★★★★★
If you have noticed the common remedy amongst most of the posters is an oil. It smoothers and kills the mites. Clean the ears with vet solution (it's alcohol based so it dries up) and apply a drop of warm baby oil and lightly message the cats ears. Repeat till ears are clean and no more scratching.
Food grade diatomaceous earth is great to add to food as a supplement or for worms/parasites. Externally, It is good to use for fleas, but over use can dry out the skin and that could be why the cat's fur thinned out.
Ted's Mange Cure
When you say 2 parts apple cider vinegar and 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 1 part borax to a gallon of water. How much is 1 part?
Medications
★★★★☆
I previously told you about weeks of misery from cat ear mites being gone in 24 hours. That was true.
Tommy, a small tiger-looking cat who conned me into taking him in, here in Saipan (my original four cats came with me from Japan), had been suffering for weeks from what was obviously ear mites according to my knowledge. The first squirt of "baby oil", consisting of mineral oil and "olive oil essence" with a very minimal odor, stopped the severely lowered ear position, head shaking, and scratching very quickly.
Three or four days later, those signs starting popping up again, slightly, so I gave one more squirt in each ear. Again, very helpful. Then five or six days later, a lower level of those same signs, so I just gave one squirt in each ear.
I think this is the same treatment a vet might charge $50 for. Depending on the severity of the infestation and your cat's overall health, diet, and freedom to exercise and get sunshine, you might need to treat with mineral oil more than once, up to perhaps five or six times, to get complete resolution.
I took Tommy's brother, Toby, to the vet several weeks ago for the same condition. Although I avoided examining the bill for details ( "anger management" ), I suspect I paid $40 to $60 for a squirt of mineral oil in each ear.
It's not a magic cure, but the best thing I have found for ear mites so far.
Medications
Hartz puts out some of the "Worst" meds on the market. I don't know how they stay in business!
Medications
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Read the label on Revolution, for cats, about mites. Does it not say something like "for the treatment and control of ear mites"? Not cure, eradication, not resolution... Besides, do you want a systemic pesticide circulating through your kitty when there are no long-term studies on safety? (My guess is that long-term, it'll shorten your cat's life.)
I tried an old-school (maybe organophosphate type) ear-drop miticide on my cats. Not only did it not get rid of the mites, but it caused severe inflammation and open sores that took weeks to heal.
Mineral oil worked FAR, FAR best for my cats.
Mineral Oil
★★★★★
After having tried coconut oil and olive oil, I finally tried mineral oil. Weeks of misery gone in 24 hours! My guess is that biological oils - - meaning plant and animal oils - - are more of a natural environment for the ear mites, and thus don't work well. If your kitty has ear mites, try mineral oil first, and save yourself time and money, and you and your kitty misery.
Diatomaceous Earth
Please make sure you are using (FOOD GRADE), not (POOL GRADE)....pool grade has added chemicals for the pool and will hurt your pets!!
Medications
To Lisa, in the country, Massachusettes..I'm confused by what u mean by any flea/ tick medication. I'm assuming the tiny container of liquid that is rubbed onto the area between cats shoulder blades..if not would you please let us know what you mean as I currently cannot afford a vet because I am getting several strays neutered to get them homes before winter and can only afford the basics.
Hand Sanitizer
Vickie - your instincts are spot on; alcohol on raw broken skin will sting! A less painful treatment would be garlic infused olive oil or neem oil until the skin is healed and then alcohol remedies could be used.
Hand Sanitizer
I worry with hand sanitizer for ear mites because it has alcohol and won't that be extremely irritating and painful if the skin inside ear is broken or raw?
Hand Sanitizer
Mineral Oil
I use witch hazel to clean kitty's ears. Its very gentle and it was an ingredient for kitty q tips at the store.
Hand Sanitizer
Hey Sam!
It is quite possible to contract scabies mites from hotel bedding - Ted's Mange Remedy applies here for both you and your dog. Do also wash both dog and human bedding and clothing daily to avoid re-contamination.
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Thank you very much for posting. I just tried the diluted ACV mixture and was skeptical my dog would tolerate it. He did and seemed much calmer after. I think I've also determined from his soothed reaction, the right ear is worse or perhaps the only ear impacted. I have started itching too. I tried it and can attest to it soothing me. Thanks again! How long / frequent, did you use ACV mixture?
Hand Sanitizer
Thank you for posting. My dog apparently has mites (from motel room) and I do too. Noticed itching 5 days ago from my dog.. Then a couple days ago my ears and eyelashes are really itchy. Haven't tried yet.
Garlic in Olive Oil
I've treated ear mites in many rescued dogs over the years using neem oil added to garlic oil. Done daily, it will kill the mites rather quickly and there's no harm at all to the dog. Anything put in their ears gets out when they shake their head but you want the oil left in to kill the mites. Treat for a full 10 days to be sure nothing survives.
Yellow Dock
Hey Leeniemud!
1 tablespoon of water with 9 drops of yellow dock is the dilution- mix up as many batches as you need to treat the ears. Maybe you only need 1 batch per ear, maybe you need 2 batches per ear to really get the solution worked down deep - and it needs to get worked down deep to reach all the mites.
IMHO it will be helpful to clean the ears of gunk before you do the yellow dock treatment.
Yellow Dock
I am just starting to treat all my dogs for ear mites and am using yellow dock for their treatment. I am a little confused w/the directions though. Do I mix the 1tblspn of water w/9 drops of yellow dock and use this whole solution per dog or just use the mix and fill a dropper and put it in each of their ears? Any advice is appreciated.
Diatomaceous Earth
Please if your cat is losing hair and you have already attempted some home remedies fight all means, take him to a vet he needs an examination. If his hair is falling out the diatomaceous earth is probably drying out his skin and if that isn't the case he might have an internal infection or deficiency of some sort. If you truly loved your family member, your pet, you would act on it. If you yourself were scratching for months and hair was falling out eventually you would go to a doctor please if your cat is losing hair and you have already attempted home remedies, please, he needs an examination.
