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.
Mineral Oil
Ted says he likes the essential oils in Dr. Bronner's. Tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, etc. ARE DANGEROUS TO CATS. TOXIC. CAN CAUSE SEIZURES AND EVEN DEATH. Tea tree oil is especially dangerous. DO NOT USE ***ANY*** ESSENTIAL OIL on a cat. CAts cannot metabolize EOs, because they don't have the "wiring" in their livers to do so.
I would also like to recommend that people see their vets about ear mites BEFORE treating them. There are several other conditions that APPEAR to be ear mites to the untrained eye (that means "us" :-)) but are something else entirely. Ear mites are microscopic; identification is important so that the right condition is treated. I notice that some people write that "x" remedy isn't working "yet", and asking how long does it take, etc. If it were the right thing for the right condition, it WOULD be working. Please be sure your cat has ear mites instead of an infection or injury before treating her/him. Deafness and/or nerve damage are permanent conditions.
Thank you :-)
Hand Sanitizer
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,
Advice
I've always heard / read that tea tree oil is toxic to cats...can even be deadly. Some essential oils are fine for pets but others aren't.
Campho Phenique
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?
Ear Mites Vs. Ear Infection
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.
Warning
Just a reminder that felines are radically different, physiologically, from both dogs and rabbits. Cats are able to absorb many things through their skin, including oils and other solutions, and even many essential oils can be harmful to them, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or absorption. Just because Campho Phenique works on a dog or rabbit does NOT mean it is safe for use with a cat ;o) Their livers are unable to process these things in the same way other species can, and it can quickly toxify their system. I am using warm water with a few drops of witch hazel, and a drop of gentle pet shampoo to cleanse my cat's ears. I gently wipe out, then use slightly warm olive oil to soothe.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Warning
A stray cat decided it wanted a home. It seemed perfectly healthy and energetic and was very sweet.
Recently noticed he would walk with his ears back. Didn't think too much of it at first thought it was strange. A few days later he started walking with his head tilted.
I googled and it came up with ear mites. I checked the ears and it looked like the pictures. I used Olive oil for a week one ear that wasn't that bad looks pretty clean now but the bad one, the one he was tilting his head on still looks like a lot of gunk inside. The cat didn't mind the olive oil. Was really good about letting me put in with a dropper, esp. Considering its a stray. No scratching or trying to bite. Just shook his ears and wanted to get away after his treatment.
I tried the diluted 50/50 apple cidar vinigar and water and it hurt him really bad. He meowed a bunch of times then got really crazy and got away still didn't scratch or bite..poor thing. I felt horrible.
I figured the week of olive oil would've healed up any open sores.
He doesn't come when I call.and just wants to hide all.day. totally different personality.
I'm not sure if I should give the olive oil more time on the bad ear or try something else. I don't want to hurt him again.
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!
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
Please make sure you are using (FOOD GRADE), not (POOL GRADE)....pool grade has added chemicals for the pool and will hurt your pets!!
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!
My dog has ear mites he caught from an infected cat. I'm an ER RN and we treated wax build-up with a name brand laxative drops... waited for the wax to soften, then used warm H2O to rinse. So I have started tonight with Castor Oil in the ears, and tomorrow will use H2O2 with the Castor Oil. I used the Castor Oil a week ago 3-4 days, and he was feeling so much better that I slacked off. I clearly didn't understand the little beasts would be so hard to get rid of, until reading some of the horror tales on here. I used the Oil an hour ago and the dog is sleeping. Anyone tried Castor Oil ? The oil should smother the mites, loosen the wax, and the H2O2 will help work wax and ear mites out. My main concern is not to cause harm. I think this treatment will be more successful than some I've read about.
I'll let you know.
Sunny
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.
Medications
I would just like to say that I have a cat and have taken him to the vet several times for ear mites which cost me $65.00 per visit. I have also bought my medidcation from the vet at $12.00 a bottle and have given it to my cat faithfully. My cat still has the ear mites after over a year and suffers terribly from this he has no skin on the backs of his ears where he has dug them so much so at this point I am willing to try anything to get my cat some relief. Hopefully this will work.
I think it is possible that cat mites go onto humans. The scabies treatment will work as well, they are similar mites. Chlorine water from a pool is great, just make sure you keep the mites to yourself, should you visit a pool. You can suffocate the mites on your skin with cream, but they might keep hatching, so you have to be persistent.
Ear Mites and People
I'd like to post a comment to Bev from Mt. Juliet. What exactly is a holographic health practitioner? Is it someone who practices medicine on holograms? Do you know what a hologram is? Or did you mean homeopathic health practitioner? Or is it someone who practices medicine through the use of holograms? I'm confused.
