I'm spending a fortune at the vets .....

[MisguidedAngel]

I have a rescue cat, she's about 12 years old. Months ago she started having a discharge out of one ear. The vet prescribed a course of antibiotics, twice a day for a fortnight. Nothing changed. Then another lot for 40 days of two different antibiotics mixed together.

Then the vet said there was a tumour in the ear and she needed an operation, so I paid for that, the travel to the specialist, several days recuperating at the vets and yet another course of antibiotics, injections this time. But the waxy stuff is still coming out of her ear. She hates me cleaning it, and runs away as soon as I get the cotton wool out or if I manage to get hold of her, she bites and scratches.

I can't really afford all this, and I'm not in UK. The cat doesn't seem to be at all distressed, but it's not very nice when she shakes her head and sprays this wax everywhere.

Has anybody got any advice?

[YeOldeTrout]

What are the odds of complete recovery? Cat sounds very unhappy to be going thru this treatment.

[MisguidedAngel]

Really that's what I wanted to find out. Part of me thinks there isn't much of a chance of a complete recovery. Plenty of people have told me I should have her put down, but they aren't cat lovers and I am. My cat does not seem distressed at all in her normal life, it's only when I try to clean her ear that she's unhappy.

[YeOldeTrout]

so that's like a couple of minutes a day? Not a bad price to pay if she's happy rest of time.

Waxy spray sounds minging to live with... does Vet think they can sort it now with antiBs, now that tumour is gone?

[MisguidedAngel]

Thanks for your replies, especially on Christmas Day. The vet does seem to think it can be sorted with more antibiotics, but she's had so many already. I think I will have to really pin her down as soon as they're open again next week.

[ApologiesToInsectLife]

I had a cat with a similar problem. Vet thought it was a polyp growing into his ear. We did treat with various anti-b's which never seemed to totally get rid of it. Operating wasn't an option. He was given a long lasting anti-B injection eventually which seemed to finally work. He was completely deaf afterwards though (it didn't bother him). Had the wax being sprayed everywhere too- not nice!

[MisguidedAngel]

Thanks Apologies. That sounds exactly the same problem. The vet said tumour, not polyp, but that could be a language problem. I will talk to the vet about the possibility of a long lasting antibiotic injection.

[MsMims]

No advice medically except to say maybe going back to a specialist would have a higher chance of getting it sorted than your general vet.

If she's not distressed generally then I definitely wouldn't PTS for this.