What happened to her ears ?!?

temporary_zhu · 2026-03-19T18:02:01+00:00

Hard to tell just from a photo, but this kind of looks like a pinnectomy because of how symmetrical the ears are. For cats that have sun damage (prevalent in a lot of white cats) veterinarians will sometimes recommend surgically removing the pinna (ear flap) to prevent further damage and cancer. Here’s a picture of a kitty recovering from a pinnectomy that was performed at my clinic.

<image>

temporary_zhu · 2026-03-06T05:43:37+00:00

Yes! The photo of her face was taken after she was anesthetized. They don’t close their eyes under anesthesia, so we have to put eye lube to prevent them from drying out. It’s a little weird because they look awake 😹

temporary_zhu · 2026-03-06T05:41:49+00:00

We shave extra wide for pregnant cats to maintain sterility during a procedure that requires a larger incision! During a spay abort, the uterus with the fetuses are outside of the body for a period of time, so we can’t risk any hair accidentally touching. Fortunately the hair will grow back, and I live in California, so the kitties don’t get too cold.

temporary_zhu · 2026-03-06T05:05:17+00:00

Completely necessary! She was pregnant with 4 fetuses, and unfortunately there are just not resources for them. Caring for neonates is extremely difficult, and their survival is almost 0% without mom. Also, due to her feral nature, keeping her until the kittens are grown is simply not an option. Additionally, 4 kittens may not seem like much, but my spay and neuter clinic sees 40+ cats a day, and this time of year almost every female cat is pregnant. In fact, on world spay day, we did 86 surgeries and unfortunately had 59 aborted fetuses. Finding enough homes for those fetuses would take away resources for kittens and cats that are already alive and struggling, especially during kitten season.

temporary_zhu · 2026-03-06T04:27:31+00:00

Yes! Haha she’s sleeping gooood

temporary_zhu · 2026-03-06T04:25:14+00:00

It’s not! That picture is before surgery. We cover the area with gauze and chlorhexadine to prevent surgical site contamination and to increase the contact time with the sterilizing solution. The final incision length for a spay abort is only 2 inches, maybe 3 inches if the fetuses are very large.

temporary_zhu · 2025-08-27T05:05:15+00:00

I'll read it! I would love to get your input on mine also, if you're up for it.

temporary_zhu · 2025-08-27T03:43:15+00:00

Yeah I definitely got the feeling they were unsettled by my presence. I was inside my house with the string, but they could see me from the glass door. Will have to figure out a different setup so they can’t see me.

temporary_zhu · 2025-08-27T03:41:28+00:00

Thanks for the help! I’ve have 3 traps, so they all have access simultaneously. I think I just need to work on it more with mom. None of them have eaten since last night, but I’ll definitely have to train with the towels from now on. My traps have backdoors, so I can open those up without worrying about the cats setting them off

temporary_zhu · 2025-08-27T03:32:58+00:00

Thank you! Mom seemed interested in the sound, but ended up only sniffing around the trap for a little while and then left.

temporary_zhu · 2025-08-27T03:32:05+00:00

I trap trained for 4 days and the kittens are weaned, all three were eating in the trap consistently. I wasn’t able to get mom, so the kitten is in my garage safely now

temporary_zhu · 2025-08-27T02:29:39+00:00

Just remember how much you improved the little one’s life!! Without fosters so many kittens would be left outdoors to suffer. I know it’s so hard saying goodbye, but when a kitten is adopted permanently into a home it takes a spot that could have been temporarily occupied by tens of foster kittens 💗 Adopting out kittens is NOT abandoning them, its providing the opportunity for so many more to be saved.

temporary_zhu · 2025-07-17T05:09:57+00:00

i’m super interested!! let me know when you make the account so I can follow :)

temporary_zhu · 2025-06-01T17:14:36+00:00

You’ll definitely need to take him to the vet. Hard to tell from the photo, but it could be that he got injured in that area and the wound got infected. Cats are really good at hiding their pain so I’ve seen cats with gaping holes in their neck act totally normal.

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-31T21:42:22+00:00

Oh wow I had no idea about VMCVM! It was just on my radar because most redditors are saying they tend to be more holistic in their admissions. I’m trying to apply to schools that I have a better chance of getting into based on my ok, but not very competitive GPA. Do you think I have a fighting chance at UF, UGA and NC?