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.
Diatomaceous Earth
Only use food grade DE as any other can be hazardous to you and your pets.
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.
Diatomaceous Earth
There are two kinds of DE (Diatomaceous Earth). One is food grade and just as it says, food grade and when it is viewed under an electron microscope, you can see the razor blade sharpness of the long ago diatoms. Pool grade has been heated and is smooth and not to be used except for what it says, pool grade. The way the food grade DE works is by slicing into the breathing portals of fleas, flies, ticks, ants of any kind, termites and the list goes on. They say it is even good as a wormer when put in an animal's feed and if flies are a problem due to feces, the fly larvae can't live. I can't testify as to this but have read about it many times. I have eliminated huge red ant beds by putting maybe half a cup of food grade DE around the ant's entrance and if it rains, replace the DE. I often dust food grade DE on the shoulders and at the base of the tail for fleas during the summer and this will kill ticks if they walk though it.
Boric Acid
I read one of the comments of using boric acid as part of a formula. This is frightening. Do you realize that boric acid can kill cock roaches and other pests that regular pest control won't? Please research what boric acid does to the NERVE system of the cock roach to rid it for good.
Also, another comment was that using mineral oil for a couple of days rids your problem. Not so. Ear mites RAPIDLY reproduce and this takes much longer and regular cleaning to even get ear mites under control. However, after using for 3 weeks, I still bring crust up and mites from my kittens ears, as well as the brown wax, telling me they are still there. Once, my kitten is 12 weeks old, I will be using medication and still checking with mineral oil for traces of ear mites.
Boric Acid
Don't forget it's a detergent first and foremost. I also use when forging steel to forge weld metal together at over 2000°
Olive Oil, Garlic Oil
Hi Darinka,
Diet plays a significant role in dog ear troubles. My dogs had itchy and inflamed ears, especially in the summer, until I put them on a freeze-dried raw food diet. Issues went away within a week. But they still needed a good ear flush from time to time. I used Epiotic advanced cleaner for that with very good results.
Mineral Oil
we were very worried about our kitty, mint greene. she had been scratching her ears constantly. i dipped a cotton swab in mineral oil, rubbed it on the outer ear (not the ear canal) and she hasn't scratched since!! YAY!! tomorrow i will do this again, and massage some into her ear canal as well. if this works for mint then the other four cats, and three dogs will be next!! i am so glad i found your website. it has been a very big help.
Vinegar, Oil
Dear Liz,
Always dilute vinegar for use on a dogs fur or in his ears. No more than 50% vinegar. If the skin is broken, dilute it more. I wouldn't use more than 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of water if skin is broken.
~Mama to Many~
Medications
Wow, does it only take one treament? Also would love to have the chart for the heart worms. Thank You
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.
Medications
CAUTION: Cats and tea tree oil. I used to use tea tree oil in my cats ears faithfully until I talked with a herbalist (might be the wrong title) who works with essential oils. She told me that cat's bodies don't tolerate tea tree oil well. I'm suspecting my use of tea tree oil in one of my cats possibly caused him neurological or slight brain damage. He was the only one I had a problem with. I never confirmed this so this is ONLY my unprofessional gut feeling based on my conversion with the herbalist. To this day I do not use tea tree oil on my cats anymore. Love it for myself and my horses tho.
Medications
Hi Ted,
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.
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.
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.
Hydrogen Peroxide
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.
Ted's Mange Cure
I found the answer on another site for the Ear Mites simple formula.
One part 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and 2 parts water equals a 1% solution.
The 2 parts water dilutes the 3% H2o2 solution to a 1% H2o2 solution.
Store in a sealed glass container. Pour out enough of the 1% H2o2 solution for
one treatment into a separate shot glass.
Now put add in a little borax until it won't dissolve any more and you're done.
Use an eye dropper to pour into Kitty's or Dogs ears. Throw the contents of the
shot glass away. If you need to re-administer, use the stored 1% H2o2 in the
same manner as above. Keep in mind, if it's more than a mth old, throw it out
and make a fresh batch of 1% H2o2.
Advice
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.
Hand Sanitizer
Warning
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!
Thanks for the tip. I've been treating my kitten with olive oil & tea tree oil (one tablespoon w/ 3 or 4 drops tea tree), cleaning every 2 - 3 days. I have been wondering how long the mite life-cycle is... knowing I need to get the new hatch before we get JR cured. I'm two weeks into treatments and will keep up the schedule for another two.
Thanks again! Christina
Multiple Remedies
Hi! Checking back in, after a few more weeks of trying remedies!
