Table of Contents
Ear Mite Remedies
Ear Mites can be a horribly irritating and painful problem for our pets to be affected by and can lead to a serious infection; so the sooner they are dealt with, the better. An ear mite is a tiny little creature that lives in the surface of your pet's ear. The condition is highly transmittable and can be passed from pet to pet either via direct contact or by way of humans who carry the mite from an infected pet to those uninfected ones.
If your pet is suffering from ear mites they will likely be constantly shaking their heads and scratching at their ears to rid themselves of the nasty pests and endless irritation. Telltale signs of the problem can be seen if you actually look into the ear itself. The ear may appear red and inflamed from all the scratching and although you will not see the mite culprit, there will be indications that it exists. You may notice a build up of wax within the ear as well as numerous black specks (likely spots of dried blood). In those cases where the ear mites have not been treated immediately or effectively, the mites will actually move down into the ear canal and cause an infection of the middle ear. This means that the animal may appear to be off balance and might be unable to hold its head up straight.
The first step in helping your pet is to clean out the ear and try to relieve some of the discomfort. Use an eyedropper or syringe (without the needle) to insert some Vegetable or Olive Oil into the ear canal. While keeping your pet's head still (as they will want to immediately shake the substance out) massage the ear thoroughly to loosen any deeply impacted mite dirt (you may be able to gently squeeze some of it up and out of the ear). Use cotton balls to clean the ears and only attempt to use q-tips very carefully being sure not to allow them to enter portions of the deeper ear canal. In order to relieve irritation caused by the mites, use a natural treatment of Psorinum or Sulphur.
In order to actually kill the mites there are a couple of natural remedies that you can make at home. The first one is a mixture of 9 drops of Yellow Dock Root Extract and 1 tablespoon of water. Use an eyedropper to insert the treatment into the pet's ear, being sure to massage it well prior to the animal having the opportunity to shake it out. Administer the treatment once every three days for a period of six weeks.
The second treatment mixes 1/2 an ounce of Almond Oil with 400 IU's of Vitamin E. Warm up the mixture to body temperature and apply 1/2 an eyedropper into each affected ear. Massage the mixture around in the ear and remove the excess with cotton balls. Administer the treatment for a period of six days, leave it for three days and then repeat.
1 YEA
[YEA] 05/18/2007: Charlotte from Stockbridge, GA writes: "I really appreciate all the information I've found here. Just a bit of advice for those of us helping our pets to get rid of earmites. It's important for anyone dealing with ear mites in their pets to know that the initial cleaning out (either with medicine or with natural remedys) only kills the living mites. The eggs will remain in the animal's ears. The life cycle of a mite is about 3 weeks. Unless you are using a medicine that kills the larve and eggs, it is best to continue treatment for an entire month to insure all mites are eliminated. Even if the animal stops showing symptoms, make sure to continue treatment for the entire month. Hope this helps."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 09/24/2007: Stan from Pikeville, Ky writes: "Using alum to treat earmites in dogs, Cheap to use and kills mites, eggs, and larvae by drying process. mix alum in water, apply to ear with dropper."
11/28/2007: Angel (angel_robinson2001@yahoo.com) from Adamsville , TN replies: "I was reading through these remedies and seen the alum remedy. The post is a bit vague. Can someone please tell me how the alum works to kill the mites? I would also like to know the recipe for it. It simply says to mix alum with water. How much Alum to how much water etc?? Thanks guys."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 01/24/2008: Tracey (traceytechwriter@yahoo.com) from Chicago, USA writes: "I use ACV for ear mites on my cat and itchy skin. They bite their skin-- I suspect allergies. They don't have fleas, but even if they did, I'd still use Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, because it's undiluted and has all the vitamins and minerals and potassium intact. The cats have stopped biting and scratching. I put it on a cotton swab for the ears, a cotton pad (round ones for removing makeup)for the fur, and I also put a tiny amount in their wet food. They do not like the smell, but the cats took to the ACV better than the ear mite medicine I had applied to the ear.I think the ACV soothes the cats' ears. I use 2 t. of ACV in an 8 oz. glass of water with a little honey. I drink this in the morning, and I think it's helping my tendonitis (from typing too much) and my brain fog. I am thinking much more clearly and I feel that I have more energy."
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BE CAREFUL HOW YOU CLEAN THE EARS
[YEA] 10/25/2007: rick from minneapolis, minnesota writes: "Many comments in the cat ear mite treatment area say to use q-tips to clean out the crud from your cat's ears. Please do not as this pushes debris further into the ear canal and makes the condition worse. To clean, gently spray the ear with warm soapy water followed by pure water. Repeat until clean which usually take three rounds."
