Ear Mites In Cats
Ear Mites In Cats Are Both Common And Treatable
Ear mites in cats are one of the more common health care problems. These tiny parasites travel about the interior of the ear, feeding on tissue and natural secretions. This can cause irritation to the cat which will attempt to remedy the situation by scratching. The ear mite waste products combined with dead tissue and other debris can build up in the ear canal. This can lead to bacterial or yeast infections making the problem worse. The cat can complicate matters even more if, due to irritation, begins scratching the ear and continues scratching until the ear actually is injured. In very severe cases, the ear drum can be penetrated bringing on even more grief to the cat.
Ear mites in cats are quite contagious and therefore can be difficult to control if you have several cats. Ear mite infections can even be transmitted between cats and dogs and to humans as well, though this is not common. If you have several pets, and one has ear mites, all of they should undergo treatment to ensure the problem will be eliminated.
Besides scratching, an indication that ear mite may be present is the accumulation of a dark waxy substance in the cat's ear. Some cats do not appear to be bothered much if ear mites are present, however if detected, they should be eliminated as there could be serious consequences down stream. Other cats are hypersensitive to the mites and will show signs (usually scratching) that something is wrong. Young kittens are particularly sensitive to mites, older cats often less so.
Treatment can be done at home although taking the cat to the veterinarian is always the better idea. If you do treat your cat, several suggestions are given below. Use any home remedy with a bit of caution. For example, some remedies (not listed here) which work dogs and rabbits can be toxic to cats. If you are the least little bit unsure that a given home remedy is not safe for your cat, see the vet.
Ivermectin, normally given internally to horses to protect against parasites, has been found to be effective against ear mites. It is given to cats "off-label" which is to say, not formally approved, as an EXTERNAL, or topical, medication. Frontline Spray, Acarexx, and Revolution are three topical solutions often recommended.
Preferably you want to put something in the ear that kills eggs and larva as well as adult mites. If you just kill the mites, you'll have to repeat the treatment later, perhaps several times. Using plain water to wash the critters out is not a good idea. The ears may get a bit cleaner but the mite problem is apt to get worse. To clean out the ear, in preparation for actually eliminating the mites, putting olive oil in the ear, with an eyedropper is a good approach. Some say that garlic added to the olive oil works even better. Massage it in before the cat can shake it out. Sulfur can be applied to lessen the irritation as a second step. Two some remedies that can be used to kill the mites are a mixture of Almond Oil and Vitamin E, or Yellow Dock Root Oil. Treatment continued every 3 days for a couple of weeks should take care of the mite situation. Another remedy claimed to work for ear mites in cats, without harm to the pet are Apple Cider Vinegar, applied with a cotton swab.