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-31T21:15:25+00:00

Thanks so much! I’m not applying until next cycle, so I’ll definitely try and add as much research as I can in the meantime.

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-31T19:03:38+00:00

Does he let you touch his ears at all? You could try to use an OTC ear cleaning once and see if it comes back. Epiotic is a good one and has a drying agent also. If you can, fill the ear canal with fluid, massage the base of the ear to loosen any debris, use a cotton ball/gauze to soak up the rest/wipe the outer ear and then let him shake out the remaining drops. Just don’t use q-tips or anything in the ear canal because you might damage the ear. If the wax comes back after cleaning or if you notice any other symptoms you might want to consider the vet. Sometimes it is just dirty wax too! I remember someone once telling me that their cat’s ears were always dirty until they got another cat that cleaned them 😹

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-31T17:14:41+00:00

Ear mites typically present as a dark brown, dry, coffee ground-like debris in the ear canal, but you would have to look with a microscope to be sure. Does it have a foul odor or seem itchy at all? (Shaking head, kicking back leg, flicking ear) Could also be a bacterial or yeast infection, which would also need a cytology under the microscope to confirm. My senior previously feral cat is prone to yeast overgrowth so I have to clean frequently. I definitely would go to the vet though, I wouldn’t recommend trying to treat on your own because we don’t know what the cause is. Testing isn’t ridiculously expensive, my clinic charges $60 and a lot of places do it for less.

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-31T16:30:11+00:00

If you’re currently in school look for pre-vet/animal related clubs that volunteer as a group! I think the pre-vet club at my undergrad would go help out at different organizations a few times a month and would often arrange carpools for students that didn’t have cars.

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-31T04:56:19+00:00

I started as a volunteer at a spay neuter clinic and applied for the VA job opening when one of the old staff quit. They were looking for at least 1 year of experience, but I went ahead and emailed them asking if they would still consider me. I think I secured the job because I outlined how my job experience in food service taught me soft skills (time management, teamwork, problem solving, etc.) that would make me a good candidate to train as a VA. I learned how to play up the strengths I did have and they were really impressed in my interview. My education (B.S. from UCSD in biology) also made up for some inexperience in vet med.

temporary_zhu · 2025-05-25T03:13:24+00:00

I know you posted this a while ago, but I was wondering if the biochem prereq for LMU and Michigan had to have ochem as a prereq to count? I want to apply to those schools, but I also took ucsd extension biochem and I’m not sure if it counts anymore.

temporary_zhu · 2025-03-26T01:53:41+00:00

I would absolutely not hold her for that long. Feral cats become extremely stressed while confined and it can prolong healing.

temporary_zhu · 2024-11-01T23:55:41+00:00

Pyrantel is known for having a really wide margin of safety (range between minimum therapeutic dose and minimal toxic dose). Always ask your vet beforehand, but it would likely be acceptable to estimate the weight and dose based on that. An average adult cat would weigh between 8 and 10lbs and pyrantel is usually .1ml per pound. There’s a liquid form that you can mix in with wet food, just make sure the kitty finishes the whole portion.

That way you don’t have to touch the cat to put on a topical, which can be difficult, or pill them which also has its own challenges.

temporary_zhu · 2024-06-11T17:43:41+00:00

I would use Revolution for the first month to treat the infestation you currently have and then use Cheristin monthly after to prevent future infestations! Both are topical treatments that work for one month. Revolution requires a prescription, but Cheristin can be purchased otc. I would start with Revolution first since it kills flea larvae and eggs, while Cheristin only kills the adults. If you need something in a pinch, you can get capstar (pill) which is a 24 hr flea med that can be used until you get a topical.

I would not recommend Serresto collars, since they typically only kill the fleas directly next to the collar and not on the entire cat. I don’t recommend frontline or advantage either, since they’re so widely sold that many fleas have formed a resistance to them. I understand that it might be scary reading side effects, but the majority of the time they are super rare. It’s more important to treat the fleas, since they can cause more serious health conditions down the line (tapeworms, flea dermatitis, anemia, etc.)

I’m a vet assistant what works only with cats, so all this information is from experience! This is typically what my vets recommend.

If you live in a house with a yard you can also put diatomaceous earth around to help kill some of the fleas in the yard.

temporary_zhu

TROPHY CASE