Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Why is my kitten's ear leaking brown liquid? Should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 2 months and 20 days old | 10 lbs

My kitten has brown liquid coming out of her ear

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 15th, 2017

Poor Ghondour! It's not normal to have a brown liquid coming of a kitten's ear, and this can be due to a bacterial or yeast infection. She will need to see a vet for this, today if possible. The vet can diagnose if she does have an ear infection, what is causing it, and can prescribe medication to treat it.

Vote icon

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my kitty has brown gunk in one ear. has never gone out. is seven months old and loves to play in dripping water
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! The most common cause for brown discharge in the ear is either an ear infection or ear mites. In order to diagnose either a Vet examines some of the brown wax under the microscope. They then will clean his ears and provide the appropriate drops to either treat the infection or the mites. Cats that are indoors can develop both of these possibilities. I hope this helps and I wish Orlee the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My kitten is suffering from ear pain I guess and I can see some type of fluid flowing out from his ear. he also has flu else he is active and playing. tell me what to do? should i be worry for this?
Poor Jojo! If he has some kind of discharge or fluid coming from his ear, this is definitely not normal. It sounds like he may have an ear infection, or even some type of injury to his ear. I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to - he/she can examine the ear canal with an otoscope to help determine exactly what's going on, and may also take a sample of the discharge for analysis. In the meantime, you can try gently cleaning away the drainage with a warm washcloth as often as needed - this will not treat the underlying problem, but it may help to make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has been stretching at one of his ears for a couple weeks now. Tonight its has a bad smell, brownish, black liquid in his ear. I noticed in his ear canal there is a red bubble that wasn't there last week. I can't take any pictures because he n
It sounds like your cat may be dealing with an ear infection. Ear infections can be caused by bacterial, parasitic or fungal infection, or a combination of these, and can be associated with dietary or environmental allergies or sensitivities, immune system disorders, or a combination of the above. Your cat needs to see a vet. Your vet can look at a sample from an ear swab under the microscope and treat appropriately based on what is found. Your vet will also need to examine the ear with a scope to see if the ear drum is intact, as some medications cannot be used safely if the eardrum is ruptured. Ear infections can be very painful, and can sometimes progress to include the middle or inner ear, where they can cause neurologic signs or permanent hearing loss. Please book an appointment to have your cat seen by a vet as soon as possible. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I recently cleaned my cat's ear with Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleaner since she had excessive earwax. I used a gauze pad and wiped the inside of her ear with the cleaner, but I did not go deep down the ear canal. I also wipe her ear with just a d
It's probably an ear infection, often it cannot be seen from the outside. Ear infections are very common in cats, it is usually caused by either yeast or bacterial disease. the treatment is usually simple and straightforward, you will have to take Lulu to the vet and get the ears checked, then a prescription ear drops will be prescribed according to the infectious agent.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Spookette was a stray, so I know next to nothing about her. Ive had her for 2 months and her ears STINK! We tried cleaning them with pet ear cleaner, and it didnt seem to help. She lets you pet her ears. Which means theyre not hurting her, right? The
Poor Spookette! It sounds like she may have a pretty bad ear infection. Ear infections can be due to mites, bacteria, or yeast in cats. I'd recommend scheduling an examination with a veterinarian so Spookette can have her ears checked out. A swab can be taken from the ears and evaluated under the microscope to determine if the cause is mites, bacteria, or yeast. She will likely need prescription ear medication to treat. Thanks for using Boop by Petco and I hope Spookette's ear issue resolves quickly!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
highways is more less 2,3 months old. she is fever and has been drop a bit. her ears is somrthing.. i have attached the picture
It appears that your kitten has an ear infection. This could be caused by mites, bacteria or a fungus. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian who will examine the ear with an otoscope, and he will take a swab of the discharge of the ear and look at it under the microscope. This should help with diagnosing the cause. Your kitty will then get medicine according to the diagnosis, usually ear drops. The ear will also need to be cleaned by the vet
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has excessive ear wax build up in one ear. What could be the cause?
Poor Kiara! Normal cat ears should not have any visible wax at all - so if you are seeing yellow, brown, or black waxy material in the ear, this means that she either has an ear infection or ear mites. Treatment will depend on what type of infection is present, so I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can take a sample of the discharge for analysis to determine the problem and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat it depending on what is found.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 1 year old cat's eyes are weeping red, blood like tears, constantly. What treatment can I give her? My new kitten, has crusty white scabs in her ears too. Should I pick them out?
Your cat's eyes appear to be quite inflamed with a clear, watery discharge. The reddish-brown discoloration is more likely a reaction between the enzymes in the tear film with the hair rather than blood. This issue could be related to infection (bacterial or viral), allergic, or due to trauma (such as a corneal ulcer). She will need to be examined by a vet to determine the cause of her eye discharge so that the appropriate medication can be prescribed. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her until the time of her appointment to prevent her from rubbing/scratching her eyes. For your kitten, the picture is quite blurry, so I'm having trouble seeing the white lesions on her ear very well. These scabs could be a result of an ear infection, ear mites, ringworm or other fungal infection. If the scabs come off easily, you can try removing them. However, if they come back or spread elsewhere, your kitten will need to take a trip to the vet for evaluation. I hope that all goes well for both cats!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My kitten got this on her ear. What is this and what should I do? Read from the internet and it says that it is dermatitis. However I wanted to have an expert advice, help anyone? Thank you!
This could be an area of a bacterial infection, fungal infection or I have even seen trauma such as from outdoor cat bite wounds cause this. This wound needs to be kept clean and dry and if it is getting worse it will require medication from your veterinarian to heal. Do not allow your kitten to paw or rub at the site as well as keep her indoors and monitor this for any change in size, redness, Increase in discharge as well as pain. If you notice any of those signs your cat needs to be checked out by your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my cat is having ear infection, discharge from the ear of my cat that resembles coffee coffee color puss, she is showing discomfort by scratching or pawing at his ear or shaking or tilting his head in the direction of the painful ear. What medi
Ear infections in cats can be caused by ear mites, yeast, or bacteria. Unfortunately without seeing Notie in person, I can't diagnose what is causing it and can't say what treatment is needed. She does have to see a vet for this, as leaving it untreated can lead to hearing loss. Vets are seeing pets now for illnesses, and this counts. Please call around to find a vet to see her today. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Food Cat Supplies Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Wet Cat Food Cat Ear & Eye Care Antifungal Medication for Cats Dog Ear Care Kitten Food Canned Cat Food Kitten Formula & Milk Replacer Vetnique Labs Cat Ear & Eye Care Neo-Poly-Dex Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Zymox Cat Ear & Eye Care Oticbliss Cat Ear & Eye Care NaturVet Cat Ear & Eye Care Vetericyn Cat Ear & Eye Care Well & Good Cat Ear & Eye Care Nutri-Vet Cat Ear & Eye Care Dorzolamide Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication PetAlive Cat Ear & Eye Care
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored