Tim (Winters, California) on 04/16/2008
A basic issue is the prevalence of ear mites. While very common in cats, it is virtually nonexistent in dogs under most circumstances. The people posting comments about the pros and cons of various treatment protocols for ear mites in dogs are most likely not even dealing with mites. And treating ear mites in cats these days is extremely simple and not worthy of prolonged discussion; a one-time (two at most) application of feline Revolution or Advantage Multi for cats should eliminate the pests. While a good product for flea control, Frontline is probably completely ineffective against mites.
I would recommend that this site be refereed by a competent veterinarian who embraces integrated (Eastern and Western) responsible practice.
Respectfully,
Tim Krasnansky DVM
Berryessa Veterinary Services
Winters, CA 95694
(530) 795-6090
BerryessaVet.com
Replied By Stella (USA) on 04/19/2008
Replied By M. R. (Odessa, Missouri) on 05/01/2008
Replied By Sophie (Friday Harbor, Wa) on 11/20/2009
Replied By Thomas (Sarasota, Fl) on 03/30/2010
Replied By Lisa (Warrens, Wi) on 05/16/2010
Replied By Cat (Memphis, Tn Usa) on 09/15/2010
Replied By Ken (Malinalco, Mexico Mexico) on 06/29/2011
Replied By Valerie (Indianapolis, Indiana, Usa) on 08/25/2011
First off, Revolution offers a money-back satisfaction guarantee if purchased from a veterinarian. Download the form from their website. Fill it out and send in with necessary information. They will require a phone call from your vet, with a Case Number your vet needs to assign to your case, and probably the medical records indicating that your cats are on Revolution, and yet still got ear mites.
(Their own website states that if the product is used over a long period of time, the fleas, mites, etc. can become resistant to it, and it won't work anymore.)
Make sure to read the fine print at the bottom of the form. You should be able to get your money back. Here is the manufacturer of Revolution (Pfizer's) website address to get the form: https://animalhealth.pfizer.com/sites/pahweb/US/EN/contact/product_information/Pages/VMIPS.aspx
The above page is in a .pdf format, and most all computers can open a. Pdf form. On this page, just click on (EXPAND) next to where it says "Revolution Satisfaction Forms". Then click on "download form". Once downloaded, just click on it to open the form, print it out on your printer, fill it out, and take it to your vet.
What really gets me is, on this same page, where it says "How to report a product issue", if you click on that, it says " To report an adverse event such as your pet's reaction to a medication, the product not working as expected, or a quality issue such as leaking or damaged product, contact your Veterinarian. " What the heck???????
If the product causes an adverse reaction, or does not work as expected, YOU SHOULD BE CONTACTING THEM!! , not your VET! They should be taking responsibility for their own product, not pawning it off on your vet! Yet another reason NOT to use these products!
Revolution (and all other animal flea, tick, & parasite control products) is EXTREMELY TOXIC to pets and humans. Read the label!! The fact that it even HAS a MSDS (material safety data sheet) for humans should tell you all you need to know. If it is not safe for human skin, it is not safe for animal skin!
There are many, many all natural treatments for fleas, ticks, ear mites, and such, that work just as well, if not better, and will not harm you, your pet, or the environment.
My dog and cat currently have ear mites. I am treating them myself using natural cures, and herbal cures. Google "natural and herbal cures for ear mites" and see what you find. There are differing opinions on almost every treatment, so you need to decide which one will work best for you.
But firstly, you need to clean out the gunk (greasy, dark, and/or smelly earwax and such). You should do this on a regular basis anyway. It is easy and inexpensive. All you do is use either olive oil, or Almond Oil (available at most natural health food stores), and a bottle of 400 IU Vitamin E softgels. You mix 1/2 ounce (1 Tbsp. ) of either oil with one Vitamin E softgel capsule (prick with a pin and squeeze the oil out). You will need a dark colored small glass bottle with a dropper screw top (also available at any health food store), and a tiny funnel that will fit into the top of the bottle (both inexpensive). I quadrupled the amounts so I could use it later. Then once mixed, whenever you are ready to use it, sit the bottle in a bowl of hot water (don't cover the top part), to warm to body temperature - just a few minutes should be enough. Test a drop on your arm to make sure it is not too hot. Have someone else holding onto your pet, and lift up your pet's ear, and place 1/2 dropperful into ear canal (make sure not to go too far down with dropper so you don't damage the ear canal). Immediately (without letting your pet shake the oil out first) begin massaging the outside of your pet's ear canal to make sure the oil gets down inside, for about a minute or so. Then let your pet shake it's head, while still having someone hold onto your pet. Then, just use a soft cotton pad or cotton ball, and wipe out the entrance of the ear canal, to get the wax out.
It sounds more hard than it is. I have done it by myself without someone else to hold the pet. It is trickier with a cat, as most will not sit still to let you do this. I just covered my cat's body with a bath towel, on top of my bed, and used my own body to pin her down (without hurting her). Leaving my hands and arms free to administer the drops and massage them in, then clean them out with the cotton.
