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Ear Polyps in Cats

Ear Polyps in Cats

Ear Polyps

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Updated on September 26, 2024
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Reviewed by Petco's Veterinarian Team
Veterinarian
SUMMARY OF CONTENT
Inflammatory polyps in cats cause significant ear discomfort and can damage the tympanic membrane (eardrum) as well as cause serious respiratory disease if located in the nasopharyngeal area
SEVERITY:
Severity is mild to severe
  • Diagnosis Icon
    Requires a diagnosis by a veterinarian
  • Time to Cure
    Resolves within days after surgery if complications or reoccurrence do not occur
  • Treatment Icon
    Treatable by a veterinarian
  • Prevention Icon
    No known prevention
  • Spread Icon
    Transmission is not possible between animals and not possible between animals and people, although these inflammatory polyps may be associated with chronic respiratory infections and/or feline leukemia and feline immune deficiency viruses, all of which are transmissible between cats
  • Lab Icon
    Diagnosis requires physical exam
VERY COMMON IN
May occur in cats of all ages and genders but are usually seen in cats between the ages of 1 and 4.

Symptoms & Signs

Ear and nasopharyngeal polyps typically originate in the middle ear. They are usually benign. If the polyp grows though the ear drum into the ear canal, the cat may show signs similar to an ear infection, including scratching or shaking the head, pain on palpation of the ear, or thick or bloody discharge from the ear canal. The inner ear may also be affected, causing a head tilt, inability to walk in a straight line, or eye changes on the same side of the face as the affected ear, including Horner’s syndrome, with a droopy eyelid , and a partially prolapsed hood eyelid over in the lower part of the eye . The symptoms usually start slowly and become chronic with limited response to routine ear infection treatment. When polyps grow from the middle ear through the auditory tube into the back of the nose and mouth (the nasopharyngeal area), cats may have difficulty breathing or swallowing and may have a chronic nasal discharge and difficulty eating When these polyps are large, life -threatening breathing issues can occur, and cats may have so much difficulty swallowing that they cannot eat.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is usually based on a thorough exam of the ear canal with an otoscope and evaluation of the oral cavity. Some cats may need to be sedated to properly examine the ear canal and nasopharynx, especially when very painful or anxious. Ear polyps are usually located in the horizontal part of the ear canal after they have grown large enough to rupture through the ear drum. Most polyps are benign inflammatory polyps, but cancerous growths may occur, and consequently biopsy and histopathology of the polyp are needed. Sometimes X-rays of the head can identify the presence of an ear polyp, but when not visible upon exam, CT scanning is usually the most effective way to look for the presence of a polyp or other ear mass. About 10% of cats have ear polyps bilaterally.

Causation

The exact cause of ear polyps is not known; however, they are usually considered o be an inflammatory reaction to to infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses such as Calicivirus, or feline leukemia virusThere may be a genetic component, whereremnants of fetal brachial arches remain instead of shrinking, causing the nasal polyp structure.

Treatments

icon AT-HOME CARE
An Elizabethan collar may be recommended for your pet after surgery to prevent rubbing and scratching of the surgical site. Oral medications for pain or infection, or topical antibiotics and steroids are often needed at home.
icon SUPPORTIVE CARE
None
icon MEDICATIONS
Pain medication and antibiotics are usually prescribed after surgery or polyp removal by retraction
icon DEVICES
None
icon SURGERY
Because the polyps are often attached by only a long, thin stalk, they frequently can be retracted and the stalk cut or broken. However, up to 50% or 75% of the polyps removed by this method mayregrow .. Therefore, a more complicated surgical procedure called a ventral bulla osteotomy may be recommended, especially if regrowth occurs, or if the polyp cannot be successfully visualized and retracted. This surgery removes the lower part of the bone that surrounds the inner ear and removes all of the tissue associated with the polyp. If the ventral bulla osteotomy is performed, the recurrence rate is extremely low.
icon SPECIALISTS
Polyps visible in the ear canal or in the mouth are often removed by primary care veterinarians. Ventral bullar osteotomies are usually performed by a veterinary surgical specialist.