Medications
The medication is Frontline Plus. My vet did the same thing.
Hand Sanitizer
My daughter just got her first puppy and we don't know much about it. He was recently trimmed at Petsmart and was advised that I purchase Earmite medicine. I would rather do home remedy after reading that hand sanitizer works better on cats. My question is will it work for our Shih tzu? Can I use it as a preventive to keep them from our baby ears?
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil/olive oil/coconut oil are great to break up hardened mite "junk" in your kitty's ears, but the thing I have found that really knocks them down and out and will keep the ears totally clear for months is diatomaceous earth (FOOD GRADE ONLY). I simply dip my pinkie finger in some and apply it inside the ear and try to rub it in if possible. Do this every day and try and remove the debris as you apply. I trapped two feral kittens who had horrendous mite problems - they have been completely clear of ear mites for literally years. (Also treated our other cats so as not to keep this passing back and forth). This works great on my dogs too. They usually stop scratching and shaking their heads the same day, and are a lot more cooperative about the process!
Mineral Oil
We have a british bulldog that had mites she lost all her fur on front legs and neck, vets could not cure after 1,000 pounds and 1 year of treatment. We used flower of sulphur mixed with linseed oil and after a week she was cured. It has not returned 4 years on.
Mineral Oil
Hello! I have been trying for sometime now to help cure my dog of an ear problem, at first I thought it was like a yeast infection because of the smell and I treated her for that. Then she started itching like crazy and decided that ear mites were the problem. I read up on all the things the vet said to and tried the drops prescribed but they didn't work. I read about mineral oil here. Can you tell me how many times a day do I have to apply it on my dog?
Ted's Mange Cure
You say two Parts Apple Cider Vinegar, one part peroxide, one part borax mixed in a Gallon of water, but what size part are you using, 1/2 cup 1/4 cup or just tablespoons? I don't know what measurement to start with
Hand Sanitizer
So, how many drops do I put and how often and she is depressed and I bought some Wal-Mart stuff but I've not been using it regularly and I didn't know till tonight
Hand Sanitizer
★★★★★
I used hand sanitizer on my dog for ear mites. It worked fabulously!! Didn't know if it would work on cats. We have acquired two kittens with mites. Thanks so much for all the posts on this subject. I will now feel comfortable using sanitizer with the kittens. Thanks ya'll!!
Ted's Mange Cure
Hey, what about dogs? I keep reading about cats but what about dogs?
EC: Please see Ted's mange cure for dogs here: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/dog_mange_cure.html
Mineral Oil
Hey Cindy!
Can you clarify please?
What is "reg. Vegetable" oil and what is "BG" oil? I tried to look at the original post and did not see anything about these two oils. Also what does "s'ok" mean?
I did read through your post and can only advise that if you are using Tresderm - and antibiotic - on ear mites - a parasite - that you will spend a lot of money NOT curing them of parasites.
EC has many good home remedies to try, so I can only advise that you treat ALL cats at the same time, even if they appear not to be infected by ear mites.
Mineral Oil
My cats have ear mites, they got it from one cat that was shipped to me. The poor guy was treated only once, so it spread. I have used Tresderm from the vet, but that gets expensive. I have heard about reg. Vegetable oil, I have a syringe. I have 6 cats and seems only 5 have been bothered by the mites. I just want to give them some relief.....does everyone think the BG oil will work, breeder also told me to use it as well, would like feel s'ok please.
Medications
Years ago I used to mix up 1% injectable Ivomec for Cattle - the kind sold in the farm supply stores or bought online -for heart worm prevention in my pack. One bottle diluted out can treat many animals and might be a good route for a rescue to go as they may get the volume of animals needed to use one bottle up.
First a warning:
***DO NOT TREAT YOUR DOG WITH THIS MEDICATION UNLESS YOU HAVE A CLEAR HEART WORM TEST. YOU CAN KILL YOUR PET IF IT IS INFECTED WITH HEART WORMS AND YOU USE THIS MEDICATION***
This is no joke; if your dog has a heart worm infection and you treat it with the above medication you can cause all the heart worms to die at the same time, and they will clog your dog's lungs and your pet can die. Always get the heart worm test before undertaking any sort of heart worm treatment or prevention plan.
This is how you mix it up for dogs for heart worm prevention:
The proven dose for 50-100lb dog is 0.272cc - this is the amount of Ivermectin in Heartgard. So if you have a 50-80lb dog, you will give 1/4cc (0.25ml) of 1 % Ivomec for cattle ... monthly. Giving 0.1cc per 10 lbs of body weight is too much. It may not do anything bad, but why use more than you need? …Susan Lloyd, DVM
Source: http://www.sqdog.com/Dog_Health/Ivomec.html
Note the reference to .1cc/10 lbs of body weight; this dosage is all over the internet and is a very common dosage to treat demodectic mange, but this veterinarian explains why this dose is too much for heart worm prevention.
For ear mites in dogs:
"It's very important to verify with your vet that your dog has an ear mite infection before using this treatment. Ear mites are relatively uncommon in dogs (they're much more common in cats). Infections caused by bacteria and yeast are far more likely causes of itching and pain. It would be dangerous to treat for mites if the eardrum were ruptured, which is common with infections.
It's also important to treat all animals in the household at the same time, as otherwise the mites are likely to continue to be passed from one to another.
Directions for using 1% ivermectin solution:
Add 1 cc ivermection 1% solution to a 2 fluid ounce (60 ml) bottle, then fill the bottle with mineral oil. Shake well before using to mix the ivermectin evenly. Apply 0.3 cc/ml of the mixture to each ear and massage in. Repeat in two weeks if needed.
