Are cat's ear canal connected to their mouth?

[Moon Star]

i have been looking online for a bit now and cant find an answer.... i was treating my cat Moon for ear mites and when i put oil in her ear it came out her mouth??? is that normal or does she have a birth defect? should i be worried???

[Melinda]

the sinus cavity extends to the ears, but if you're putting enough fluid in there to come out her mouth....I'd slow down a bit. I'd put the oil on a cloth or just squirt a bit in the inside and work it around. I'm sure a cat expert will be along shortly to tell you the best way to clean their ears for mites.

[SamIam]

Melinda, they are connected but they are separated my a membrane, which would have to have a hole in it for fluid to pass freely through. The condition is called perforated tympanic membrane. It could rupture due to infection, but also due to puncture by a q-tip, for example. Diving can pop a hole in it for humans!

Oil is not the best treatment for ear mites because they can survive anywhere on the cat's body and then come back to the ears. Foreign fluids can also lead to infection in the ears such as yeast or bacteria. The best way to treat ear mites is with a topical or spot-on medication, as they live very close to the body and feed on fresh blood. Ear cleaner may be needed at the same time if there is a concurrent infection, which is common enough. Ear cleaner is usually applied liberally and deep into the ear canal and unlike home remedies is safe to leave in without manually drying it out. I am not sure whether ear cleaner is safe to use when the membrane is not whole.

My recommendation would be to stop all treatment immediately, see your vet for the ear injury before doing anything else. They can set you up with proper mite treatment at the same time.

[Melinda]

thanks SamIam for the information!