Cost Of Treatment

Cost to remove a polyp may be in the $500 to $800 range. Recurrent polyps or larger polyps requiring a ventral bulla osteotomy may cost $2000 or more.

Recovery

Most pets show significant improvement 1-2 weeks after ventral bulla osteotomy surgery. With retraction removal of nasopharyngeal polyps, respiratory improvement is usually seen immediately. Persistent hearing loss is usually present post ventral bullar osteotomy, and may occur after retraction removal. Retraction removal does not always improve the chronic middle ear inflammation, so long term treatment with appropriate medications may be required, or eventual ventral bullar osteotomy.

Monitoring

Monitor your pet for signs of pain, disorientation, ear discharge, and breathing issues, along with a return of symptoms after surgery.

Prevention

There is no known prevention for ear polyps.

Questions about Ear Polyps

My 8yo Golden had a falsepregnancy w milk. Cabergoline has resolved it now. I hear conflicting opinions about spaying. She has never mated. Some say not spaying would cause pseudopregnancy recurrence+dangerous conditions like Mammary T. But UCDavis studies say spaying increases other aggressive cancer risks among GoldenRs. Also, vet thinks that her anemia that keeps coming back after prednisolone trtmnts *might* be due to Ovary cysts, suggests spaying. What's the right approach for her health?

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Lav. I've heard many owners quote the UC Davis study, and there are a number of things wrong with the study. Check out this article on it: https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/deconstructing-spayneuter-debate Not spaying her can cause a pseudopregnancy reoccurrence, but it doesn't increase her risk of mammary tumors. That's already going to be 25% because she's had more than two heats. Keep in mind, 50% of mammary tumors in dogs are malignant. She is eight years old, so she is already at a higher risk of developing cancer simply because she is an older dog. She is also at risk of a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. The treatment for a pyometra is spaying the dog, which is an emergency during a pyometra and can cost many thousands of dollars. In all honesty, it's best to spay her. It will keep her from developing a pyometra as well as a pseudopregnancy, and it will keep her from getting pregnant if she accidentally mates. Dogs over the age of six should never have puppies. In my opinion, it's best for her to health to get spayed asap. I hope this helps!

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I was advised by my daughter's dog trainer to contact a vet about my Yorkie's anxiety. She is 7 yo and 12 lbs. She started off scared of some fireworks in the neighborhood. Now it has progressed to even heavy rain. She keeps us up during storms because s she's so afraid and we can't console her. The trainer said a vet could try her on some trazadone. How can I get help with this?

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Ellie. I'm sorry she's having trouble with anxiety! Yes medications can help with anxiety, but she would need to see a vet in person to get the medication. We cannot provide a prescription for it from the site without seeing her in person; it's illegal, and against the user terms of the site. I recommend contacting her vet to make her an appointment to discuss the use of medication. A thundershirt may also help in conjunction with medication. You can buy them online, I also recommend looking at one of those. A tip to keep in mind when she is afraid is not to console her. It's natural to want to do that, but it actually reinforces the behavior. By consoling her, you are telling her it's ok to act this way. I hope this helps!

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Florence has been suffering with vulva dermatitis for about 6 months now. We have tried antibiotics for both bacterial vaginitis and uti and it did not help. We also are bathing with medicated shampoo every 2-3 weeks. Still no help. She is living in a cone because otherwise she bites at it until the vulva is bleeding. I need help. We have tried new food as well, still no improvement. We have tried environmental allergy medications and no relief with that either. Any suggestions?