As of when I wrote last, I tried Diatomaceous Earth (DE) with pyretherins (chrysanthemum extract). I used it dry, applying with a cotton ball, like I had the plain DE. The plain DE worked nicely to provide the cats immediate relief from the mites sensations. But it needed re-application daily or so.
Trying the DE + pyretherins, the result stirred up sensation and symptoms at first for a couple hours, but then seemed to last longer - I was able to go up to 3-4 days without the cats scratching, shaking heads and so on. But over a couple weeks, the relief lasted shorter and shorter for the cats.
All this, plus I have still been using the vet's Revolution for them, now about every two weeks (which I read online somewhere). I think it helped, as one cat with very long hair apparently hadn't really been getting the Revolution on her skin and she had the worst case. Finally I realized this and was very careful to apply it to her skin, and immediately her condition came "up" to the level that the other 5 cats were at. So, all 6 have very little "coffee grounds" stuff and wax in their ears, yet displayed itching and head-shaking after some time with the topically applied products used, as said above.
I was discouraged and alarmed after 3 months of this - trying something which seems to give relief, then finding the relief waning in effectiveness. I had this "waning" result with alkaline mineralized water, and with the DE with pyretherins. This was while using Revolution at 4-week intervals, then at 2-week intervals. The mineral oil didn't work for us at all. The plain DE didn't have a "waning" effect but it just never got the job all done. I came back to this site and somehow read what I missed before - about Ted's Borax, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide formula. I almost went out at midnight to get the stuff but decided to wait till the next day.
The next evening after work, I was too tired to . (as I understood the procedure) clean the house with a borax/ water solution and leave it on the floors, etc.; do laundry with borax of all 6 cats' beddings; and give a Ted's borax solution bath to each of the 6 cats. (His stories and the testimonials talked about dogs and baths; I didn't find any about cats but I was prepared to bathe the cats, though I haven't ever before bathed all the cats at once.) So, tired, instead, I made up a small glass bottle of Ted's borax solution to apply to ears, paws, privates and tail's ends, just to see if I could see the effect for the cats.
Reading Ted's approach, I had begun to understand the importance of getting the biologically active material into a solution that penetrates skin somewhat. Another person had talked to me also about putting the DE into solution; when I had tried that person's suggestion which had not been tried on a pet's body but only in the garden, it clearly made their situation worse over a couple of hours, and I reversed tacts. Using Ted's formula the night before last and yesterday, I also found that it didn't do the job. Here in the Arizona desert, we may have some truly genetically deviant mites, very hardy.
However, this morning, before I could do all the cleaning steps that Ted's approach asks (not that my house wouldn't benefit from that, anyway!), I thought about what had worked the best. The best remedy was the plain DE - available at HomeDepot here, or where swimming pool supplies are sold, for use in pool filters. But DE didn't last, didn't quite get the job done. DE is known to be an effective natural pesticide, as it is fossilized, ground seashells, inert calcium carbonate, etc., and its pieces are very sharp microscopically, so it cuts the micro-bugs; it is also very drying, so it lethally dehydrates the micro-critters too. It is used here by savvy natural gardeners to get rid of garden pests. As I wrote earlier, if you use it, you'll find it is very drying to your hands and nails, so wash your hands well after touching it. (And, again, avoid the expensive brand that states it is "Flour Grade," as I found that it gets into the air and is breathed - very damaging if anyone has respiratory conditions - and is quite difficult to clean up as it only floats in air and doesn't stay on surfaces to get wiped up easily. I had to clean and clean again. One of the most challenging and dangerous experiences in this whole tough time, as one here has a respiratory problem.)
So, this morning, I added DE to my bottle of Ted's formula and again drenched my 6 cats' ears, paws, privates and tails' ends. This provides an active solution and a hopefully effective biologically active agent - DE. And the Borax is there too. I am currently delighted that I have seen no more head shaking, itching, etc., for hours. I will report in a couple days if the effect continues, and I will take steps to apply it very thoroughly to all the cats and the environment too.
Thank you for this site. It has helped me and my beloved felines. Hopefully some of this experience will help others.
Pure Aloe Vera Gel
Years ago, my Grandmother spent a majority of her summer, running her dog to the Vet's because of ear mites. Then she decided to take the pet to another Vet. who was a Man who believed in "old time" remedies. His advice to her for the ear mites was pure aloa vera gel. Just break off a small end of one of the stems and using a Q-tip, swab the ear and within a few days, the mites were gone and most importantly, the Aloa is very gentle on the pet not to mention it cures without harmful chemicals.
Hand Sanitizer
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
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
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.
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.
Multiple Remedies
Please, never use swimming pool grade Diatomaceous Earth in the house, only foodgrade DE. From the gardenstore or feed store. NOT the swimming pool store. Swimming pool grade can give you lung disease.