Note there are about 30 ml in 1 fluid ounce, and 10, 000 mcg ivermectin in 1 cc of 1% solution, so you end up with 60 ml containing 10, 000 mcg ivermectin, or 167 mcg per ml. Giving 0.3 cc of this solution provides 50 mcg ivermectin, the same dosage as Acarexx. This will be enough to treat 100 dogs (200 ears). "
Source: dogaware.com/files/ivermectinmites.doc
An additional source on mixing up Ivomec for pets: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1439362/ivermectin-for-doggies
Medications
Neem Oil
★★★★★
Lanissa -- I always had lots of cats and deals with ear mites. You did the right thing but long term untreated, ear mites can cause bleeding.
With my cats I use neem oil after cleaning the outer ear. Then repeat every three days or so. Because neem oil interrupts the productive cycle of these mites, there is noticeable improvement. I keep checking though. Kittens need the neem oil diluted with another oil because of their delicate skins. Coconut oil is also good for sensitive ears with a touch of turmeric powder if bleeding. Turmeric stops bleeding internally and externally.
For the bleeding I use turmeric powder in small amounts as it also is a natural antibiotic. For fluid in the ear I use turmeric powder and alum in 1 - 20 ratio to dry out the ear, later following up with coconut oil. This will prevent inflammation and provide cooling for red hot ears. Hope this helps.
Namaste, Om
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Tea tree oil is toxic to cats and garlic will kill your cat. Good grief people, educate yourself about what is and is NOT safe for your animals!
Yellow Dock
I used Black Walnut Hull Tincture mixed with Pau D'arco tincture, just twice splashed into the ears three days or so inbetween - gone a week after.
Medications
★★★★★
Thank you SO much for that very thorough sharing of gentle and effective ways to help our cat friends. Actually, I appreciate everyone who took the time to share their experiences. My cat protested so vigorously and got so long-term mad at me when I used vet recommended drops for mites ("apply daily for 6 weeks") that I gave up after the first few days. In time things got so bad I felt like an unfit care-giver. I wanted to do something, but not even start until I felt it would help and not harm, while being effective enough to be worth whatever protests/rejection my cats might dish out. Everyone's sharing has been helpful, but your post in particular has reassured me considerably. I'm ready for the campaign now. Again, thank you.
Mineral Oil
Hey Trudy!
You can find mineral oil at your regular drug store, and sometimes grocery stores carry it too - not hard to find. You might also consider olive oil - the cooking kind. You can crush garlic and add it to the olive oil and let it sit over night, and then use that for ears.
Mineral Oil
Mineral Oil
Hey Lauren!
You might consider treating your cat for 1 month to ensure the infestation has been eradicated.
Mineral Oil
How long should I keep putting the baby oil in the cat's ear??
Mineral Oil
My poor baby girl 3 month old kitten has ear mites. I am using mineral oil to treat her ears and so far so good. Just after a day of use I can see down her ears, But what kind of natural shampoo can I use/make to make sure they do not spread to other parts of her body?
Mineral Oil
★★★★☆
So my almost 3 month old kitten has ear mites. I first started out with R-7m not knowing about natural treatments. read on Amazon mostly good comments. I used it for 3 days hardly worked and nearly poisoned my kitten even tho used as directed. I researched more and saw mineral oils works wonders! Just a day after cleaning her ears with mineral oil it has loosened up the black gunk in her ears. Yesterday I could hardly see down her one ear canal now today is way better! Just after a day her ears are that much better and she is shaking her head less that I can tell so far! Will keep using it! Now I know that it is safe to use and she won't die from the poison of R-7m that mineral oil is great so far!
Hi, Shay --- turmeric powder works like a charm, too.
Namaste , Om
Hand Sanitizer
As a foster for our local animal shelter, to clear up a couple kitten from ringworm, we found out using apple cider vinegar will dry the spots up. We were told to use lyme sulphur and do baths, but found apple cider vinegar to work.
Seizures
If a good remedy for ear mites is needed
Thornit ear powder is really good and has been around for many years.
Seizures
Hey Johann!
What you describe sounds *exactly* like seizures. It is possible there are mites as well, but some seizures show up as head shaking.
Is there a reason your vet has not prescribed seizure meds? I understand that some folks would like to avoid any kind of drug, but you do have a senior with creeping up on high miles; a seizure medication from the vet may quite improve his quality of life.
As you saw, after a seizure your dog is very hungry; some sugar will help after a seizure - either sugar water, honey water, corn syrup or vanilla ice cream in a pinch.
In my limited experience, seizures that crop up in an older animal tend to just get worse. If this were my dog I would see the vet and discuss medications - and take a look/see for ear mites. I would also look at the environment to check for contaminants, and avoid feeding any food that contains rosemary, along with any type of food dye, or grains.
If seeing the vet is out of the question at this time and you find 'coffee grounds' in your dog's ears, then check out EC's remedies for ear mites:
Seizures
My 10 year old half boxer, half jack russel recently started having these "spells." This is the order and characteristics of each one.
1. Panting
2. Stumbling
3. Mild head jerking
4. Confusion
After each one of these 30-minute events, she would go the kitchen and clean out any left over dog or cat food. Then she would appear fine. Vet visits showed she was in good health...with her thyroid a bit low. We tried prozac, thinking it might be anxiety attacks, with no relief so we weaned her off. We started her on thyroid meds and her general overall well being improved, but the attacks came regularly throughout the day. I gave her 12.5 benedryl and it helped...but it kept her sleepy, and she was getting weaker. I was at my wits end!!! It looked like I was going to have to put my sweet Tuffie down. I noted one day, she was occasionally shaking her head...not often, but I did notice it. It occurred to me she could have ear mites.
I treated her for ear mites and she literally stopped the attacks overnight! Am I crazy? Have you all heard of such a thing?
★★★★★
For ear mites try neem oil. The mites disappear within days of treatment. Neem oil disrupts the breeding cycle therefore no need to go on for a full month. Except now and then use it to prevent new infections.
No need to warm the semi solid oil as the body warmth does it and also it is easier to pack the oil into the orifice. For kittens the neem oil has to be mixed with coconut oil as their skin is too delicate for neem on its own. On EC was another post on this, confirming my own observation on the shorter duration of mite treatment.
