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My cat's shaking head, I put olive oil in ear. Should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 3 days old | 9 lbs

I put about 10 drops of olive oil in my cats left ear. I tried wiping it out after 5 minutes but didn't get much out. She is shaking her head when she plays. I used the olive oil in the first place because she kept shaking her head and digging at the ear. I didn't see mites but it looked dirty. Will this hurt her? Should I take her to the vet?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 11th, 2017

Olive oil isn’t recommended to put in your pets ears unfortunately. It shouldn’t cause any major issues unless Callie has a ruptured ear drum, which your vet can check for with a proper ear exam. If it looks dirty and she is shaking, then she could still have mites (true are quite small and often cause black crusty debris in the ears) or even a yeast or bacterial infection. It’s best to take her in to your vet soon for a proper ear exam, testing to determine what kind of infection is there and pet friendly ear medication and cleaner. If you can’t get her in today, then it’s best to purchase a dewaxing pet ear cleaner from your local pet store right now to help remove some of the residue olive oil from her ear. She likely doesn’t like the feel of having this in her ear so it’s also a good idea to place an e-collar on her to prevent her from scratching at her ears and causing further irritation. I hope Callie’s ear infection clears up soon. Best wishes and take care.

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    Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 11th, 2017

    Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Calie! I would take her to the Vet so they can use an ear cleaner to flush the olive oil out if she continues to shake. I wouldn't recommend placing olive oil in the ear. I would only use approved for cats ear cleaners. If she has been shaking her head and scratching before the olive oil then she may have an ear infection. If she has an ear infection or ear mites she should see a Vet for a diagnosis and proper treatment. I hope this helps and I wish Calie a speedy recovery!

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