his side removed. He had one in his ear that they left so I'm assuming it isn't a threat to him. I'm unsure and just want some reassurance. Should I take him to a different vet to get it removed ? He doesn't seem to be scratching it or bothered by it.

My cats name is Trixy I got her when she was 6 and now she’s seven she was living with these really old people that left her in a basement and only fed her never let her out or anything and every since I’ve had her shes dug at her ears and I’ve never really looked at them until a few months ago I fount that she had dirt and built up wax in her ears and she has a not in her ear and I looked it up and fount out it was a tumor in her ear it’s never been proven by a vet but she used to have a huge nott on her head that looked like what skin cancer looks like on a human but it fell off I don’t have the extra money to pay a veterinarian for their professional opinion but when I fount out it was a tumor it said that it could be caused or cause by spreading of cancer.

Hi. My female cat is 15 years and I noticed a blue cyst in her ear yesterday. Today her nose is all swollen and crooked looking. Could the two be related. Thanks

Warren Haynes (my sweet, beautiful, 14 year old Black Bombay miracle kitty) have been best friends since he was 6 months old. I have always been aware that he was FIV Positive and I had to give him Phenobarbital daily for seizures. He disappeared in 2017.... I was frantic!! I searched everywhere for months. I didn't really ever give up. I just had this feeling deep in my heart that he was out there somewhere. Then, just before Christmas 2019, I received a message from a stranger that they had my cat, Warren!! My reaction was disbelief, but I was reassured that because he has a microchip, he was my good friend, Warren! Understandably, I was extatic! When we were reunited, he was so very skinny and suffering a u.r.i. But he was my best friend, and my belief in miracles was renewed. One thing was very noticeable. What I believed was an abscess in his outer ear. Of course I brought him in to the vet, was given antibiotics for u.r.i but was told that it was not an abscess but a tumor! Having some vet tech background myself, the red flags began to wave in my mind!!! Of course the removal surgery is expensive, and I am mortified that they will find a malignancy during that surgery! I know that he is in pain. I have fashioned an E-collar for him from a paper bowl. Much more comfy for my best buddy. He was constantly after it and had TWO seizures in one day! So he needs to keep those gorgeous claws away from his ear. I think that it's fear that is keeping me from making this decision about surgery. Any advice? Thanks!

I think my cat has stopped eating and is staying more to himself. I will be taking him be be weighed in case he has lost weight. His eye has turn completely toward the ear and now has mucus coming out of it. He won't let me try to clean his eye and jumps up on my lap for about 2 seconds then back to being closed off by himself. It's breaking my heart and I think he is dying before my eyes

We found Charlie when he was about 3 weeks old . He was left to freeze to death. At 4 weeks we took him to the vet and had a routine check done. They said he was healthy but noticed brown stuff coming from his ear. They cleaned him up and checked him out and advised he had a tumor in his ear. They gave me ear drops and told me not to worry about it . Now at 3 months I can see the tumor and there is some times bleeding. His ear stinks and I’m not sure what to do . I called the vet and she told me it was out of her hands and to see a specialist . Well I am 20 years old and a firefighter who doesn’t make much money so I am not sure we can afford a specialist. Not sure what to do . It doesn’t seem to bother him at all . He doesn’t mess with it or scratch it .

My 18 year old cat was treated for an ear infection 1 month ago but the vet thought it might be an inner ear polyp because her pupils were unevenly dilating and she said it was rare for cats to get ear infections. She also didn't think my cat could handle the surgery and I didn't want to pay for a CT scan. She suggested we try doing maintenance and watch her closely. The infection came back pretty quickly after the first round of drops. I then got new drops with antibiotics as well as oral medication for inflammation. After 10 days of this her ear seemed better but she started having some respiratory issues, as if she was congested or there was some blockage in her nose or throat. She then got an infection in the other ear. I brought her back to the vet and she prescribed an antibiotic that has to be taken with food. But a day later my cat stopped wanting to eat and threw up when I gave her the antibiotics. I'm not getting much guidance from the vet. My cat seems hungry but wont eat much and I'm trying everything, including baby food, bone broth, recovery cat food, etc.. She's still drinking water. Not sure where to turn. She's still on the Prednisolone and ear drops. Not sure how long she will last or how much she's suffering.

I adopted Angel when he was six months old from a wonderful rescue. He is amazing. He has brought me so much joy. He follows me everywhere and gives me kitty kisses. He is everything I ever wanted in a kitty companion. He is so tolerant of the kids, and even plays with them (5 and 7). He hangs out in the forts they make, and chases them around the house. A week after his adoption, I took him to a vet for a check up. Overall health was great, but the vet did say his ears were a little dirty but nothing to worry about. A few months later I noticed however, one of his ears was filthy and looked like excess brown ear wax. When I googled this symptom it said he may have ear mites. I took him back to the vet and was told yes he does have ear mites and they stuck a Q-tip in his ear and blood squirted out right in front of me, I was completely freaked out. I felt so bad, I had no idea he had been suffering. He showed no other symptom (NO scratching, no head shaking..nothing). Anyways, they deep cleaned his ear, prescribed an antibiotic, probiotic, pain medication, and an anti-parisitic ear drop. The cost 250.00. A few weeks after finishing up the medication his ear got really dirty again, and this time there was visible blood and puss, which he would shake all over the walls of my house. I called the vet and told them that I though I needed more meds, but I could not afford to take him back to the vet due to an unexpected financial situation that occured. But because he was diagnosed with mites, I just though he needed a longer dose. The vet agreeed but decided it was best to try a different ear drop, because I was not able to bring him in for a visit. (Now I wish I had, maybe they would have caught this sooner). Anyways another month passed, and he wasnt getting any better. I had decided to take him back to the vet, but before I could, he displayed what I though was some kind of seizer. His head was moving all over and his eyes were darting - at first I though he was just following a light or something and was just intent on it. But then it was almost like he couldn't stop. I held his head and his eyes were just darting. It was so scary - I rushed him to the emergecy vet. They diagnosed him with a polyp. And said he needed a Complete Ear Canal Ablation 2500.00-3000.00. I freaked because I don't have this kind of money. So we left and I cried all the way home. It was 140.00 for this visit. The next day I called the rescue where I got him and explained everything. She was so nice and advised me to go to her vet and even paid for the visit. The new vet said yes it is a polyp but also a possible tumor. The outlook is not good. But she offered some meds to see if they swelling would go down enough to see better. And give us additional information/options about his condition. He is losing his balence now and hanging his head to one side. Everything is happening so fast, I feel like I'm just watching him decline. I'm so sad. I never heard of this condition before, and the outlook looks so grim. No matter what it is so expensive, and very painful for these cats it happens too. I won't have more information until Monday, his follow up appointment. But I have a prayer chain going - I'm begging for prayers to shrink his tumor. He will be one at the end of this month. He is so young, and we havent had much time with him. I hope that someday this is a cure for this condition that doesnt involve surgery. Or maybe prevents this condition all together. I can't even sleep thinking about this....