Namaste, Om
Castor Oil
Hey Joann!
If this were my dog and castor oil was my option, I would FLUSH the ear with liberal amounts of oil. Really work it down into the base of the ear and all over the orifice. Dabbing with a Q-tip IMHO will not suffice to get rid of ALL of the mites. You may need to treat your dog daily for up to 30 days to eliminate all of the mites.
Castor Oil
My saint caught mites from a cat friend..and she is miserable..the vet and I were treating her for a fungal infection because she gets them every so often...but she now has some irritation on her butt. she is moaning and rubbing her ear on the floor and now I see the brown stuff...what is best? please as she does not tolerate fleas and certainly not these horrible mites. Thank you. I cleaned her ears thoroughly and used peroxide on a q tip then q tipped some oil in her ear and she stopped moaning. HELP
Diatomaceous Earth
I use Diatomaceous Earth for ear mites but it is a desiccant which means it can dry out the skin and ear.
I just dip my forefinger and thumb in and put it on the outside and inside of the ear but not all the way down into the ear canal. Mites travel so they will get up to it. I rub some around the base of the ears and some at the base of his tail. (not sure how much good that does but read that mites will travel to the base of tail area like fleas. ) That is the only thing animal related that DE seems to work for. I had no luck for fleas. It does work for roaches and seems to discourage ants.
Diatomaceous Earth
★★★★★
I use DE for ear mites but it is a desiccant which means it can dry out the skin and ear.
I just dip my forefinger and thumb in and put it on the outside and inside of the ear but not all the way down into the ear canal. Mites travel so they will get up to it. I rub some around the base of the ears and some at the base of his tail. (not sure how much good that does but read that mites will travel to the base of tail area like fleas. ) That is the only thing animal related that DE seems to work for. I had no luck for fleas. It does work for roaches and seems to discourage ants.
Boric Acid
No, boric acid is correct, not borax. You can get pharmacy grade boric acid. It soothes and prevents itching also. I use Pro-Pet Antiseptic Medicated Spray I got at WalMart for tick removal on myself and pets because it kills them and prevents itching when you remove them. Boric acid is an ingredient in the original "Blue Power" ear infection treatment, but a vet has to check the eardrum before using Blue Power.
Hand Sanitizer
Hello, Ginger --- just use dry turmeric powder on and around the lesions as well as in the ear. I have been using this on many cats and it leaves in a day or two. If they are shaking it off, alright, enough stays on to do the healing and if they lick it, that is good for them, too.
Namaste, Om
Hand Sanitizer
I have three cats with ringworm. One popped a tiny vein in his ear. We are desparate. Does anti bacterial soap work. By the way my cats far is doing better
Olive Oil, Garlic Oil
Garlic is at the top of the list of well-known toxins for cats. It can cause severe life-threatening anemia (Heinz body anemia). Some cats seem to do okay with very small doses, but many have died from regular use of garlic in their diets.
Medications
Warning! Ivermectin can cause death in collies with deletion mutation in the MDR1 gene, you can test your collie to see if he has this mutation but to be on the safe side, avoid it.
Here's some information from Vetmed:
The phenomenon of ivermectin toxicity in Collies was first described in 1983. Ivermectin causes neurologic toxicity in some, but not all Collies, at doses that are 1/200th of the dose required to cause toxicity in other dogs. Neurologic manifestations of ivermectin in susceptible dogs include, hypersalivation, ataxia, blindness, coma, respiratory compromise, and death.
Hand Sanitizer
Hey Heidi!
I have googled the use of hand sanitizer to cure ear mites and some folks say it does the trick. I can only say this: use with caution as it will sting like the Dickens if there is raw, open sores on the skin!
Please consider using one of the many olive oil remedies suggested on EC's ear mite page:
Hand Sanitizer
Yellow Dock
Hey Bill!
You can use the mixture for the ears on the skin, however if your cats lick it there could be complications if they have an undiagnosed underlying liver or kidney disease.
It doesn't sound right for the ear mites to be migrating all over your cat's body; it it just affecting the back of his ears?
Yellow Dock
I am very sure my cats have ear mites; one seems to be worse then the others and has them on his body as well. I purchased the yellow dock root extract. Can I use this on his skin too? Please let me know, thanks.
Susan, Sometimes when cats have flea allergies called flea dermatitis, they can lose their fur that leaves a bald spot. My cat experiences this every summer, so I always get flea medication such as Frontline or Revolution to stop the allergy. The hair grows back normally once you kill all the fleas....
Diatomaceous Earth
My main coon was losing fur in spots and he had a bladder infection and a cheap diet. Some anti biotics and good food and he was all Better! Good luck
Olive Oil, Vitamin E and Yellow Dock
Vitamin E is one of the safest supplements you can take. It will not hurt your cat.
Diatomaceous Earth
Hey Susan!
I am just not picking up on mites. you could maybe use your jewelry lope to examine the gunk to see if there are mites, but the treatment didn't work - all the treatments didn't work, so again I rule out mites when I think on it.
The only thing that I can think of that could *appear* to be contagious to all cats/get's passed around would be inhalant /allergic reactions - be it from allergens in the breeze blowing pollens from CA over to you, or from the junk food treats you abundantly fed. I know around this time of year I see allergies in my pack; it shows up as gunky ears: best I can figure it's the molds and mildews from the spring melt that come into play and while it seems to affect all of the dogs, the way the allergic reaction is expressed in each dog varies greatly. This could be the same deal with your pride. Feeding the wrong foods will cause one of my dogs to get swollen lumps that act like abcesses and ooze and weep, while another dog might get gunky ears and another might break out in itchy hives. Feeding the wrong stuff can set up a chain reaction on the inside allowing yeast to over grow in the GI tract which often expresses as skin allergy, but might also express as gunky ears.
