😫 Head Shaking & Ears Scratching - trying to understand, can you help ?

[Mrcclms]

Hello guys

My male 1.5 yo scottish cat Adam started shaking his head and scratching his ears (above/behind his ears, almost on the head) 5-10 times a day.

Nothing alarming, I know, but it was kind of sudden and it's been lasting for 2 months also.

When it started, I gave him Revolution thinking of mites (even tho his ears are fairly clean....just some wax here and there).

It didn't stop.

Then I thought of dry air in my apartment, AC always on. I added a humidifier.

Still on.

Thought of dry skin or too much brushing from myself (he is long hair). So I stopped brushing him and I simply wash him once a week with a soothing, oatmeal dry shampoo and shed him once.

Still scratching.

I was giving him some Tryptophan to keep him calmer. I stopped 10 days ago thinking it could be the reason.

No change.


WHAT IS LEFT ?

- Sudden food allergy ? I feed him a mix of Buffalo Basics Turkey + homecooked chicken breast. Should I try to cut the chicken out and replace it with turkey ?

- Ear mites ? His ears are fairly clean but in the past I thin he had some cause I often got bitten as well, from his "mites"

- Hyperesthesia? He has some zoomies, sometimes the bottom of his back skin "rolls" and sometimes he licks/bites his bottom. But he is a healthy cat overall, I never really believed he had Hyperesthesia

- Environmental allergy ? Not sure to what, my place is clean, I vacuum often. Windows are closed so no pollens



Any insight is highly appreciated

 

[daftcat75]

It could be a food allergy. Krista used to do that when I gave her chicken or egg. Turns out she's allergic to both.

If you can cut out the chicken for now, see if that helps.

While you are trying to figure out what's causing it, something that helped Krista was what I called her "ear tea."

Make up a cup of chamomile tea. Let it cool to lukewarm. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to it. Dip a cotton ball or make-up pad into it and drip just a few drops into his ears. Krista hates anything going in her ears so I would press most of the liquid out first, then press the pad into the inside top of her ear and let her shake it on in. Her head shaking and ear scratching would go away instantly.

 

[ArtNJ]

Believe it or not, cats get allergies to outdoor stuff, just like humans. Its not super common, but every summer my now departed cat Rocky used to get squinty eye for a few weeks from allergies. And sometimes during those times she would scratch an ear for ten seconds while making a strange noise. So it could be that.

I'd probably bet on ear mites though...

 

[Mrcclms]

It could be a food allergy. Krista used to do that when I gave her chicken or egg. Turns out she's allergic to both.

If you can cut out the chicken for now, see if that helps.

While you are trying to figure out what's causing it, something that helped Krista was what I called her "ear tea."

Make up a cup of chamomile tea. Let it cool to lukewarm. Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to it. Dip a cotton ball or make-up pad into it and drip just a few drops into his ears. Krista hates anything going in her ears so I would press most of the liquid out first, then press the pad into the inside top of her ear and let her shake it on in. Her head shaking and ear scratching would go away instantly.

Great tips. I'll replace chicken (he loves chicken more than anything but I'm willing to try) with turkey and wash his ears tmr

 

[fionasmom]

I am wondering about a food allergy as well given all the symptoms and solutions you have tried already. I have a hyperesthesia cat and it usually manifests as a very intense behavior where the cat is in their own world; for example, they chase their tail and try to kill it not remembering it is attached to their body.

 

[susanm9006]

Before you do anything else I would have your vet check for ear mites or signs of an ear infection. If he gets a clean bill then maybe take a look at his diet.

 

[Mrcclms]

But even if it's mites the vet would prescribe Revolution which I gave him already

Today I switched to all turkey

And I washed his ears....they are super clean but I let the drops go in the inside area that is not visible

 

[susanm9006]

But even if it's mites the vet would prescribe Revolution which I gave him already

Today I switched to all turkey

And I washed his ears....they are super clean but I let the drops go in the inside area that is not visible

That still leaves an ear infection as a possibility. Are you comfortable diagnosing that yourself?

 

[Jcatbird]

Ear mites can be hard to diagnose. Ear infection could be possible as well as over production of wax. The ripping of skin indicates irritation or excitement. Ear drops might be a vet option. You could check. To discover the cause, sometimes it better to eliminate one issue at a time. Allergies are hard to pin down if there can be multiple events going on. Poor kitty. Itching and allergies are both nerve wracking. I hope kitty feels better quickly.

 

[Mrcclms]

Believe it or not, cats get allergies to outdoor stuff, just like humans. Its not super common, but every summer my now departed cat Rocky used to get squinty eye for a few weeks from allergies. And sometimes during those times she would scratch an ear for ten seconds while making a strange noise. So it could be that.

I'd probably bet on ear mites though...

Do you remember what months your cat got allergy ?

Is May a bad month for allergies in general ?

