The ABCs of Your Cat's ENTs: Caring for Their Eyes, Ears, and Teeth

Grooming is not just for the sake of appearance. Keeping the teeth, ears and eyes well groomed is vital not only for good looks, but for good health. 

Eyes
Healthy eyes require very little attention except to use a moist cloth to clean away any crusts that may accumulate overnight. But this gives you a chance every day to check your cat's eye health. Look for reddened inner eyelids, gooey discharge, cloudiness within the eye, a dull eye surface, foreign bodies in the eye, excessive tearing, squinting, or tear-stained (reddened) fur around the eyes. Check that errant hairs, lashes, or vibrissa are not touching the cornea (the clear outer surface of the eye) and causing irritation. 

Some cats have tear ducts that fail to open (a condition called imperforate lacrimal punctum), so their tears drain out onto the face. Tears cause the coat to stain red. You will need to keep the eyes clean to make your cat comfortable and attractive. Ask your veterinarian to check your cat's eyes if he has tear staining. 

Squinting or pawing at the eye can arise from pain. Swelling and redness may indicate glaucoma, a scratched cornea, or several other problems. Profuse tear discharge may be caused by a foreign body, scratched cornea, or blocked tear drainage duct. Thick mucus and a dull appearing surface may indicate “dry eye” (keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS). Any change in pupil size is cause for an immediate visit to the veterinarian as it could indicate a brain injury or other potentially serious problem. 

You may be prescribed eye drops or ointment if your cat has an eye problem. To administer medication:

1. Gently wipe away any discharge around the eye using a moist cotton ball.
2. Hold the cat (or better, have a helper hold him), tilting his head back with one hand and using two fingers to open the lids.
3. For drops, hold the bottle above the eye (taking care not to touch the eye) and aim the drops to the center of the eye.
4. For ointment, hold the tube parallel to the lower lid, and squeeze a rice-grain-sized portion just inside the lower lid. You may need to gently massage the lids to distribute the ointment.
5. Give the cat a treat!

Ears
To examine your cat's ears, use your thumb and forefinger to gently roll the ear back, exposing the inner part. You can use your remaining three fingers to hold the cat's skin on the back of his neck. Of course, a helper is even better! Look for redness or excessive debris. Some light brown wax is normal, but black, grainy, gooey, red, yellowish or greenish discharge all indicate a problem. If there's a lot of wax or black debris, or if the ear is reddened, swollen, or painful, or if the cat is scratching his ears, holding his head to the side or shaking his head, he has a more serious problem that should be seen by his veterinarian.
 
Parasites, such as ear mites, are a common cause of intense itching. Signs are head shaking, head tilt, and a dark coffee-ground like build-up in the ears. Your veterinarian can prescribe ear drops or newer drug therapies. 

If the problem is an infection, the veterinarian will prescribe ointment or drops that will kill fungus and bacteria. If the infection is advanced, oral antibiotics may also be prescribed. 

If the ear is filled with wax and debris, it will need to be cleaned so the medication can reach the lining of the canal. If the ear is extremely painful it will be impossible to clean it without sedating the cat. You also don’t want to do this if the ear drum is perforated. In most cases however, the veterinarian will send you home with an ear flush solution along with medication. Ear flush solution not only loosens wax and debris so medication can reach the ear’s surface, but has a drying agent so it doesn’t leave the ear wet. Squirt the liquid in quickly (the slower it goes in the more it tickles) then gently massage it around the base of the ear, then wipe out the debris and liquid with gauze. Let go and stand back while your cat goes crazy and tries to run away (Do this in an enclosed area). Then do it again. After the ear is cleaned, you can squeeze medicated ointment or drops into the canal, again gently massaging the ear base to disperse the medicine. 

Teeth
Dental care ideally begins in kittenhood, as you teach your cat to enjoy getting his teeth brushed. But even if your cat is older, it's not too late. You can start by rubbing your fingers, along with some meat-flavored kitty toothpaste, along his teeth. Work up to a finger brush and then a soft-bristled cat tooth brush or even a small child's toothbrush. Don't use human toothpaste, which has a taste that will have your cat foaming at the mouth. You may have to have a helper hold your cat wrapped in a towel if he really hates the process. 

If you let plaque build up, it attracts bacteria and minerals, which harden into tartar. It spreads rootward causing irreversible periodontal disease with tissue, bone, and tooth loss. The bacteria gain an inlet to the bloodstream, where it can cause kidney and heart valve infections. Hard crunchy foods don't help as much as they were once thought to, although special foods exist that are designed to break when chewed so they then scour the cat's teeth. Regardless, they don’t take the place of brushing. If tartar accumulates, your cat may need a thorough cleaning under anesthesia. If you don't brush your cat's teeth, chances are he will develop periodontal disease by a few years of age, and it will continue to worsen. 

Bad breath is not only unpleasant, but it can signify tooth and gun disease among other problems. Always have bad breath checked by your veterinarian.