I would go ahead and get the Zymox; I would also try alkalizing the water by adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to 1 liter of pure water; if you can build it up to 1 teaspoon do so, and dose 1 teaspoon per liter for one week. In addition I would consider adding probiotics of some sort - ie DDS with FOS. As with yeast over growth, if you have too much of one flora in the GI tract the whole system fails [you see skin problem or ear problems] so rotate the probiotic flora species around - when you finish 1 bottle, replace it with a new formula, and so on.
Also consider the chemicals in your house. From what you have shared I get the idea that you likely would use green chemicals for kitty safety, but things like scented plug ins can cause all sorts of problems for cats, along with the type of laundry soap you use to wash their bedding. So have you purchased new cleaning products in the last few months?
Diatomaceous Earth
Thanks again Theresa! I followed the links you provided, read through the info, and nothing made me go "hmmm..."! (Those are great resources, by the way). He has no crusty skin, no scales, no sores, no redness, no pustules, no oily skin, no odor: nothing but hair loss and itching. The backs of his ears have lost fur too, and they are inflamed (although better today.)
I was giving them an abundance of junk food cookies, and thought maybe that had something to do with his hair loss. But the ear thing is being passed around, and it began prior to my OD'ing them with cookies. His hair loss may just be from scratching. He doesn't use his claws when scratching, therefore his skin isn't broken/scratched or bleeding. The other two use their claws and that's why when the Bengal is scratching his ears he cries.... and that's why the Snowshoe has ripped those scabs off when she's itching.
The Big Question is: What is contagious, causes intense ear itching, head shaking, back legs thumping when I scratch their ears for them, dark brown wax, no odors, etc., that can be contracted by an indoors- only cat and passed to the other two?
Trouble is looking much less distressed this morning. Ears are still itchy but he is back to acting like himself... same shenanigans and same little troublemaker as usual. I haven't put anything into his ears since the coconut oil/colloidal silver stuff. By tomorrow I will guess he'll be miserable from itching again because that's the pattern, with one ear being worse than the other, holding it horizontally and then giving me that "meow" letting me know he's miserable.
I am so grateful for this website and the help I have received because I don't know if I'm treating this problem correctly since I've never personally dealt with an ear mite problem. The only ear problems I can remember dealing with on my own animals was a GSD's ear infection due to those big donkey ears getting stuff blowing in and another GSD had a foxtail in his ear. With all my dogs over the last 4+ decades being swimmers, not one even got a bacterial or a yeast infection! Have had lots of cats in the past and just lucked out I guess because no ear problems with any of them either!
Now it's three cats getting this thing all at the same time and each one is hard to treat in their own way so I guess my luck temporarily went on hold!
I will look up the meds and order some today. I hope it works, then I hope they never have to go through this again.
Thanks again!
Diatomaceous Earth
Hey Susan!
Hmmmm!
My first thought on reading your update was that it doesn't sound like you are dealing with ear mites as you certainly have done all the right things to get rid of mites and the symptoms persist.
My next thought is ZYMOX otic with 1% hydrocortizone, enzymatic ear solution. Google it, order it, its not spendy. The hydrocortizone helps calm the skin and the enzymes 'digest' the yeasts that may be in the ear. You should dose once per day, but you don't have to dig around and clean the ears so it is easy to use.
Hair loss around the neck and ears indicate itchy ears - usually. And your cats do have something going on with their ears so it would make sense to see this hair loss. But just in case its something way off the mark check out these sites and see if anything makes you go "Hmm...."
Diatomaceous Earth
Hey Theresa! Thank you so much for replying to my post in March and helping me try to solve the problems surrounding my cat's ear/ear mite issues.
Unfortunately, I'm still fighting the war and now I'm desperate!
Any advice from anyone here is more than welcome!
This is their diet: Free-feed Orijen kibble, canned Organix grain free, fresh meats like chicken and beef, canned salmon, but they also get "junk" food like Whiskers treats, Meow-mix treats or Pounce treats. I'd created three cookie-monsters by giving them too many junk-food cat treats that the Bengal is totally obsessed with! I hate to admit I went overboard with giving them cookies too many times a day. But those sneaky little cats totally took advantage of me and trained me to their benefit! Now I have gotten a grip and although they still get cookies, it's in moderation. I've also switched their litter to Dr. Elsey's dust-free, hypoallergenic litter.
I used the oil (olive+vitamin E) in Trouble's ears (he's my Maine Coon with the hair loss around his neck) and got the last of the larger particles of "dirt" out of his ears. There might be some deep in his canals, but there's nothing visible. When I wipe out excess oil, pinhead-sized brown particles are on the cotton-ball. Of the three cats, his ears have the least amount of "dirt" and they actually look completely clean. The Snowshoe's and Bengal's ears both have a little visible dark-colored "wax" and it returns a couple days after putting the oil into their ears. Those two have intense reactions when treating their ears-- they cry and scratch their ears like crazy! Trouble does that a little, but not like the other two.
I didn't give them a bath. Trouble has had a couple "sponge" baths. Putting the oil in their ears once a day caused too many reactions that concerned me, so I didn't use oil as often as suggested.
Trouble is suffering the worst since he's still itching and shaking his head, twitching his ears, holding them sideways, and looking quite forlorn. The balding areas around his "collar" have widened, but the skin isn't red, isn't crusted, and is just regular-looking skin. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like the fur is coming back. It's peach-fuzz-like and there's only a couple dime-sized totally bald spots. The area is still itchy and I scratch it for him using my knuckle and he enters a state of nirvana! He has never had skin problems before this, ever!
I've read all the remedies on EC for ear mites, ear problems, and skin problems as well as info from other resources. I have the following products on hand: DE; pure organic Neem oil; H2O2; 100% organic pure coconut oil; Vitamin E oil; pure virgin olive oil; colloidal silver (gel) ; Borax powder; organic ACV; Dr. Bronner's baby shampoo; purified H2O.
