Hi, it's great to hear the success stories here but I was shocked to read that Borax is potentially deadly to cats.
I had a flea issue to deal with and one of my cats had horrible itchy scabs from his reaction to the fleas. Solution? Flowers Of Sulphur! π
I mixed 1 part Flowers Of Sulohur to 2 parts corn flour and worked it onto their skin, being careful not to make a dust cloud near their faces. I also treated their ears as I suspected mites too.
Result? Fleas slowing down or dying so it was easy to comb them out of my cats' fur with a flea comb.
Also, within a week the itchy scabs were gone.. the Flowers Of Sulphur is a great skin soother. It also deals with fungal issues.
Now my cats seem much happier and if they're happy I'm happy.
EC: Thank you for your great feedback!
Regarding borax and cats: we have a borax and peroxide feedback section for cats with mange that has posts from readers who had favorable results, so what you read about borax in another post might not be correct.
Here is the page on Earth Clinic with borax feedback: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/cat-mange-treatment-home-remedies.html
Ted's Mange Cure
I've been using Ted's solution on my cat's ears ...very much improved. Warning note for others: my grey fluffy cat's hair around the infected ear is turning a pale shade of orange from the peroxide.
Which leads to my question. While I haven't bathed her in the borax/peroxide/water solution yet, I'm still planning on it. She is very fluffy, looks like she might have Norwegian Forest Cat in her. My plan is to fill a mop bucket with the solution, then put her in the bucket and literally soak her. Trying to get it to the skin and then have it dry is going to be a challenge because of the under-floof in her coat. And liquid tends to run off. I figured I would then put her in a cat carrier for an hour to give the skin a chance to absorb the solution before she could dry herself. Does this sound like a reasonable plan to anyone else? Would appreciate any input anyone else has.
THANKS!!!!
(Mpls., Mn) on 03/30/2017
Hey Beth!
You will need to bathe your cat in a mild shampoo to break up the oil barrier in her coat - once you do that she can be rinsed and then dipped in the mange remedy. You might also consider following up with a good dusting of food grade diatomaceous earth; I will put some in a pillow case, put the cat in the bag with the head out, and then manipulate the dust in the bag to penetrate the fur. Some folks use DE in the ear for mites so you might consider that also, however IMO the liquid remedy is more effective at penetrating all areas of the ear. Do keep in mind that treatment [bathing/dusting, treating both ears, treating all animals in the house, daily washing of bedding] needs to be continued for 3 weeks to eradicate the mites.
Ted's Mange Cure
I know this article is from some years ago, but just in case someone like myself click here looking for some advice on a cat issue & thanks bathing their animal in peroxide would be a good idea, STOP! Aside from using hydrogen peroxide from helping a dog induce vomit, it is never safe for your animals. And cats are especially sensitive to it it can cause bleeding of the stomach or at the least irritation and is known to be FATAL! Do not use witch-hazel or alcohol either. I'm not going to make any suggestions, but I would probably go with something from the vet or at least go to an affordable site like chewys.com. They have a variety of baths for cats and dogs, you can find something safe for a bath instead of home remedies for the situation. I'm all for home remedies but just make you do your homework thoroughly first. Our animals rely totally upon us and it's our job to make sure they're safe in everyway.
EC: Hi Barbie, the poster is referring to Ted's Mange Cure, a combination of borax and peroxide highly diluted in water. It has been tested on thousands of dogs and cats worldwide since 2004 when it was first posted on this site. It is indeed a safe remedy.
Ted's Mange Cure
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Hi everyone!!! I am very very very grateful for all of you, your comments, and this site. @nycandre, thank you for all the details and the follow-up on your beautiful cat, Ted, thank you for being so gracious to share and share again.
I noticed my beloved fur ball Violet had gunk around her one ear. Not really scratching at it, but also recalling last year when this happened it was ear mites, which I took her to the vet for. We did that gel, plus Revolution. Right now a $200+ vet bill is out of the question. So I googled. And y'all came up. And I started reading ... and cleaning her ear .. and reading.
