Q: We recently adopted a white kitty-cat from our neighbor’s back yard. She’s about 4 years old and she has two different colored eyes (her left eye is blue and the right one is green). How often do cats have different eyes? Is this rare? Do they have any problems with their vision?
A:
White cats with different colored eyes are unusual, but they’re not really rare. Their appearance can be startling: those eyes just don’t look like they match! But despite their odd appearance, these kitties never seem to have any vision problems.
Instead, there’s an urban legend that all white kitty-cats with two blue eyes are deaf. I’ve heard the same thing said about white cats with matching green eyes. Truth is, these stories aren’t always true. Over the years, I’ve encountered white kitties with two similar blue or green eyes that had normal hearing. And I’ve also seen several white cats like yours (with two different eyes) that were 100 percent hearing impaired.
White cats all have one very significant health concern that has nothing to do with their vision. Because they lack skin pigment, they’re more susceptible to sunburn. And as you would imagine, this gives them a higher propensity for skin cancer on their nose and ears if they spend time in direct sunlight. Your new companion is better off becoming a housecat, away from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. She’ll live longer and healthier. And you’ll have more time to enjoy those beautiful eyes.
Q:
Rusty is our 4-year-old cat with dirty ears. What’s the best way to clean them? She seems to have a lot of black wax that bothers her and she holds her head to one side and shakes.
A:
Waxy, dirty ears are usually a sign of a somewhat serious infection that needs veterinary attention. The most common infection is caused by ear mites, which are easily transmitted from one animal to another. These contagious bugs are easy to treat with several different types of medication that kill these parasites.
Bacterial and yeast infections are less common in cats but they can be effectively treated with different ear ointments and liquids. So the good news is that whatever Rusty’s problem might be, you’ll be able to clear it up with proper medication and treatment.
Each of these three infections cause the same symptoms: itchy, sensitive ears with excessive wax. The only way to know how to accurately treat Rusty is to have her examined. Proper diagnosis, including a microscope exam of the wax, will tell whether she has mites, bacteria or yeast and determine which medication she’ll need. The vet will also assess the health of her eardrum before prescribing any medications. Serious complications can occur when some drugs get into the inner ear. So Rusty needs a quick trip to the vet’s office. After that, she’ll hold her head high and she’ll be comfortable again.
Q:
Our yard is full of foxtails and I am worried my dog will get them in his ears (we made many trips to the vet last year). My neighbor told me I should have a groomer clip his fur short. I thought the fur around the ears protected a dog from foxtails entering the canals. Who’s right?
A:
The answer here might surprise you, but your neighbor is right on this one. And this is one more reason to give your pooch that good “summer clip.” It’ll make him feel cooler and more comfortable in warm weather, and help to avoid foxtail problems in his ears.
A short hair coat is less likely to snag those pesky foxtails as your pooch walks through your yard or a field full of these weeds. Hair around the opening to the ear canal actually traps foxtails and allows them to work into the canal. Keeping the fur trimmed away from the base of the ears provides a huge benefit to dogs, especially during the summer. Call your groomer to make an appointment and your pooch will thank you many times over. And, I’ll bet you have a lot fewer trips to the vet this summer.
Now while we’re on the subject of foxtails, I’ll remind you that these weeds can get in between the toes of dogs and penetrate the skin on their feet. Once inside, they can migrate under the skin, sometimes ending up in the upper leg or even higher. Worst of all, they carry infection wherever they go. So it’s extremely important to check in between the toes of your dog every day if he walks in areas where there are foxtails. A few moments checking for these barbed weeds might save you a lot of money in expensive vet bills.
