Replied by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 09/04/2014

Theresa

The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.

About Theresa

Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.

Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.

Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and  fueled  her quest for the knowledge held in lore,  and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.

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It is commendable that you allowed your daughter to bring home a kitten who needed a home and I think you were spot on to get her wormed. Since the life cycle of the roundworm is around 21 days, you should continue worming her every 2 weeks for a total of three treatments to ensure you clean them all out.

For the ear mites, I would add to your cleaning regime an oil of some type; this will smother the mites your cleaning efforts may have missed. I like using olive oil but any cooking oil or mineral oil will do; avoid baby oil because the fragrance may irritate the sensitive skin in the ear canal. I take 1 cup of oil and to it add a good sized clove or two of raw garlic; I put it through a garlic press so its all minced, but smashing the garlic or dicing it up will work just fine too. Let it steep overnight, and then strain out the garlic so you end up with a garlic infused oil. I then warm that up and put in the cat's ear - you want to really work it down into the ear. I let my cat shake it off and then wipe up the excess on the outer ear/ear flap only, leaving plenty of oil to coat the ear canal to smother the mites. I would do this oil regime once a day for *at least* 21 days to cover the life cycle of the ear mite; 30 days is often recommended to wipe them out completely.

And, one last thing just to clarify; you cannot see ear mites with the naked eye - but they do leave a 'tell tale' appearance of what looks like coffee grounds in the ear. The gunk that falls out of the ear typically doesn't contain mites, but when 1 pet is infected you should treat ALL pets in the house as the mites are very contagious between cats and dogs [so you and your daughter are safe! ] and are spread by contact, ie one cat rubbing against another pet.