03/06/2026
⭐ Meet Flump ⭐
Flump is our Practice Manager’s kitten, who arrived in Guernsey a week tomorrow. He has already made himself very comfortable and thinks he's going to be an office cat! 🐾
He popped in for his first vaccinations and a full health check but at home it had been noticed that Flump was scratching his ears more than expected, so Leah the vet made sure to take a really thorough look while he was in.
It didn’t take long to spot the issue as his ears were quite mucky! There was no infection or unpleasant smell but the debris we could see was very typical of ear mites. It wasn't 'gunky' but instead the debris looked like sawdust, it was very flaky and as quoted by Leah, 'a very satisfying clean!'.
A sample was taken to lab where Leah and our student nurse Eloise tested for mites in our in-house laboratory. As we train nurses on site, it was a great experience for Eloise as although mites are common, they can be difficult to spot. This one decided to wave at them. 👋
So what are ear mites? 👂
Ear mites are teeny tiny parasites that live inside the ear canal. They are common, especially in a litter as it's easily transferrable. Although you can’t usually see the mites themselves, they leave behind a dark, coffee ground like discharge and can make ears very itchy.
How is it treated and what does it mean for Flump? 🐈
After being diagnosed, the vet dispensed Felpreva to get rid of the mites alongside an ear-cleaner. Within a few days he was not longer itching his ears and seems much happier!
If you have any concerns on your pets ears, please do not hesitate to reach out.