Besides the oil, here's the remedies since the last post: I tried watered-down ACV but that stung Trouble's ears so I only tried that once (on his outer ear skin.) Then I tried Neem oil, warming it and applying it into their ears with a dropper. So, that seemed to help all of them at first: the next day their ears were considerably less itchy. Before I used it, Trouble's ears had become irritated and the inside skin on the ear-flap was almost red. Two days after applying the Neem oil his ears were almost light-pink again. I waited another day then re-applied the Neem oil to the Snowshoe and Trouble. I couldn't catch the very elusive Bengal. (Another story.)
When I applied the Neem oil the second time, both cats had bouts of crazy itching inside their ears, unlike the first time. Trouble's ears turned bright red, his ears really bothered him! Snowshoe's ears also bothered her and she sort of hid out for the day. Then I noticed two scratching-wounds on her cheek area! I applied colloidal silver to those patches and they heal up quickly, but then she scratches the scab off and we have to start over.
Since their reaction to the Neem oil was so intense, and it didn't seem to help them like it seemed to the first time, I let their ears rest for a few days. Since Neem oil is supposed to kill mites along with being an anti-inflammatory, anti-biotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal oil, I don't know why they had this reaction.
I don't treat everyday with these cats due to behavioral and physical reactions -maybe I should.
So, after a couple days I went to the next concoction: coconut oil mixed with colloidal silver applied with a dropper into their ears. Again, negative reactions at first. Then it seemed as if Trouble's incessant ear twitching, tilting, scratching, head shaking and misery subsided a little, but then the next day (yesterday) he was totally miserable! I've never seen him like that! His ears were/are making him totally miserable. He couldn't sleep because his ears kept twitching and itching, and he's holding them sideways, shaking his head. His eyes were squinting. His ears turned very red and tender. He even hid under the bed which he's never done before. The other two cats are not having these issues. I am just having other difficulties with treating them which is another story.
Tonight he is in better shape: he has more energy, his ears still twitch but he's not constantly shaking his head and looking as miserable as he looked yesterday. His ears still bother him but are more upright, they itch but aren't as red and his eyes are not squinty.
Of all the treatments, the least "harsh" seemed like it'd be the coconut oil/colloidal silver mix, so I was surprised at the reaction. Both have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-mite, anti-everything properties, so I don't get it.
Maybe the treatments were too close together when I transitioned from the Neem oil to the coconut/silver one. Or do I need to treat more often?
I gave Trouble a good brushing, shedding out his winter coat, and found some tiny white particles of dandruff on his back. I looked at it under a high-powered jewelry loupe and I don't think they are bugs since they didn't move. I also saw some dandruff on the Bengal's coat but it didn't move either.
Again, the only hair loss is on Trouble and it's only on his neck. The only itchy parts are Trouble's neck, and ears on all cats. No one's ears have any bad smells coming from them.
The DE has not caused any negative reactions on the other two cats, but to be honest I have been concentrating on Trouble more than them since he's the one with the most pressing problems.
Anyone have any ideas about what's going on, or if I need to do things differently?
Diatomaceous Earth
Hey Susan!
The bald behind the ears/at the base of the ears sounds like it could be from scratching due to the ear mite infection. That you are still dealing with a mite infestation after treating for 8 weeks with DE tells me that the DE is not working - its not the right remedy in this case.
Read up on EC for ear mite remedies: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/ear_mites.html
Ear mites spread from animal to animal, and do not typically spread from surfaces to animals. So while a thorough cleaning is in order - wash bedding and the like - you shouldn't have to sterilize the entire house - whew!
It may help to bathe the cats using Ted's mange remedy - scroll down as it was posted very recently.
Treat the ears with an oil remedy, use the oils to flush out particulates and debris as the gunk in the ear will cause to itch also. Keep at the ears on all cats am and pm, for at least 5 days to start. The life cycle of the mite is 21 days, so you should really plan on treating for 27 days to ensure you have eliminated all the mites.
Hair loss does seem related to the mites, but you report naked skin and not scratched up and bleeding skin. The mange baths will help determine if its another mite that is the problem. Barring external parasites diet should be considered - what are you feeding?
Many questions but do start with the ear oil remedy and see what results that brings.
Diatomaceous Earth
★★★★★
I have 3 indoor-only cats. Somehow, my Bengal got a case of ear mites, then the Snowshoe and the Maine Coon got them at about the same time.
The Maine Coon is the one that has been affected by them with the worst symptoms-- ear scratching, ear tilting, head tilting and shaking, and looking plain miserable. Of the 3, his ears showed the least amount of the telltale coffee ground ear wax. In fact, his ears were almost free of anything at all. The other 2 had some of the brown stuff, but I've seen worse. Fortunately, he has been the easiest to treat, holding still for us when we doctor his ears. The Bengal is a whole different story!
I've treated all of them with Food Grade Diatomaceous earth. I've put it directly into their ears, onto their ears, into their fur, onto and rubbed into their bedding, I've spread it all over the house and furniture... in fact, I've followed all the things recommended on this site as well as on various Diatomaceous earth sites.
The Maine Coon seemed to get quick relief from the DE whenever he started the cycle of itching and head shaking. This all began about 6-8 weeks ago, and the battle hasn't let up.
Due to the Maine Coon showing the most irritation and been the easiest to treat, I began applying the DE to him on a daily or every-other day basis for about a week to ten days in a row. I'd put a pinch into each ear, then rub a fair amount into his fur, especially around his neck area and outer ears.
Then one day we noticed his fur suddenly appeared to be thinning on each side of his neck, below his ears. Within a couple days, they became obvious bald spots. He loses his winter coat every year, but not like this!
That started about 7-10 days ago, and now he's rapidly losing hair down to bald skin in a pattern around his neck, as if he had been wearing a 2" wide collar and it had rubbed all his fur off (except he doesn't wear a collar! ) The skin is baby-smooth, no redness, bumps, welts, or discoloration of any kind. It does itch him though! 2 weeks ago I was admiring how beautiful his coat was looking- now he's starting to look like Bill the Cat.