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BUNNY WITH EAR MITES -- NEEDS STRENGTH FOR YELLOW DOCK ROOT
[YEA] 03/15/2008: Michelle from Montreal, Canada writes: "Hi, I have a holland lop with ear mites and i have been trying so many things. They work for a little while only. I would like to try the yellow dock root extract since I have heard about this from a few people here and elsehere. I went to my homeopath to get some and he asked me what strength cause apparently there are different ones. Can someone please tell me the strength they are using, Thank you"
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1 YEA 2 NAY
[NAY] 04/17/2007: FeFe (esilef@comcast.net) from Miller Beach, IN writes: "I appreciate the NAYS on your format. I had just bought the Campho-Phenique and given ONE treatment to my cat to cure her ears of suspected mites. Next thing you know, I am reading how this particular "cure" is TOXIC to cats in particular. If not for this NAY, I would have continued administering it to her. Thank you NAY Poster for saving Phoebe's fragile liver!"
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[NAY] 03/16/2007: Kim from Frisco, TX writes: "Campho Phenique is toxic to cats, though I have used it successfully with rabbits. Cats do not have the necessary enzyme to break down any type of Phenol, so it builds up in the liver. Phenols, also contained in many household cleaning products, are also toxic to dogs. We used room temperature Colloidal Silver (I think 5ppm) to eliminate ear mites in our cats (half the dropper, every 24 hrs for 7 days). It didn't kill the eggs though, and the mites appear to have hatched, so must be dealt with again. Perhaps we should have continued treatment for the gestation period of the mite eggs?"
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[YEA] Gayla from Odessa, TX writes: "I have raised rabbits and dogs for over 30 years and have to deal with ear mites each summer. I have always used Campho Phenique to kill the mites and heal the ears. I even bought a rabbit once with ear mites so bad the entire ear was nothing but a red inflamed mass of scabs. I pour in a few drops of campho Phenique and massage the base of the ear to get it in and repeat for 2 days on a really bad case and just once for a mild case. Try it, you will be amazed how well it works."
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2 YEA
[YEA] 04/18/2008: Marisa (misa-giesey[at]sbcglobal.net) from San Jose, USA writes: "My cat was miserable and his ear stank. I put a pinch of diatomaceous earth (swimming pool filter grade)in each ear. He seemed to be a bit better in about 40 minutes. He has stopped shaking his head and seems less lethargic. We'll see if he needs something more,(if he has a bacterial infection. His ear smelled like feces. ewwwwww!"
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[YEA] Lynn from Jeannette, PA writes: "I have found that putting a pinch of food-grade diatomaceous earth into the dog or cat's ear kills the mites. I do it daily for about a month since that is how long the mites can take to hatch. Within a few days though the animal has absolutely no symptoms of mites and it is completely safe for pets of all ages and sizes. It is also a great way to get rid of mites on birds and to rid a pet of internal parasites."
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1 YEA 2 WARNING!
[YEA] 04/02/2008: Sara from Dayton, Texas writes: "Here is a remedy that really works, I got it out of the book called The Whole Pet Diet--
2ounces-witch Hazel
5-drops-tea tree oil
5-drops- clove oil
Mix all ingrediants together in a clean bottle.Warm the bottle with your hands first, because cold solution is uncomfortable for pets. Squirt half an eyedropper into one ear.Try to do it quickly, then fold over and massage for 30 seconds. Afterwards let your pet shake it out, then treat other ear."
05/12/2008: Fawn from Monroe Center, IL replies: "I would like to know if I can use this remedy on a bunny's ears? I know that their systems are very delicate and I do not want to threaten my rabbits health. Some things are better not used on rabbits. Thank you."
[WARNING!]06/06/2008: Arlyn from Needles, California replies: "Please, stop using this ear wash on cats. Tea-tree oil is very toxic to cats."
[WARNING!]06/15/2008: Natasha from Olympia, WA replies: "Just wanted to reinforce what another poster has already said: ALL essential oils are dangerous for use on cats, including tea tree and clove! Cats lack the enzyme needed to eliminate the build up of EO compounds in the liver. Terpenes in essential oils build up and create toxicity in the cats body. Thelavendercat.com has many interesting articles, studies, and stories on the subject.
http://www.thelavendercat.com/3501.html"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 02/26/2008: Lisa from In The Country, Massachusetts writes: "Ear Mite Remedy - Perfection. Here is one I heard from a vet....who also admitted they will never tell you this in the office since it will cause them to lose out on some profit. This worked for my male adult cat who would never let me near his head - ever. Take the flea and tick medication (I cannot for the life of me remember which brand I used) and put one drop and one drop only in each ear. I did this for my cat, literally all I did was put one drop in each ear, no rubbing, no rinsing, nothing. The ear mites disappeared, never came back again, and he was a brand new cat that just loved attention! Give a try and see for yourself!"