This oil also suffocates the mites, while soothing any swollen or inflamed tissues in the pet's ears. You need to do this once a day, every other day for 6 days (a total of three treatments). Then you let them rest for three days.
The second half of the treatment is necessary due to the fact that mites eggs can hatch out every 4-6 days, and you need to make sure you kill them also. There are several methods for this also. Diatomaceous Earth (must be Food Grade! ) can be purchased at specialty pet food stores, and it it CHEAP.
Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth
- Do not use pool-filter-grade diatomaceous earth near your pets. However, the food-grade product will not harm them. Just put a pinch of the powder into the ears daily for a month to kill existing and newly hatched mites. or you can mix it with warm water, and use a dropper to administer.
The label for Revolution also states: REVOLUTION may be irritating to skin and eyes. Reactions such as hives, itching and skin redness have been reported in humans. Wash hands after use and wash off any product in contact with the skin immediately with soap and water. If contact with eyes occurs, flush eyes copiously with water. In case of ingestion by a human, contact a physician immediately.
(What if your cat licks any of this stuff off of its skin while grooming? Cats lick their paws, and their fur, while grooming themselves, including the fur on the back of their necks...... Then it is ingested by the cat, and will kill them, without immediate (and expensive) veterinary intervention. Even then, they still may die. It is highly poisonous, even says so on the label.)
Label also states: Flammable - Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames or other sources of ignition. AND.......
Following treatment with REVOLUTION, transient localized ALOPECIA (hair loss) with or without inflammation at or near the site of application was observed. Other signs observed included vomiting, loose stool or diarrhea with or without blood, anorexia, lethargy, salivation, rapid breathing, and muscle tremors. There have been reports of PRURITIS (chronic itching), URTICARIA (hives, or itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin), ERYTHEMA (which has many different types and can cause - redness or rash or raised spots or other lesions on the skin, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms, & itching, Joint pain, Arthritis, sensitivity to sunlight, sudden outbreak of tender spots, bumps, lumps, or lesions, usually on the legs, knees, and feet, target lesions - spots surrounded by rings of normal and red skin, looking like a target, rash on the face, Clusters of nodules (small round masses) and lesions on shins, forearms, thighs, and trunk, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the most severe forms of erythema have a different set of symptoms. Target lesions on the trunk, hacking cough, fever, and blisters around the mouth, eyes, nostrils, and anal and vaginal areas are the key symptoms of SJS, TEN will have symptoms of SJS that worsen to include peeling and detachment of the skin, pus-like infections, fluid loss, and even death.), ATAXIA (is the inability to maintain normal postures and perform normal movements. Movements are jerky and uncoordinated, without the smooth flow of normal motion. Ataxia may affect any part of the body. Ataxia occurs when there is breakdown in communication among the brain centers responsible for coordinated movement. These include areas responsible for sensation and balance. Symptoms may include tremors, involuntary back-and-forth eye movements, Postural instability, swaying while standing, wide-based gait, sometimes likened to a "drunken reeling", uneven stride, with steps of different lengths and not always straight forward) FEVER, and reports of DEATH. There have also been reports of SEIZURES in dogs.
In the above paragraph, the words in italics were added by me, to describe what all of these conditions THEY list, really are, and what they can cause. The words in capital letters are the only things they listed, failing to mention what they are.
Believe me, I know from personal experience. The damage caused by these products, and the damage caused by annual (unnecessary) vaccinations, has been DIRECTLY CONNECTED to many, many health problems your pet may develop immediately after use or further down the road, by numerous studies and personal experiences of some of the most notable homeopathic vets in the country.
The evidence is overwhelming if you care to read it. The two best homeopathic vets are Dr. Richard Pitcairn, D. V. M. , Ph. D, (who has written 2 books) and Dr. Martin Goldstein, D. V. M. (who has written one book). I have all three books, and they are real eye openers! Dr. Goldstein's book in particular (which was a bestseller), has a whole chapter devoted to the "Dubious history of Vaccines", and also talks specifically about commercial pet parasite control products and their dangers to both animals and humans. Annual vaccination of pets has lead to more deaths, than any other single pet disease in the US, and had even been given a name.... Vaccinosis. Google that word, and see how much info shows up........ TONS. And, not only for pets, but humans also.
They also have websites. Dr. Goldstein's is : http://www.drmarty.com/
and Dr. Pitcairn's is : http://www.drpitcairn.com/
You can purchase used copies of all of their books on Amazon.com cheaply ($5. 00 or so). And they are VERY WORTH the money, if you care about your pet's health.
Good Luck!
Valerie J.
Replied By Julie (khia) Mersch (Kerman, California) on 01/12/2015
Replied By John Cole (Saipan) on 11/19/2015
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.
Replied By John Cole (Saipan) on 11/27/2015
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.
Replied By RÃ chel (Seattle, Wa) on 02/02/2016