Hello thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry that Florence is having this issue. Has a skin scraping/cytology been done in that area? Has a urinalysis/urine culture been done or was she just prescribed antibiotics? Any radiographs (X-rays)? Is there discharge coming from the vulva? Bloodwork? Culture of the skin - maybe there is resistant bacteria there. It may not be bacterial, it may be yeast/fungal so antibiotics would not treat that - she would need antifungals (like oral ketoconazole). Also, this may not be a skin issue. The skin manifestation could be secondary and not the primary problem. Like she could have a urinary issue (like bladder stones) or even an autoimmune issue. Have her anal glands be checked? More testing needs to be done. If nothing can be found with the urinary system then I would recommend a skin biopsy and then treatment can be tailored based on those results. I'm sorry but I don't really have enough information to be that helpful. All I can recommend is more testing if you really want an answer. Otherwise you can keep changing and trying things with no resolution. You may also want to consult with a veterinary dermatologist if there is one in your area. In my opinion you are not bathing often enough. It should be done twice weekly and you need to be sure you are leaving the shampoo on for 10 minutes before rinsing. While waiting to get her back to your vet for more testing I would recommend the following: 1. Start her on an immune system support supplement: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=133838 ) 2. On the days you are not bathing you can apply this medicated mousse to the area. You do not rinse it. Do it once daily. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=145608 ) I hope this helps. Best wishes.

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Hi my dog Deogie has been biting and licking his paws and trying to literally pull off his toe nails like they itch or something and his paws are red and his nail bed is a light brown color. Can he have athletes foot? And can I use hydrocortisone cream or athletes foot spray? Please help it looks like it can be really annoying for my baby!!

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Deogie. Poor guy sounds very uncomfortable! If he is biting and licking his paws a lot, that tells me he is quite itchy, and that is usually a sign of allergies. It's not a sign of a fungal infection, and it's not called athlete's foot in dogs, it's called ringworm. This is something that needs to be diagnosed by a vet in order for him to be treated correctly, and I would take him into a vet today or tomorrow. Until he sees a vet, put a cone on him to keep him from biting at his paws. You can buy one at a pet store if you don't have one at home already. I hope this helps!

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I just moved to a new state 2 months ago and my cat has peed on my bed probably 9 times since. 3 times while I’m physically in bed trying to sleep. She used to pee on my bed before our move, whenever I’d be gone overnight somewhere. I’m not sure what to do. She’s 6 now and she’s been doing this since the pandemic. I haven’t tried anxiety meds yet and every vet visit I’ve had they say she’s healthy. I love her so much but I’m wondering if re-homing her is something I should consider.

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. A cat can be "healthy" and still have urination issues as you have described because the problem is behavioral and not medical. If it has been ruled out that she does not have any underlying medical conditions (kidney issues, bladder problems, UTI, etc) then you should try the behavioral modification medication. The medications work well and cats rarely have any side effects with their use. Please talk to your vet about this. This problem is not only stressful for you but also for Prune. And typically what happens is, if you rehome her, she will do the same behavior at the new person's house. Inevitably they get frustrated and they will rehome her and the cycle continues as she is passed from home to home. She may even end up at a shelter as unadaptable which in some shelters means euthanasia. Please don't do that to her and speak to your vet about medication. I can tell you love her very much and someone else may not feel the same about her. The medication is not expensive and typically is easy to administer. The medication does not usually change their attitude towards you or change their personality in any drastic way. It is an easy solution. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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My 1 year old puppy was playing with our great dane early in the morning about a week ago. I was trying to do something in the house when i heard the puppy scream. I thought he had hurt his leg as he kept holding it up and all day wanting me to hold him..then he seemed to get better but didnt want to eat much and couldnt bark sounded more like a cry. But he would have bouts where he seemed normal..two days ago my husband found a big swelling or lump on the side of his neck

Thanks for visiting Boop by Petco. Oh no. Poor guy. This type of injury where you have vocalization, limping, and swelling definitely needs to be looked at by your veterinarian. A thorough physical exam of the area and potentially radiographs of the bones are needed here to provide the care that Stormy needs after an injury to this degree. I would highly recommend taking him in to be seen as soon as you can. You are not going to be able to care for an injury like this at home. For tonight, its best to just keep Stormy quiet in an isolated room without any other pets to disturb him and apply a cold compress to the swollen area, if tolerated, for about 3-5 mins. Using a bag of peas will suffice. I do hope that you are able to get Stormy some medical attention soon. Best of luck and take care.

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Disclaimer

The information contained on this page is for educational purposes only. This medication should only be given under the advice of a veterinarian who has examined your pet under the laws applicable to your state of residence.