02/26/2008: CECILY from SONORA, CALIFORNIA replies: "PLEASE PLEASE....THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBLE REMEDIES FOR EAR MITES FOR MY CAT...BUT I JUST CANNOT GET THEM IN HER EAR....SHE WAS AN ALLEY CAT IN HER FORMER LIFE AND DOES NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO TOUCH HER THAT MUCH AT ALL.I LIVE ALONE WITH NO ONE TO HELP ME TO HOLD HER DOWN...I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW OF ANYTHING I COULD PUT IN HER FOOD TO CURE IT AS HER EARS ARE A MESS AND I FEEL SO BADLY I CANNOT GET TO HELP HER. THANKS FOR ANYONE TO SUGGEST SOMETHING."
03/06/2008: Lyn from Salinas, CA replies: "Lisa from In the Country, Massachusets: PLEASE revisit and tell us exactly WHICH medication you used. I doubt that all of them are effective and some are significantly more expensive than others."
03/16/2008: Timothea from newberry, fl replies: "To Lisa from In the country, massachusetts--Please come back and tell us exactly what flea/tick med you use-one drop /ear to end mites. Thanks."
03/25/2008: Sue from Shrewsbury, MA replies: "I read a posting from "In the Country" MA regarding one drop of flea and tick treatment to rid cats of ear mites. Is there any way you can contact her to find out what product she used? If not, would it be safe for me to try ONE drop in each ear of Frontline on my cat for ear mites? Thank you for your help!"
04/29/2008: Tia from Auckland, New Zealand replies: "Hi Cecily, and others with similar problems, I know how this is going to sound, but when we love our cats sometimes we have to do things they hate in order to help them, what I've done with cats that I've rescued and needed things like ear drops, pills, etc, is to use the sleeve of a thick coat, and literally put the cat through it so the head only comes out the end, and YES the cats in question would dislike me for a few days, but with patience and treats they always trusted me again.You can buy a cheap thick coat at an op shop, ones with liner are better, as it helps get the cat in and out, and you can cut the sleeve off with extra material around the entrance."
06/16/2008: Meredith from Greenwich, CT replies: "I know that I'm not supposed to mention a product name, but perhaps the filters will let this through for the sake of information. Revolution kills ear mites. I have used it with great success (and no harmful side effects) on two of my cats. My mother is a vet tech, and she advises 2-4 drops in each ear. Be advised that Frontline does not kill ear mites, so make sure that you buy Revolution. The good news is that even though it's expensive, you only need to apply it once. For the cat who will not suffer ear drops, you can apply Revolution topically to the neck (a normal application as described in the Revolution info packet) and it should kill the mites. This is, of course, not a holistic remedy. However, when cats have chronic ear problems, it really affects their quality of life. Sometimes you need to bring out the big guns. Hope this helps!"
EC: We've had a lot of requests for the name of the medication from Lisa (who never responded to the questions), so thanks for this...
08/24/2008: Margaret from Upper Darby, PA replies: "RE: Holding down a cat:
An easy, friendly way to hold a cat so that you don't get shredded during care is to toss a quillt over their back, as they are unsuspecting, then wrap them up in your arms and hold them like a baby. you can hold them with one hand and give care with the other. Have all your supplies on a table beforehand, so you can easily grab them with your one hand. Eventually your cat will know that when you do this he/she does not need to be scared. My cat no longer needs to be wrapped up when I cut her nails. She growls quietly, but is never violent."
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3 YEA
[YEA] 02/25/2007: Meg from Coromandel, New Zealand writes: "hi. I tried garlic olive oil on my puppy as I used it on myself for ear infection and thought it was worth a try when I got a pup with bad earmites and it just made it worse so I took him to vet who told me never, ever to put anything into dogs ears as they have deep ear canels and it has no way to come out again and can cause major problems for dogs. he said all medical dog remedies are alcohol based so that they evaporate over time - anything else will cause problems for dogs so if you want to try something at home perhaps use a light alcohol base? I am currently attempting olive oil and garlic on my 3 cats who all have earmites, one of them has them really badly - I have also tried resolution out of desperation and it did seem to work for about a week, but they are back (if ever gone) and the cat that has the bad problem had a reaction to the resolution and is constantly itching all over now. I will get in some apple cider vin. to try for him.