I started with colloidal silver in the ear, and internally. Kept reading. Saw the olive oil/garlic. My husband is a naturopathic GP ... so we have lots of remedies around the house. Grabbed the ear drops that had the olive oil and garlic, plus something else. At this point her ear starts to look worse. She's scratching more, and the exterior in front of the ear is looking really irritated. So I keep reading, and reading, and reading. Ted's formula keeps coming up. I had to get to the store to get Borax, but I had peroxide at home. So I started cleaning her ear with straight 3% peroxide. As a rule, I don't like peroxide on an animal's ears. It's very very drying to tender skin. BUT ... I needed to get something going better. I used cotton pads (Shiseido, expensive but worth it. They don't shed, they're strong, and they are SUPER soft.) soaked but not dripping, then q-tips. It hurt. Her ear was bright red and I thought I did some real damage. I left her alone for the night and checked her the next day. Blood crusts, her ear was loaded with them. Which told me something in the right direction was happening. I bathed her using Dawn, paying attention to butt and feet. She has long hair - we think Norwegian Forest cat- so you have to work thoroughly to make sure it gets to the skin.
I got the borax, and read more. I needed to know if I could use it directly in the ear. Yay Ted!! YES I COULD. I mixed up a 1/2 batch, storing it in a glass jar in a drawer. For the last 3 nights I've soaked cotton pads and worked them inside her ear to loosen everything, then used q-tips. Violet has a "pocket" in her ear that was holding a lot of crust. The first night she wouldn't let me get anywhere near this pocket. The next night I started on the pocket with a q-tip before cleaning the ear with the pads. Success!!! She was in less pain, so I had more time to work with it. I pulled out a lot of crust. After cleaning it as thoroughly as I could, I took a dropper and put in 3 or 4 drops in the ear directly -- 2 into that pocket -- and massaged the ear then let her shake. Last night, very little crust, pocket still pretty clean. We're in the right direction.
My husband is going to fashion me a "cone of shame" so we can make sure she stays wet long enough for the solution to dry into the skin (which is what Revolution does). Then the dog will get done. I plan on keeping this up for at least a month, and treating the carpet.
I just noticed behind the ear she had matted hair "dred locks" and she's scratching behind that ear .. so it's going to be a Ted bath tonight. At least I know this is the right direction. If it happens again .. and it probably will .. I will go straight for Ted's solution. I don't think the oil etc did what was needed. So thank you one and all for all of your comments!!! Your comments gave me the direction I needed to go in!!!
Soaps such as "Dawn" and any other synthetic fragrance products (made from petroleum) are toxic to cats.
Dont' use q-tips - most cause the infection to go deeper into the canal. The skin tissue in the ear is thin, delicate and easily damaged. Use cotton balls soaked with what ever you use, then soft tissue to wipe out the ear (or cotton balls).
Please don't fashion a "cone of shame" - just watch for scratching - like YOU having something in your eye or eat and you can't get at it. Their symptoms of scratching means something is wrong - terribly wrong. A product should soothe this reaction, not aggravate it.
I wrap my cat in a towel while treating then let him bask in the sun (window). It's pretty traumatic for them. He does not scratch after his treatment.
Mineral Oil
I've been dealing with cat's ear mites for months...now going to try mineral oil. But I have question & concern & can't find any information on my cat's issue. He has daily discharge of mites' gunk in his eyes every morning...just like in his ears. Has anyone experienced this problem with cat's eyes? It's definitely the mites coffee ground/dark discharge coming from my cat's eyes. Any advice and/or similar experience with would be appreciated. Thanks! Roxanne
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
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?
Mineral Oil
I read where you used 'flower of Sulphur, mixed with Linseed oil'. Did you use this on the skin/fur only? or can it be used on EAR MITES IN DOGS? I have tried everything and nothing works for long. Would love a reply back asap, thanks. Kathryn
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?
(Mpls., Mn) on 11/24/2014
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
If a good remedy for ear mites is needed
Thornit ear powder is really good and has been around for many years.
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.
(Mpls., Mn) on 09/05/2014
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?
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
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!
Hand Sanitizer
Do you use it everyday at first and after a month go to once a week?
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
Hand Sanitizer
How to Restrain Cats for Treatment
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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.
Garlic in Olive Oil
Yellow Dock
Is that nine drops of essential oil and one tablespoon for each ear or just for one ear? I am wondering about the Yellow Dock Root Extract.
Thank You.
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.
Yellow Dock
(Mpls., Mn) on 07/17/2015
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.
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
Multiple Remedies
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My cat has ear mites an I have tried water and vinager it seems to be getting better but it's been a month and there still not gone I'm tring mineral oil now it's only been two days of it but I read that it doesn't kill the mites just cleans the ear should I use vinegar as well as the mineral oil ... Will that kill them?
