Please help me.

[babykat]

I have 8 cats but my favorite is my "baby" is a part siamese i named Doggie (it's a long story).
I periodically clean his ears with cotton buds so he would scratch his ears anymore when they get a little earwax. Two days ago, i cleaned his right ear gently. About six hours later, i noticed that a runny dark brown substance, similar to the earwax he gets. This has happened before and it stopped after a few hours. but this time, it hasn't. The runny fluid is now light brown, sometimes colorless. It doesn't smell, but i think it bothers him coz he is constantly scratching his ear. Doggie still has his appetite and he still does the usual things. Sometimes, when i have him on my lap, he seems a bit hot to the touch. I'm not sure if it's the weather here in the Philippines (we do have very warm weather) or if he's got a slight fever.
I also sometimes see tiny white worms in his feces.
I know only a trip to the vet would help my cat but the problem is there ARE NO VETS in this part of my country (Philippines). If there were any, i would have taken Doggie to him in a heartbeat. I feel like crying coz there's no one to help me with him.
Please help me.

[Auntie Debbie]

I'm sorry your kitty is having such problems and that there are no vets in your area. If there is one, even at a distance, the drive would be the best thing for him.
In the meantime, if you have a digital camera, you could take some pics of the ears and worms and post them. Maybe that would help Traci and davet help you better in determining the cause of your kitty's distress.
Under Favorites in the menu on the left of the board, click on Debbie's Feline Health and go to the Neurological Page. Scroll down to the bottom and you'll find alot of links on ear related problems.
He could have an ear infection which could produce a bit of a fever. The best thing for your kitty would be to have a vet do a culture of the debirs in his ears to determine the cause (fungal or bacterial) and treatment would depend on the results. Usually a braod range antibiotic and something for inflammation of severe cases or deep infections. Sometimes vets will first dreat with topical ointments or drops.
Another idea would be to call a vet , describe the symptoms and maybe the vet can prescribe something over the net for him based on your description and possible pictures.
Other ear related problems that could be causing your kitty's ear problems would be polyps, hematomas severe wax buildup and mites. If it were mites though, chances would be very high that all of your kitties would have them.
I hope your kitty will be able to get some form of treatment. Neglected or badly treated ear problems can sometimes result in deafness and/or Vestibular Disease.
Please let us know how your kitty is doing, okay?

[Traci]

I'm concerned with parts of your post.....first, you have 8 cats, but no vet? What do you do in case of emergency? Pet care involves having a backup veterinary facility for emergencies and/or treating primary disease problems.

Second, the only way to know what the ear exudate is, is to have it examined by a vet. We cannot diagnose here, we don't know the full history of your kitty, what you used to clean the ears with (other than cotton balls), if this is earmites vs severe bacterial infection, yeast, etc. Debbie has pointed out several conditions that only your vet can diagnose and effectively treat. One thing that concerns me is that you describe this brown substance as runny, so this might indicate infection, or even blood as evidence of irritation or infection (blood can appear as a brown substance when it is the result of an infection). You also indicated he has a history of scratching his ears, so without knowing what exactly you're dealing with, you could actually be causing him more harm by cleaning and manipulating the ears with the wrong approach, wrong product, not knowing the true source of the problem, etc.

What you describe as the worms, may be tapeworm, but it could be roundworm or hookworm or even another parasite altogether. Ideally, your vet needs to examine your kitty and properly deworm him. Please don't use over-the-counter dewormers for any of your kitties. You need to determine the type of worm you're treating, the medications are available from your vet, reasonably priced, and effective (otc products are ineffective and some are toxic to cats). If your cats are outdoors, you need to examine them for evidence of fleas (which lead to tapeworm infection), and your vet can properly treat them as well (again, NO otc products for this purpose)

As Debbie said, the nearest vet available is truly in your kitties' best interests, no matter the distance.

[bridget]

I hope you will be able to get some type of help for your kitty. Where are you in the Philippines (which island)? Are there any vets in Manila you could at least call? You could have different problems you have to deal with in the Philippines than we have to deal with here (with your animals I mean) so it's hard for us to hazard a guess what might be wrong, or what you could do to help your kitty until you can get a professional opinion. Do try to contact a vet either in Manila or online.

Please get back to us and let us know what's going on OK? I know it;s hard to be in another country without the level of care available that we in the US take for granted. Sometimes we forget that vets aren't as available in other countries as they are here..especially less developed areas of the world..... and that prevailing attitudes in those countries are different than ours concerning treatment of animals. Do check Debbie's links....great information for you and a great resource for you to bookmark for future reference.

Good luck.... Prayers on the way you find the help you need and that your kitty recovers fully.

[babykat]

It is difficult when there are emergencies. I have eight cats because i often find myself rescuing kittens or sometimes, lost cats just somehow find their way to my house, and when they show up, i just don't have the heart to turn them away.
Unfortunately, not a lot of people here like cats, or pets for that matter. Probably because animal services and medicine cost a lot here, people don't really give their 100% in caring for their pets. And not very many people like cats. I don't know why. I am often asked, and sometimes in a nasty way too, why i keep cats as pets.
I got Doggie from an uncle who kept him in a box too small for him, and fed him irregularly. He, in turn, found the cat on the street. I guess that's how he got worms.

[Traci]

Please click on This Link for a list of Phillippine veterinarians who may be in your area.