Kitten has crusty, dry ears with hair loss
Wiping dry, rough ears with warm water does not fix the issue or remove the crust. Owners unsure whether to wait for a scheduled vet visit or seek immediate care worry about missing signs of ear health problems, especially when they assumed cats cleaned themselves.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Trying home remedies like Neosporin for bacterial issues or Lotrimin for fungal issues
- 2Waiting until a scheduled upcoming vaccination vet visit
- 3Wiping the cat's ears gently with a warm, damp cotton round or soft toilet paper
- 4Visiting a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Is it OK to wait till then or do you think I should take him sooner?”source ↗
“I tried wiping it with warm water and it did not go away. It's dry and rough skin”source ↗
“I don't... I feel terrible! I didn't know we were supposed to clean their ears. I thought they cleaned themselves (especially since I have 2 cats)”source ↗