Today, as usual, you started petting your pet and discovered that the cat has hot ears. You immediately have a question: why and is this normal? There are various reasons why the temperature of a cat's ears may change. They can be either completely harmless or as a consequence of serious problems with the health of the animal. Let's look at the answer to this question.
A lot of blood vessels are concentrated on a cat’s ears, and since there is the least hair there, the skin can be easily felt. Accordingly, the owner can feel possible temperature changes. In normal condition it is 38 degrees.
Features of cat ears
In animals, there is no muscle tissue or fat layer between the ear cartilage and the skin. Even in dark individuals you can see blood vessels.
A person acutely feels temperature changes of even one degree. In this connection, it can only seem that the pet has hot ears. However, in some cases, worries are justified.
In normal condition, a cat's ears are pale pinkish or white. If they turn red, this indicates increased intravenous pressure or fever.
Causes of hot ears in cats and kittens
One of the reasons for hot ears may be the basic stress that the animal has experienced. The heart begins to beat faster, as a result of which the temperature may jump. In this, cats are not very different from people, who also experience an increase in body temperature when scared or very excited.
An animal's ears can become hot due to simple overheating of the body. As a rule, this happens in very hot weather. In this case, take care to keep the cat cool and give it something to drink, otherwise it may lead to dehydration.
If your pet's ears seem hot, take a close look at them; ear mites can sometimes be the cause. If you find suspicious lumps and dirt on the ears, immediately treat them with appropriate medications.
Sometimes a cat's ears may simply feel hot to the touch simply due to the difference in body temperature between a person and an animal, especially if the owner's hands were cold at the time.
However, if the cat’s not only ears, but also its nose are hot, then these may be symptoms of an incipient disease. If you suspect that your pet is sick, take a closer look at its behavior. As a rule, during illness it changes. For example, a cat may sleep all the time, become lethargic, and apathetic. Or, on the contrary, her behavior becomes restless, the cat may meow for no reason, or run around the apartment.
How to determine a cat's condition
Owners periodically check the pet's health. If the nose is wet, the ears do not burn, there are no other symptoms of the disease, there is no cause for concern.
The following clinical picture should cause alarm:
- the pet becomes passive and indifferent to everything;
- refuses food;
- nose dry and hot;
- the animal constantly wants to sleep, lethargic;
- there is diarrhea or constipation;
- the fur became dull and began to accumulate in lumps;
- vomit comes out.
If at least one of the symptoms is present, the cat's temperature should be taken. The rectal method is suitable for animals: the tip of the thermometer is lubricated with Vaseline and inserted into the anus 1-2 centimeters.
Normal values in degrees:
- 37-38: in adult males;
- 38-39: in kittens and pregnant individuals;
- 41.5: in hairless breeds (for example, Sphynxes).
If the temperature is higher than normal and there are other signs of illness, the help of a veterinarian is necessary. After examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis: a viral infection, injury or ear mites.
Normal temperature in cats
Diagnostics and first aid for your four-legged friend
The first thing you need to do after diagnosing the disease is to examine your pet yourself:
- Determine the condition of the skin, fur, find out if there are ulcers and neoplasms, check for discharge from the nose, ears and eyes. The color of the oral cavity in normal condition should be pale pink, red color means an inflammatory process and occurs with stomatitis and ulcers;
- Feel the abdomen for pain, and also feel the bladder. Monitor the nature and frequency of feces and urine. It is good if you are helped to hold the animal during the examination. If there is no help and the cat is restless, trim its claws and then carefully lay it on its side. To be safe, you can also wrap the purr in a warm towel;
- To measure the temperature. The temperature of your cat's nose and ears may vary. In some diseases, body temperature does not change. This procedure is perceived quite negatively by the animal, since the tip of the thermometer, lubricated with Vaseline, is inserted into the anus, in close contact with the rectum. You can use a regular mercury thermometer, or an electronic one. The second one is used more often and shows results faster;
- Determine your breathing rate. You can visually determine the frequency of inhalation and exhalation, or you can simply listen to the cat’s breathing by placing your hand on his stomach. 18-33 inhalations/exhalations is the norm for a healthy cat. But also take into account other factors: the difference in breathing between males and females (more often in females), weather conditions, emotional shocks, pregnancy, etc.;
- Take your pulse. The femoral artery in cats is located in the inner thigh. If you put your finger there, you can feel the pulse. The norm is 100-120 beats per minute. The younger the cat, the higher its pulse. Activity and condition - all this also affects the readings;
- Weigh the animal. Losing or gaining weight says a lot. Place the cat in the bag and determine the weight by calculating the weight of the bag from the total. Or step on the scale with your cat. The difference between the total weight and yours will be the weight of the animal.
All the necessary precautions will help your pet cope with the disease and will greatly facilitate the veterinarian’s diagnosis. Record all indicators, keep a diary of the disease, measure the temperature, pulse, weight of the animal daily until it gets better.
Why do my ears get hot?
Owners are very worried when their pets get sick. After all, an animal cannot say what is bothering it. They touch his nose: it should be wet. Sometimes the temperature of the ears is also checked.
Norm
Hot ears occur not only when the cat is sick, but also:
- during sleep, when the organ is heated under the sun or from a battery;
- after long and stormy games;
- if the cat is nervous or overexcited;
- when the pet has been in a hot and stuffy place for a long time.
In these cases there is no cause for concern.
Pathology
If, after measuring the temperature, the column shows an excess of the permissible values, changes in the pet’s behavior are observed, it is most likely sick. There is no point in trying to treat it yourself. This can cause harm.
