Ear Mites
Natural Remedies

Ear Mite Remedies

Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Jillyan (Cleveland, OH) on 09/27/2006
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

I have for years used tea tree oil as a cure-all for skin ailments as well as wounds. I foolishly thought that tea tree oil would be a good preparation for my cat's ears that were scratched raw from ear mites. It seemed to help the skin, BUT I found out a few days ago (check any website!) that tea tree oil, which contains phenols (as does its neighbor, turpentine!) is very toxic to cats because they do not possess the enzymes to metabolize it, so it is stored in the liver, and can cause irreparable damage over time. I was SO shocked by this, I thought all cat guardians fond of "organic" and "natural" remedies should be made aware of the toxicity to cats of tea tree oil. Great for humans, DEADLY for cats! Thanks & best wishes.