Have little faith in vets and I try to find things that work and have some luck - manuka honey is really good as antibiotic internally and externally for animals and they like it. Chamomile teabag soak for any eye problems. These are 2 tried and trusted ones for me."
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[YEA] 02/20/2007: Theresa from Kailua, HI writes: "I loved reading everybodies remedies for ear mites in cats. We have been fighting ear mites in our kitten. The vet cleaned out the ears and said that Revolution would take care of it. It didn't. The next time the vet used a small amount of Frontline on a Q-tip to clean out the ears and reapplied Revolution. The ears still appear to have mites. They have the black crud build up. We are trying the olive oil and garlic, but different then one we read. In home remedies for humans too strong of garlic can cause blistering on the ear drum. Therefore with this in mind I warmed a couple of slivers of fresh garlic in olive oil then removed the garlic. Then using a q-tip dipped in the oil mixture I am cleaning out the ear. I understand this will not be aggressive enough should it be in the inner ear but am hopeful with the outer. I have also reapplied the revolution."
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[YEA] 02/07/2007: Lisa from Everett, WA writes: "We took in a kitten or rather young cat that was hanging out in our back yard. We bought a tag that said "Please call Lisa @ 555-5555 if this is your cat. She was really tame and we started letting her stay in our home longer and longer until she no longer sat by the back door wanting to get out. After two weeks we brought her to the vets for a check-up because there were other rather wild cats hanging around. We figured what they were hanging around for, but she really wasn't our cat, but then we said, to heck with it and took her in for shots and a check-up. The Vet reported that she was pregnant and had ear mites, but that he couldn't treat them without risking harm to the kittens. So we've spent the past month watching her struggle with ear mites. If only we looked at your natural remedies earlier we could have at least soother her discomfort with your recommended treatments. We will never neglect our pets again or wait for the local Vets to answer all of our concerns. Thank you so much"
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1 YEA
[YEA] Katie from Emporia, KS writes: "I have found using green tea and olive oil will cure ear mites in cats. You first take a cotton ball and soak it in green tea to clean the ear of debris and then stand back to let the cat shake out the rest. Then you add 2-3 drops of the oil for 2 days a week and then once a week as the condition improves."
Griselda from Gandia, Spain replies: "I need to know more about the folk remedy for ear mites with green tea. The recipe is very vague. How do make the oil? Is the oil with green tea or alone ? What oil? Please send an urgent reply I´m getting so worried. The vet´s remedies were horrific and caused more discomfort than the mites I have been cleaning the ears with chamomile and eufrasia tea and then putting in 6 drops of almond oil but yesterday the ears were much worse after treatment and were scratched so badly they were all inflamed and stayed itchy for hours."
Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "I have never heard of using almond oil, chamomile or tea used for ear mites I use sodium perborate or borax."
07/06/2006: Denise from Southport, FL replies: "If you first use green tea to flush and wash out the ears, then follow with drops of olive oil w/garlic (I put minced garlic in a small dropper bottle and then fill it with olive oil and shake). Do this daily and it will cure the ear mites in cats and dogs."
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4 YEA 1 WARNING!
[WARNING!] 05/27/2007: Jamie from Port Orange, Fl writes: "I read that someone suggested using hand sanitizer to cure ear mites, I would be very careful about doing so because if your pet has scratched their already inflammed ear, that would really burn!"
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[YEA] 05/19/2007: Marie from Sacramento, California writes: "My recently rescued male cat had ear mites so bad one ear canal was swollen nearly closed. He was delivered by a cat lover who's plate was full, but was kind enough to include an over the counter ear mite remedy. Wow that ear mite medicine made the gray skin inside his ears peel and and turn bright pink. Applying every other day was obviously going to cause sever damage in 3 weeks treatment. The long and short of this story is he arrived on Jan 4, 07 today in June 15, 07 and the problem is better but not cured. Olive oil, Vaseline, hand lotion any thing that wouldn't kill the cat and maybe smother the mites has been tried in addition to using a systemic flea/tick product. The current problem is the waxy discharge is sticky (it was bloody) and getting it out of his ears next to impossible. Thank you 4/1/2007: Lisa from Winfield, PA for suggesting Hand Sanitizer! The cat and I are very comfortable when I am treating his ears, the scratching stopped long ago, so there wasn't much danger of pouring Hand Sanitizer on an open wound. It cleaned him up better than any thing I have tried. I held him petting his favorite spots, for a few minutes until the Hand Sanitizer dried and I didn't have to worry about him getting it in his eyes or mouth. Great service you provide, bummer I didn't find you in Jan! I will send a progress report,"
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[YEA] 04/13/2007: Cherri (amochagatita@aol.com) from NEWARK, NJ writes: "A lady here stated that she used hand sanitiser to get rid of ear mites in her cats' ears. She said it took "a few applications". My question is: how many applications did it take, and how long did you use this treatment? Any response would be greatly appreciated. Thanx!"
