Red Fungus on Cat's Ears

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Stacey - 02 Feb 2006 23:31 GMT

We take care of a semi feral neighborhood cat who lives outdoors. We noticed
something that looks like rust-colored fungus growing in spots on the edges of
her ears and a raised rusty bump on the back of one of them. On one edge it
looks like where the fungus fell off part of the ear came off too. She has a
vet appt. first thing in the morning, but I was wondering what this was.

Thanks,

Stacey

Reply to this Message

idontmind@gmail.com - 03 Feb 2006 01:07 GMT

> We take care of a semi feral neighborhood cat who lives outdoors. We noticed
> something that looks like rust-colored fungus growing in spots on the edges of
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Stacey

Probably rigworm, and what you are seeing is dried blood.
-L.

Reply to this Message

Stacey - 03 Feb 2006 19:34 GMT

>> We take care of a semi feral neighborhood cat who lives outdoors. We noticed
>>something that looks like rust-colored fungus growing in spots on the edges of
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>Probably rigworm, and what you are seeing is dried blood.
>-L.

It turns out it was chiggers. Her ears were treated with a fungicide and she
gets a topical salve on them twice a day. Though she yowled to and from (which
is normal for any cat), she did really well at the vet's for a semi feral cat!

Stacey

Reply to this Message

idontmind@gmail.com - 04 Feb 2006 06:55 GMT

> It turns out it was chiggers.

Ewwwww! It had to be bad for it to be seen that extensively. Usually
you will just see scabs or bloody areas with tiny red dots scattered
here and there.

> Her ears were treated with a fungicide

But chiggers aren't a fungus - they are a mite. What did they
prescribe? The fungicide may be to keep secondary inection away. Was
it Tresaderm, by any chance? It is sort of an antiparasitic drug.

>and she
> gets a topical salve on them twice a day. Though she yowled to and from (which
> is normal for any cat), she did really well at the vet's for a semi feral cat!
>
> Stacey

Excellent! Good luck getting the goop on her ears...

-L.
(posting from my other account)

Reply to this Message

Stacey Weinberger - 04 Feb 2006 23:50 GMT

I got it wrong, it's a miticide, not a fungicide. And yes, she is on
Tresaderm. It is easier with two of us: one holding and one applying. She
doesn't turn into a Tasmanian devil but she is definitely not happy about
it. And we feed her afterwards. :)

Stacey

>> It turns out it was chiggers.
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> -L.
> (posting from my other account)

Reply to this Message