Rubbing Alcohol
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I remember finding kittens as a young person, new in a first apartment with a friend, we found these two kittens and took them in, they had ear mites, and we used alcohol drops in the ears, rubbed them and cleaned them out with q-tips, carefully and as the kittens shook their heads we kept cleaning and adding more after it dried. we only had to do this the one time. it went on over three hours though. a long time in a bathroom. the kittens were also bathed with dish soap. now I am hearing Olive Oil, lets be frank it has been a few years since we did this. now I have two new kittens and so far i can see the mite dirt but they do not scratch the ears or shake their heads and such to demonstrate they have them. I am going to give them both, olive oil and rubbing alcohol tx just to make sure.
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WARNING!
I think many of the suggestions on this thread are very helpful. As with the Tea Tree Oil, Borax needs to be used with caution! Especially as cats groom themselves so there's a high likelihood that they will ingest the stuff. Borax is even considered to be toxic by the EPA when ingested. Obviously diluted amounts are less toxic, but since dialysis is the only method for rescuing a cat that has too much exposure to Borax, I would highly recommend a lot of thought before resorting to Borax. The vaseline and vegetable oil are meant to smother the mites.
Rubbing Alcohol
Hi, Alcohol works but use wet on Qtip or damp on cotton ball and has to be done very carefully without filling ear because it can go into the eyes or nose of your pet through ear canals. Alcohol in eye or nose is painful and burns. It hurts to breath alcohol. Try saline solution or salty like the ocean if you mix yourself with a little baking soda but again don't fill ear with solution. Apply with Qtip And dry with Qtip and tissue to get rid of moisture. To prevent ear aches from the moisture.
Homeopathic Remedies
Pet Ear Mite Infestation
I have a question. You reccomend yellow dock tincture and water to kill ear mite which is applied directly into the ear. The latin name for yellow dock is rumex crispus which comes in a homeopathic pellet remedy made by Boiron. If the homeopathic remedy of yellow dock (rumex crispus) is taken orally via homeopathic pellet, will this kill ear mites as well?
Yellow Dock
Ear Mite infestation in dog can make the dogs ears very sensative and painful. Since the most prevailant type of yellow dock tincture contains alcohol, which I would imagine would cause stinging pain in the dogs ears, would a glycerine-based tincture of yellow dock be preferable?
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
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
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.
Tea Tree Oil
EAR MITES IN CATS: I have adopted ferral cats and have fought ear mites for the last three years, non stop. I have used all of the vet prescribed, guarenteed remedies out there. Nothing has been succesful, the whole colony could not be treated. I have learned to make friends with the animal first before attemepting TX. which has prolonged the nasty infection in my other pets.
Washing your hands or wearing gloves and changing inbetween patients is critical to prevent cross contaimination. My vet also said it was excellent to use tea tree oil for it's anti viral property. I'm glad to find this web site and am excited to go research the essential oil toxicity and the Diatmaceous earth cutting action from "glass" byproduct. Meanwhile I'll be hitting the pantry!. Jacque
I used, for ear mites, diatomaceous earth (food grade) mixed with mineral oil, used cotton ball and spread it all around ear flap. Used diatomaceous earth under the opening of the ear. For pain, in the ear, I used an holistic approach. Got it in the drug store, contains Chamomilla, and Merc Sol, and used it sparingly in the ear for relieving pain, as it soothes and calms the animal.
Tea Tree Oil
Warnings on Tea Tree Oil and other related products - for cats.
Warning:
Using Tea Tree Oil topically on a cat.
Tea tree oil, which contains phenols (as does its neighbor, turpentine! ) is very toxic to cats because they do not possess the enzymes to metabolize it, so it is stored in the liver and can cause irreparable damage over time.
Most veterinarian 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 as well as ear mites. Antibiotics have a long-term damaging effect on the body and some cats do not recover well at all.
Olive Oil and Peppermint Oil
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Holistic Ear Mite Remedies:
I adopted two kittens in November and both were infested with fleas and ear mites. They were babies, only four weeks old, but the mother stopped producing milk, and the woman who owned the pregnant cat said she'd had enough of the constant bottle feeding.
My key goals became to rid them of the fleas and mites, but the vet I have told me to avoid any medications at their young age, especially since one of them was the runt of the litter and barely weighed 14 ounces. The other was one pound.