I brush him daily to help with the winter coat shedding, and it might be my imagination, but it seems like his coat is starting to thin in other areas too. He seems to be itchy all over, not just in the ear and neck areas, but also along his sides. His winter coat is naturally thick, shiny, long and fluffy and he still has most of that except he is going bald in that 2" wide "collar" area, and also a little in front of his ears (between his eyes and ears), and on the backs of his ears too.
I applied DE pretty heavily in these areas (except for between the eyes and ears.) Could the DE have rubbed his fur off? I can't find anything about side effects.
I stopped using the DE when I noticed the rapid balding, and increased itching. I treated his ears with an ear wash last night, followed by Vitamin E oil mixed with Olive oil to see if that would help sooth his ears. Now he's back to shaking his head and scratching at his ears and surrounding areas. I don't want to use DE in case that's the problem, so I might try a little ACV and water.
Any ideas? I am at a loss and am trying to find a way to stop this rapidly expanding balding thing before it gets worse. He is a very healthy, energetic, inquisitive, loving and playful cat. His personality, eating habits, energy level etc have remained the same.
I would love to hear any suggestion or maybe thoughts on what this might be and/or why it's happening. Thank you for any suggestions, advice or opinions!
Hey Char!
You are replying to a post that is 2 years old, so the original poster may not be around to respond to you - so I will give it a shot!
It appears the hand-sanitizer remedy is used once a day for two days.
A couple of caveats, however.
This remedy should not be used on ears that have been scratched raw as the alcohol in the hand-sanitizer will cause painful burning and stinging.
Next, you should be certain that your pet has ear mites and not another ear condition as the wrong diagnosis will result in a painful ear condition prolonged and untreated.
And lastly, all the pets [hosts! ] in the family need to be treated at the same time. If all pets were not treated, begin again this time including all pets in the protocol. If all pets are not treated, they will simply re-infect each other.
Read all about ear mites:
Hand Sanitizer
Do you use it everyday at first and after a month go to once a week?
Medications
You have to understand that mites are not visible. Dirt in the ear doesn't mean that you see a mites. Dirty ears create itching too. Whenever what you do helps to clean the ear some kind of way. But for mites any oil will drown them if they are on the skin under the skin in site of the ear that where they're hiding. Wet ear from the oil will prevent them from moving around
Mineral Oil
★☆☆☆☆
Please do not use baby oil in your cats ears to kill earmites. It is mineral oil BUT, it also has fragrance which will burn or sting terribly when you put it in a cat's ear. I made the same mistake. It was horrible. The cat never trusted me again. It ran & shook it head. Ran n shook. Hid from me. I felt horrible. I'm here to help. Them not harm them. Did you know many cities have free or low cost. Spay n nuetering. In Utah it is 1800 PETSFIX ext 10. Free if u are low income. $15 / $25 dollars if not. Lets love the ones that are already here. We have plenty. Thank you!!
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is NOT glass. Saltwater derived DE has a high sillica content and is only used as a filitration catalyst. It is neither suitable for consumption nor useful as an insecticide. Food-grade DE has little or no crystalline sillica. I've used it on chickens, cats, dogs and for general insect control in many applications. It's non-toxic and has little impact on beneficial species outside of the applied area.
Neem Oil
★★★★★
thank you, thank you. Of all the remedies listed, neem oil will not poison or kill a cat. A few years ago the gov't here issued a warning about Borax. It is not as harmless as thought of generally. Most vets' medicines are prohibitively expensive, harmful or outright poisons. If health is a business, let the buyer beware. However, I would see a vet just to determine if the cat has also an ear infection. Antibiotics have long term damaging effect on the body and some cats do not recover well at all. Warm the neem oil and clean the outside daily, applying every three days for a month. I have many rescue cats and some dogs, believe me, simple, harmless natural remedies are , in the end best and not draining on limited resources plus no pain and stress on the animal. Thanks again. Om
Ear Mites Vs. Ear Infection
I think the yoghurt is meant to be eaten by the dog, not put in their ears. :-)
Diatomaceous Earth
I can't imagine that it would feel good, to put vinegar on inflammed, irritated skin. Vinegar is very acidic.
If you have to do this, please rinse afterwards with water and put something soothing on there, like aloe.
Hand Sanitizer
★★★★★
I read about using hand sanitizer for ear mites on EC and wanted to say that it truly works, almost miraculously. I use 1 or 2 squirts in each of my cat's ears while massaging the base and then close my eyes for the inevitable shake. No more scratching or head shaking after 2 days. I'm going to keep up the regimen for a month and then use it as a preventative once a week or so. It's easy, cheap and works fast!
★★★★★
I too have given my cats Garlic for many, many years, for fleas... Not sure where your info came from but, it is NOT toxic 2 cats!
Soaked Tobacco
★★★★★
The vet here charges an arm and a leg for just walking through the door, so if he's not dying he's not going. Is a completely indoor cat. I tried the usual home remedies online and nothing worked. So I came up with an even better home remedy that worked.
Soak pure tobacco (buy online) in about 100 ml of water for half an hour, and strain out the tobacco with a coffee filter. Use an eyedropper to squirt in the cat's ear and massage the ear afterward.
Worked extremely well.
Boric Acid
How to Restrain Cats for Treatment
★★★★★
Restraining cats for ear treatments:
Cut the corner off of an old pillow case so it is just the size of the cat's neck. (Reinforce the neck with some quick stitches so the cat can't rip the pillowcase open if he gets a paw out. )
Make a drawstring for the bottom of the pillow case that can be drawn closed quickly.
Sneak up on the cat when he is sleeping.
Despite my monster cat hating this procedure (I'm 70 years old) he seems to understand that I am trying to help him doesn't seem to hold any grudge.
Ear Mites and People
Replying to Artie G: Yes, humans can get mites from their dogs, cats or bunnies. My friend got a terrible infestation that gave her a huge immune reaction - hives & itchy rash in multiple places. You need to STAY AWAY from that dog (sorry! ) for at least 3 weeks because that's how long the eggs take to hatch & then die. Cheyletiella - check out http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Dermatology/Cheyletiella-the-under-diagnosed-mite/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/363975
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
I have cats and when I see them itching their ear, I give them a squirt of full strength apple cider vinegar in the ear and it does the job. They don't like it, but it works.
