The headline is basically the story. Little kitty was basically giving herself a buzzcut through overgrooming. She also kept avoiding us touching her ears. We worried it was allergies (she’s already on prescription food for her ideopathic too-much-calcium) or anxiety (we already have one cat on Prozac). But the vet cleaned out her ears and gave her ear goop to fight the infections. Within two days her ears felt better and within a week it was noticeable that she was no longer over-grooming. So, whew.
Have you had any experience with pet overgrooming or ear infections?
Grumpy Rumblings (of the formerly untenured) 
January 10, 2018 at 10:37 am
Separately, yes! My first dog had chronic ear infections and I had to learn at a really young age to tackle him and clean his ears regularly. Seamus has itchy ears because of his allergies, and overgrooms because his allergies make his paws itch, so I have to watch him carefully to make sure nothing blooms into full scale infection or hot spots as they so easily do.
January 10, 2018 at 11:01 am
Not in pets, but my three-year-old human child just had his adenoids removed and ear tubes placed because he’s been getting persistent ear infections.
January 10, 2018 at 11:02 am
Poor guy!
January 10, 2018 at 11:11 am
glad problem identified and improving!
January 10, 2018 at 11:12 am
Once when I went out of town I had a house sitter who insisted that my dog had ear mites. I asked her why she thought so and she said that the dog had been rubbing her head and had “black stuff” in her ears when she cleaned them. I had to take the dog to the vet anyway so I asked them to check. Of course her ears were fine. They had been dirty, sure, but no ear mites (which the vet tech told me is mainly a cat issue, anyway.) The head rubbing was just her being playful, which is what I told the house sitter. (No, I didn’t use her again.)
Over grooming is a good sign of general discomfort or pain. If I see my dog start licking at her forelegs a lot I know she’s in pain and I need to give her more meds or try something else. Don’t you wish they could talk to us at times like that and tell us what is bothering them?