Cat's ear is irritated, shaking head, black discharge. Mites or wax?

Question

My cat seems to have something irritating his ear. Not all of the time, but occasionally he will lay his ear flat and squint his eye. While this is happening he’s also rubbing his ear with his paw and shaking his head. Could this be ear mites or a build up of ear wax? I wiped some of it out and it’s a black reddish color with no odor. He won’t let me take a picture. Anything else I should be looking for? Pet's info: Cat | Siamese | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 11 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, it's impossible to know if this is a waxy, itchy build up or related to infection. You may try smearing the wax on a white, clean piece of paper and looking for movement (the mites moving) with a magnifying glass. Cats can also get bacterial or yeast infections. Your best option is to have the material examined under a microscope by the veterinarian. Then you will know if an infection is present or not. I hope this helps and please feel free to post ay additional questions.

Cat's ear is irritated, shaking head, black discharge. Mites or wax?

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