Ear Drops
★★★★★
Hi, y'all!! I have an 11 year old Purebred Chocolate Lab... And she started getting a bad ear infection about 6months ago, and I have tried everything to get rid of it! I couldn't figure out if it was an ear infection (bacterial) or ear mites, and it was ruining her normally bubbly personality, not to mention making the ear canal raw red and bleed!! :( So, I tried everything I could think of, for both Ear Infections and Ear Mites, including some of the following (you can use these if you want! )... 50% Apple Cider Vinegar/50% Water, 50% Rubbing Alcohol/50% Water, Canola Oil with 2 cloves of Garlic left overnight and then removed the next day and using the oil (4-5 drops using a child's medicine dropper) to smother the mites 2 times daily, Rx Drops from the Vet (Tresaderm, I had to get the script filled 2 times because the first time didn't work, either did the second round for that matter.. That's how I knew it was Mites and not an infection. ) And I also used Amoxicillan 500mg (human Rx Pills) 2x daily, and THAT didn't work!
So, I was rummaging through my old medicine drawer, and I found old ear infection drops for me that were well expired, but it was a full bottle. So I figured, what the heck? The drops were called Cipro HC, OTC. The ingredients are Ciprofolaxin (.2% HCL)and Hydrocortisone (1% Otic Suspension. ) I swear to you, this poor dog was walking sideways because her equilibrium was compromised from these mites, and the first night I cleaned her ear with a cleaner and then used 2 drops of this stuff, no joke, the next morning, the ear looked almost back to normal!!! I only had to use 3 Q-Tips to get gunk out, which is brilliant compared to the 10-11 I used to have to use (and that's using both ends of each one! ) I used the drops again that morning, 2 drops, and again that night, and by the next morning, I didn't even need to use any Q-Tips!!!!
The first time I inserted the drops, she got a little uncomfortable, but the Hydrocortisone may have stung a little because she had open sores inside the ear canal. But it's been about 3 weeks since I stopped using the drops, and she is back to her old self!!!!
Before you use these drops, First, determine the amount of drops needed for your type of dog. My dog is about 60 lbs, and I used 2 drops, I could have used 3 but I didn't want to push it... but if you have a smaller dog, try one small drop first and see how the dog does, then adjust accordingly.
Use an ear cleaner from a Pet Shop or just use some warm water and Q-Tips. ** MAKE SURE you don't push the Q-Tip too far into the ear canal, as you could puncture the Ear Drum. Clean any debris out of the ear, and use a tissue outside of the ear to pat it dry. Then, insert the drops, and massage the dogs ear canal from the outside for about a minute. (It is basically the area right below the opening of the ear. ) Close the flap of the dogs ear so the ear canal is no longer exposed before massaging it.
Once you've massaged the drops in, try not to let your dog shake their head too much. If they do, it's not the end of the world, that's why you massaged the drops in, to assure that they made it deep into the source of the problem. Once you have massaged the drops in, "open" the ear back up, exposing the ear canal, and see if there is any fluids or pus around the flap of the ear or in the crevices inside the ear. If there are, just use either a Q-Tip or a tissue, and lightly remove that gunk. That could lead to a bacterial infection if left there.
Do this 2x a day, and use a flashlight to ensure you can see everything going on in the ear. Do not overdo the drops, as it could dry the ear out too much. Dogs need a certain amount of moisture in their ears to prevent further infections.
I hope this helps!!
Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
AveryMeyer89(at)gmail.com
****I am NOT a Veterinarian, and the article above is simply MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. The information provided is not factually proven to be used on dogs, I just tried it with my dog and it worked. PLEASE use this information at YOUR OWN DISCRETION. I hold NO responsibility if anything should happen to your pet as a result of following the regamine I describe below. I can ensure you, however, that the information I have provided above is true to MY experience, and I hope this helps you!
Ear Mites and People
The correct word is holistic, not holographic. It means a person who is interested in the integration of all types of healing for the whole body.
Colloidal Silver
★★★★★
l have used colloidal silver for years for ear mites in dogs. 2 drops directly into the ear and massage. Quick relief. Treat daily for a week, then once every 4 days if needed for hatching eggs. Doesn't burn. Keep in mind that the cheaper versions may not be the real deal.
Medications
hi, I have a four month old munchkin male kitten. I just got him neutered, but the vets office said he had ear mites. I just got him a little over a week ago when this happened. I have another cat and two chihuahuas I know it can spread. The vets office did say the treated the ears, but I still see the black looking stuff in his ears. I do own zymox will that kill ear mites? Also I see the same black stuff in his nose is that ear mites as well? My brother told me I could use alcohol and peroxide- will that work or will it hurt his ears since he has been itching them?
Diatomaceous Earth
D.E. is NOT GLASS! Diatoms are actually made up of mostly calcium and other minerals and are the food grade is safe for humans and animals internally as well as externally.
Vaseline
Lady I don't know what you are talking about I have 14 cats Yes 14 used to be 10 until I found four abandoned little kittens that were loaded with mites so thick it was so hard it was like little rocks in there and when I put vegtable oil in there and loosened it they shook there heads and it sounded like gravel hitting the counter I had them on..... Now for the last 2 days with the vegetable oil its not as itchy and there a lot more relieved with there ears. If your the kind that run to the doctor every time your kid is sick you or your husband must have HUGE BILLS!!!! You try home remedies first they do work if you know what you are doing!!!
Garlic in Olive Oil
★★★★★
I used a recipe from this great site for my eight year old Cat, who was starting to grow an ear mite infection. I have started the steps, using the Garlic with Grapeseed oil, and his ear is getting better. I need to go to the second treatment, yellow dock root extract, 9 drops with a Tbsp. Of water. Every three days for six weeks.
I will keep you posted. Wilby the happier Cat
