What the heck is with those ears?????
Needless to say, he had been thoroughly checked over by the vet at the time. Our first, and most immediate, thought was our old nemesis... the ringworm. Doesn't look like ringworm, though. Doesn't glow like it either. So we crossed that off the list.
At the time, his ears were nearly completely bald. Just a slight covering of fuzz coated the outsides of his ears. He was completely stressed with the intestinal issues, was costing me an arm and a leg at the vet, showed no patience for being poked and prodded, and apparently wasn't contagious since the other kitties aren't having this issue. Our biggest concern was his pancreas and digestion at the time, so (knowing it wasn't ringworm) we bounced ideas around and decided to take a "wait and see" approach to the ears.
Things we wondered about... seasonal allergies (he started to lose his fur right around the time the snow melted and spring allergens hit the air); stress reaction to being sick; allergic reaction to me (maybe) putting ringworm meds on his ears without a diagnosis (yes, I *know* that I need to stop doing that!). Other suggestions that have come forwards more recently include a bacterial inner ear infection that is affecting the fur on the outside of the ear as well.
I just don't know what to make of it.
His health is improving, not perfect but better. His ears are improving too... slowly. The photo above was taken over a month ago. The photos below were taken last night.
I don't know if you can really tell a difference in the photograph. But his ear has much more "coverage", especially around the edges and at the base of the ear.
The front view of the ears looks much, MUCH better... almost back to normal.
"Seriously, Lady? Why are you showing pictures of Norman's ears? Do you want the readers to think that Norm is a freak??? Norm can't even look at you right now."
While he is improving, the progress is slow (very slow). If you have had a similar experience, I'd love to hear what might be causing it. It's time to get a handle on this old man's sensitivities.
And I promise not to medicate him without veterinary approval any more.
Have you talked to your vet about Lysine to boost his immune system? You can get capsules at a vitamin store or online (pretty cheap) and just break it so the powder goes into his food or some chicken broth.
ReplyDeleteSince this is the first time it seems to be happening with him it might be stress related. Do you have a pheromone plug in with his own quiet space in the house?
I wish I had more for you Kelly - sending healing vibes for this sweet man!
Right now, I'm adding FortiFlora to his wet food in an attempt to boost his immune system like it does for the foster babies. Lysine is definitely the next step on the list. We had great results with it for Porter (and reasonable maintenance for Abby and Peeps).
DeleteI'm thinking stress too. He IS gaining more fuzz (and is actually getting fuzzy at the base of the ear again). But dude just looks weird.
lysine does not boost the immune system. It works for viruses by keeping the herpies virus from replicating but that is about it.
DeleteOh, that's interesting. I've had two cats who had fur thinning on their ears as they got older (i.e. both males over 14yrs). Neither was sick with anything and they lived several more years so I just likened it to balding on old humans. The two cats I have now (15yr old male & 18yr old female) are not showing signs of it. Maybe it's just genetics?
ReplyDelete~Chris
It may be partially genetics, thinking probably a genetic tendency and a stress reaction to being sick.
DeleteI'm also starting to think that Norman just likes to mess with me.
Norman, you are a sweet mess! I never encountered this with my senior kitties, so maybe it is just genetics? But bless you again Kelly for taking on and loving Norman at this stage of his life!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy. I think I might be getting a clue as to why Norm was surrendered to the shelter. He IS a sweet mess. But he's MY sweet mess.
DeleteThe balding thing is just so completely out of left field. Dude likes to keep me on my toes.
OK - or maybe it is a black cat thing.....our Mo has naked knees in the back and in front of his ears.... Male pattern baldness??? (I know - not helping....hahaha)
ReplyDeleteNorm has thinning spots on the backs of his legs too, but he just not bald there (yet?)
DeleteI have nothing helpful to add here, I just want to say that I lubs that Norman. :)
ReplyDeleteNorman graciously accepts the affection and returns them in your direction. Good thing I love him too, considering the mess he's creating for me here lately.
DeleteDoes he poke or scratch at his ear more than usual? I mean do his ears hurt or bug him? I suppose if Vet visits make him crazy & it doesn't hurt him, Wait-and-See sounds like a good plan.
ReplyDeleteThe only time he's bothered by his ears is when I'm trying to check them. Otherwise, he doesn't seem to care or notice.
DeleteI had an elderly female cat who was apparently itchy around the ears, so she kept scratching them until all the fur came off and her ears bled. The itchyness gradually spread elsewhere, too. No one could figure out what was causing it, exactly, but cortisol pills seemed to help with it. I think she was on them for the last two years of her life or so.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, he doesn't seem to itch and has not been scratching at it (that I can tell). I'm hoping the baldness isn't around to stay. He's a handsome gent, but I do prefer him with fur.
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