The cat needs to be shown to a veterinarian. Only he is able to determine the pathogenesis of the pathological condition and select the correct treatment regimen.
Cold ears in a pet - the main reasons
The main reason for the alarming manifestation is that under the thick fur coat there are almost no glands that secrete sweat. Thanks to this feature, excess heat that accumulates in the body is removed through the least fur-covered areas. This is usually the ears, although heat can also escape through the pads of the feet or even the nose.
Short-haired animals often suffer from hypothermia, especially if the temperature in the apartment is not too high. The animal begins to hide under a blanket or cuddle up to a warm radiator. If there are no other signs of illness, it is recommended to dress your pet in overalls or arrange a home near a heat source.
Veterinarians warn that a cat’s cold ears often indicate pregnancy. This is one of the manifestations of toxicosis, from which your pet often suffers.
The last cause of alarm is a serious illness. During the examination, it is also recommended to pay attention to the shade - if the skin becomes light or bluish, immediately go to the veterinarian. This symptom often signals the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Mr. Cat recommends: how to bring down the temperature
Hyperthermia can occur in an animal at any time. It is not always possible to immediately go to a veterinary clinic. First aid can be provided at home.
If the mark on the thermometer exceeds normal values, the cat needs to drink a lot. At high temperatures, the pet usually refuses food, but is tormented by thirst. You need to make sure that there is always clean, warm water in the bowl.
Echinacea tincture helps with hyperthermia. It can reduce temperature, activate the immune system, and destroy pathogenic microorganisms. Before giving your cat any medicine, you need to make sure that the dosage is strictly followed. Astragalus can also be used instead of echinacea.
To strengthen the immune system so that the animal recovers faster, it is recommended to give it vitamin C. However, it can only be used after consulting a specialist.
We recommend reading the article about vitamin deficiency in cats, so you can understand whether your pet has vitamin deficiency and what exactly the problem is related to.
Home inspection
To identify any pathology, an examination of the outer and inner surfaces of the pet’s ears is carried out. This is done as soon as one of the symptoms of the disease appears, and the animal’s ears will have the same high temperature throughout the day.
How to conduct an inspection:
- The animal is calmed down, its fur is stroked, and it is placed on your lap. It is important that the pet is in a calm state and does not resist.
The cat is first wrapped in a diaper or blanket so that the animal does not injure its owner.- First, the external part of the auditory concha is examined, scratches, injuries, and hematomas are identified.
- Then the animal’s ear is bent outward and the inside is examined.
- Ear sticks, homemade gauze or cotton swabs do not penetrate the ear. No manipulations should be carried out, this may cause pain to the cat and there is a risk of infection.
- When examining the internal part, pay attention to changes in the color of the skin, rashes, ulcerations, secreted exudate, and injuries.
Before going to the veterinarian, the ears are not treated. At the clinic, swabs will be taken from the animal; all signs of the disease should be fully evident.
Treatment may blur the symptoms, and test results will not be accurate.
Otodectosis - clinical picture
Hot and wet ears of a pet indicate a tick or fungal infection. The nose may remain wet.
When infected with ear mites, an accumulation of brown discharge is observed in the shells. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the pathological condition will cause the development of otodectosis.
The disease causes the following symptoms:
- itching in the ears;
- restless animal;
- attempts to scratch the ear from the inside (because of this, the cat damages the skin with its claws, which aggravates the condition);
- the pet constantly shakes its head;
- red watery discharge mixed with sulfur and dirt;
- hyperthermia.
With otodectosis, the pet does not allow its ears to be cleaned, becomes very nervous, and screams. Discharge from the sinks is accompanied by squelching sounds. If the listed symptoms occur, you cannot postpone contacting the veterinary clinic. The disease requires long-term and adequate treatment, which can only be selected by a qualified specialist.
Diagnosis of diseases
If a cat's ears are constantly not just warm, but hot, other symptoms of disease often appear. All of them have clear signs and are easy to differentiate.
Otodectosis
Ear mite infestation is not a rare condition in cats. As soon as the animal's ears become hot, they should be examined.
If there is dark, brown discharge inside, the formation of a crust on the mucous membrane, a foul odor, and the cat scratches its ears all the time, this is an infection with ear mites.
Inflammation (otitis media)
The disease affects the outer or inner middle ear.
The main reasons: food allergies, injuries, foreign body ingestion, parasitic, microbial, fungal infections. In addition to hyperthermia, the owner can observe how the animal shakes its head, tilts it towards the inflamed ear, and scratches it.
The cat becomes restless, sometimes aggressive from the pain experienced. With purulent otitis media, fluid is released from the ear canals, and squelching sounds are heard when the animal itches.
Injuries, hematomas
Hematoma is a consequence of mechanical trauma: blow, bite, scratching. It is a clot (collection of blood) under the skin. The liquid coagulates, compacts the vessel, and the compaction displaces the tissue.
The hematoma swells, grows, there is slight inflammation, accompanied by hyperthermia, the ears are dry and red. An injury can be identified by a lump or lump that appears on the outside of the shell.
Infections
This is a large group of diseases of viral, infectious, and fungal origin.
The causes are different, but the symptoms are similar: redness of the inside of the ears, the appearance of discharge, rashes and crusts in the ears, itching.
If there are problems with the ears, the cat will never allow them to be examined and will pull out and scratch. This is the first sign that the animal is experiencing pain.
The pet becomes lethargic, refuses food, his nose is hot and not moist.