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[YEA] 04/01/2007: Lisa from Winfield, PA writes: "hand sanitizer works great for ear mites in my cats it also kills them. just put a dab on your finger and rub it into the ear. only takes a few applications and they are gone"
[YEA]09/03/2008: JaJa from Zebulon, NC replies: "I am happy that hand sanitizer was suggested for the cure of ear mites. It was something I already had in the house and I didn't have to go out to buy anything. My two year old peekapoo was scratching his ear like crazy and I truly did not know what the problem was. A family member suggested that he may have ear mites. I went online looking for home remedies to cure ear mites so that i could save on a costly vet bill. I came across several remedies, however the sanitizer was at hand and I decided to use it. I used a bottle with a hand pump and used two sqirts in each ear and massaged it in. Within an hour he scratched once and by the end of the night he wasn't scratching at all. Thanks for the useful information. You guys saved me a trip to the vet. jaja"
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1 YEA 1 WARNING!
[YEA] 01/12/2008: June from KC, KS writes: "I also use H2O2 for one of my cats who has been plagued with earmites since I found him abandoned as a kitten. I've never been able to completely rid him of the problem, probably because I have not been diligent enough, but the H2O2 definitely helps. As you know, it dissolves ear wax and earmites thrive in those waxy conditions."
[WARNING!]08/10/2008: Lori from Beacon Falls, CT replies: "Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) for Ear Mites: Just a warning for cat and dog lovers out there treating their pets with hydrogen peroxide in the ears:
H2O2 in an animal's (or human's, for that matter) eyes can blind them permanently. My vet told me that, and I also learned that in nursing school, but I'm not certain about the mechanism of action. I would personally try other remedies first, unless you have a very quiet and cooperative kitty.
Just wanted to warn ya!"
08/24/2008: Margaret from Upper Darby, PA replies: "I am being a foster mommy to an abandoned kitten with ear mites. I use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning only. It should not be thought of as a remedy. To avoid getting it into the cats' eyes, dab a clean q tip into the bottle, shake some off the q tip, then wipe only the parts of the ear that you can see. It is best to only wipe in an upwards direction to avoid debris from falling into the ear canal, and hold the cat on its side, so that anything falling will fall out. Next take kitty to the vet for some ear mite drops, and follow the directions EXPLICITLY! Otherwise, you will see how the mites will keep coming back."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 07/11/2008: Linda (BertsBabe2008@aol.com) from New Caney, TX writes: "To treat ear mites in dogs I have very successfully used injectable Ivomec. Using a 1cc syringe, without a needle, you administer .25 for each ear. Ivomec can be found at feed stores, such as Tractor Supply. A bottle might cost $30 but last a real long time and can be shared with friends. Ivomec can also be used to prevent heartworms. I do have a chart if anyone wants it."
07/18/2008: Dar from Montgomery, Texas replies: "Wow, does it only take one treament? Also would love to have the chart for the heart worms. Thank You"
08/28/2008: Lisa (thelahuntress/@/yahoo.com) from Theodore, Alabama replies: "While I have used Ivomec in the past to (succesfully) prevent heartworms in larger dogs, I have never attempted the ear mite remedy here described. Also, at this time I am the owner of a guinea pig sized "dog" whose tiny weight makes me apprehensive to attempt the application of Ivomec to protect his tiny self from heartworms. A chart would be GREATLY appreciated!"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 09/02/2006: Christa from NC writes: "Understand that sometimes if these cures do not work - it may be a yeast infection in the ear and not ear mites. We dealt with this with our dog with long ears as well as with our cats."
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2 YEA
[YEA] 04/15/2007: mike from charlotte, nc writes: "after an extensive search i found milbemite for dogs. haven't had an opportunity to try it yet it but should have been spelled w/ an E instead of an O. good luck."
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[YEA] 02/27/2007: Deb from New Orleans, LA writes: "I managed a veterinary hospital for 6 years. The only truly effective and safe method of ridding your pet of mites is "Milbo-Mite". It is a one time treatment and they don't come back. All my cats are free of mites... dogs too! Don't balk at the price. If you think of all the money you waste on things that don't work and the discomfort it causes your pet, it's worth it's price and then some!"
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