 

[Aslan Cat]

My cat kinda had the same thing, but It went away, If it gets worse, I would go to the vet, mabye a picture would help some people

 

[Mrcclms]

My cat kinda had the same thing, but It went away, If it gets worse, I would go to the vet, mabye a picture would help some people

From pictures you can't see much, his fur is full and healthy, clean ears, just tiny eyes tears every few days (he is a Scottish fold with flat face so some tears are normal)


It started 1.5 months ago

I'm starting to wonder if is allergy season, I read online that here in Florida most pollen starts between April and May

And I have to say that when the quarantine started I started spending time on my balcony and I brought Adam with me

It was the first times for him to be outside

BUT the shaking and itching started I would say 2-3 weeks after bringing him on the balcony and I stopped bringing him outside like 2 weeks ago and he is still shaking/itching

Reason why I didn't think it was the cause


But I'm ruling out all the other causes (removed chicken, using a humidifier, vacuuming and cleaning with natural products, no hard brushing but only weekly washes with moisturizing dry shampoos)


What do you guys think of a product like this ?

Pet Allergy & Immune Support - Made in USA - Cat & Dog Allergy Relief - 100% Natural - Milk Thistle & Turmeric - Best Treatment for Dog & Cat Immune System - Vitamin C for Pets - Non-GMO Amazon.com : Pet Allergy & Immune Support - Made in USA - Cat & Dog Allergy Relief - 100% Natural - Milk Thistle & Turmeric - Best Treatment for Dog & Cat Immune System - Vitamin C for Pets - Non-GMO : Pet Supplies



Review are great but I never trust amazon reviews

 

[Aslan Cat]

My cat daisy alsk has the tear drops in her eyes.
Is the scrating every single day? Or just from time to time... It could just have an itchy spot that comes back, but allergies sounds reasonable to...
Also do you have any more pets? Adem could have gotten in a fight and got a scratch in his ear?

 

[Mrcclms]

But the question is


Would an environmental/seasonal allergy be sufficient for a cat to start licking his neck/back, shaking his head and itching his ears ?

I mean, a person with allergy doesn't do that

 

[Aslan Cat]

My cat daisy alsk has the tear drops in her eyes.
Is the scrating every single day? Or just from time to time... It could just have an itchy spot that comes back, but allergies sounds reasonable to...
Also do you have any more pets? Adem could have gotten in a fight and got a scratch in his ear?

How old is adem?

 

[Mrcclms]

My cat daisy alsk has the tear drops in her eyes.
Is the scrating every single day? Or just from time to time... It could just have an itchy spot that comes back, but allergies sounds reasonable to...
Also do you have any more pets? Adem could have gotten in a fight and got a scratch in his ear?

No no, only pet, I live in a condo apartment on a high floor, just me and him

 

[Mrcclms]

How old is adem?

1.5 years

 

[Jcatbird]

I have allergies and it affects my eyes, ears, skin etc. I don’t know if this is the issue with Adam. My cats that get fresh air from outside are affected at times. It depends on what pollen is present/grass/trees/Flowers. I am seeing a whole lot of allergy posts this year. With mine I finally had to get an antihistamine from the vet for the most affected cat. The vet diagnosed it as pollen allergy in the case of the sneezing, coughing, itching, head shaking, watery eyes kitties. Some were mildly affected, some runny nose too. Each seemed to have a different level of reactions. I also got air purifiers that are specifics to pollen, dust and virus. A heap filter too. That and keeping windows closed seems to have stopped the problem except for one. If I work in the garden I seem to bring allergens in on my clothing so now I change and shower upon entry. This is a hard thing to pinpoint but process of elimination will help. I don’t know about the Amazon product. I only trust my vet when it comes to medical stuff. She’s very good about telling me if I can use non prescription items. You can ask your vet about that product. I hope Adan gets over it quickly.

 

[Mrcclms]

I have allergies and it affects my eyes, ears, skin etc. I don’t know if this is the issue with Adam. My cats that get fresh air from outside are affected at times. It depends on what pollen is present/grass/trees/Flowers. I am seeing a whole lot of allergy posts this year. With mine I finally had to get an antihistamine from the vet for the most affected cat. The vet diagnosed it as pollen allergy in the case of the sneezing, coughing, itching, head shaking, watery eyes kitties. Some were mildly affected, some runny nose too. Each seemed to have a different level of reactions. I also got air purifiers that are specifics to pollen, dust and virus. A heap filter too. That and keeping windows closed seems to have stopped the problem except for one. If I work in the garden I seem to bring allergens in on my clothing so now I change and shower upon entry. This is a hard thing to pinpoint but process of elimination will help. I don’t know about the Amazon product. I only trust my vet when it comes to medical stuff. She’s very good about telling me if I can use non prescription items. You can ask your vet about that product. I hope Adan gets over it quickly.

Thanks for the insights

They were grooming a lot like licking their fur, their paws ?

 

[ArtNJ]

Do you remember what months your cat got allergy ?

Is May a bad month for allergies in general ?

It seemed to happen for a week or two here or there once the weather got warm. It took us many years to figure out it was allergies, because the squinty eye didn't correspond rigidly with the ear scratching. And of course, good luck getting a vet to dx something if it isn't an active issue at the exact moment when you bring the cat in.

She was an indoor/outdoor cat. I live in a suburb, but there is a bit of overgrown land, so I'm not sure what exactly she was allergic too. I am pretty sure it was always the same eye and ear, so somehow or other that can happen from allergies (might be very rare though), even though it doesn't seem to work that way in humans.