Anyway, he suggested I mix 1/4 cup of olive oil with 10 drops of peppermint oil and then store it in a bottle. Every day, I'd put three or four drops of this oil mixture into their ears and then massage it in. I'd follow this with a bath in warm water with baby shampoo to kill off as many fleas as possible. Then I'd use blunt-tipped tweezers to pick off fleas that climbed to the head. Wrap them in a blanket and dry them off some. Then I'd use a flea comb to remove any other fleas that escaped. I was told that by bathing them right after the oil treatment, any mites that escaped the ear were washed away by the shampoo.
After two weeks, I took them back to the vet and heard the words I was waiting for--both kittens were completely flea and ear mite free. They are eight months old and never had fleas or ear mites again. So obviously the olive oil and peppermint oil mix did the trick. Now I have my two boys who weigh 11 and 13 pounds (the runt is 13) and as I've been told they are obviously part Maine Coon, the vet's told me to expect them to be huge. Given the size of their paws, I'd already expected that!
omg. I have to learn this but I'm not sure Γ°ΕΈΒ€β how. It is sooo much to take in at once like instructions to something u cant understand.... like in what order do I do this and what brands do I buy and where and mix what first and what do I do first.
My cat is like a child adopted in my home
Sulfur
I used 3 parts vaseline and one part sulfur on the outside of my cat's ears. The cat wiped all of it off including the scabs. When it would shake it's head blood flew. I thought there must be a better way so I'm considering a sulfur water/olive oil solution injected into the ear with an eye dropper. I'm wondering if the sulfur powder is a good idea and if so what are the ratios.... Mike
Yellow Dock
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Part of the introduction to the Ear Mite Remedy page says:
"In order to actually kill the mites, there are a couple of natural remedies that you can make at home.
The first one is a mixture of 9 drops of Yellow Dock Root Extract and 1 tablespoon of water.
Use an eyedropper to insert the treatment into the pet's ear, being sure to massage it well prior to the animal having the opportunity to shake it out. Administer the treatment once every three days for a period of six weeks.
The second treatment mixes 1/2 an ounce of Almond Oil with 400 IU's of Vitamin E. Warm up the mixture to body temperature and apply 1/2 an eyedropper into each affected ear. Massage the mixture around in the ear and remove the excess with cotton balls. Administer the treatment for a period of six days, leave it for three days and then repeat."
However, according to http://www.healthynewage.com/ear-mites.htm (which claims to have gathered their information from William Pollak D.V.M. and the Fairfield Animal Hospital), the treatment regimen listed above is inaccurate in some ways: It explains these treatments as two separate remedies (whereas the following info describes them as two steps of the same remedy), and the administration differs slightly.
I am not sure which is more or less accurate, but seeing as the following information was provided by medical professionals, I personally trust it a bit more. The following info is also more specific and gives reason for each application of treatment. Of course, you have the final say in what you end up using for your pet, so I can only recommend that you do extensive research and become educated on anything you may be considering before deciding on any one remedy.
www.healthynewage.com's remedy is as follows:
Step 1: Make a mixture of 1/2 ounce of almond or olive oil and 400 IU vitamin E in a dropper bottle. Warm to body temperature and put about 1/2 dropperful in the ear, massaging the ear canal well for a minute or so. Let your pet shake its head and then gently clean out the opening with cotton swabs. Q-tip type applicators many times compact material already in the ear canal. Apply the oil every other day for six days. Then let the ears rest for 3 days. (The oil mixture will smother many of the mites and start a healing process.)
Step 2: Using Yellow Dock Root Extract, dilute it with water, 9 drops to 1 Tbsp of water. Treat the ears with this mixture once every 3 days for 6 weeks. Ear mite eggs are quite resistant to just about anything after they have already hardened, that is why a 6 week period of treatment is recommended. The eggs will continue to hatch out in cycles and if medicine is present for 6 continuous weeks (medicine administered will last for four days) there will be no more eggs present.
I also found this tip very helpful: Instead of trying to place the drops directly in the ear, lay the dropper across the entrance of the ear so that the liquid first goes onto the outside and then drains in.
Ear Mites and People
I've used this web site before and its great. I would see if your friends dog will let the owner put veggie oil in his ear that is infected.just a few drops.and massage the bottom of the ear. it wont kill the eggs but it does get ride of the live ones. clean with a cotton ball. it works i have used it on my lab. he was so happy!
Ear Mites and People
I'm pretty sure you mean holistic.... holographic is something very different....