Would anyone have any suggestions for ear mites in cats without seeing a vet???

Question

I have seen three vets as it is which one of them was a house call! My 4 cats were scratching their ears and all three vets told me they had allergies! I just checked 2 of them thoroughly and as I can see, it is EAR MITES! I do not want to go back to a vet! It is costing me a fortune and I made the diagnostic myself! Good vets, hey?? Would there be something I could buy in a pet store and how would I put stuff in their ears because 3 of them don't like too much to be touched on the ears and I'm afraid of getting scratched?? Please help???

Answer 1

I'm really surprised that all of these vets told you it was an allergy without even checking for mites, since mites are so common and so easy to check for, are you absolutely positive that it's mites? While not as common in cats, yeast infections produce a similar black gunk.

If it is mites, you really need to go to the vet to get the proper medication. When you go, explain that you've been to 3 other vets, that you think its mites, and explicitly ask them to check for mites. I'm guessing that your vet bills run so high in part because you're bringing 4 cats in each time. You may want to ask in advance to make sure, but some vets will be fine with you bringing in just one cat, and if the mites are confirmed, giving you medication for all 4 cats. This way you're only paying for one office visit and one test, and that should make the bill a little more manageable.

While you wont be able to properly medicate them for mites without a vet, you can clean their ears on your own. Go to the pet store and pick up some ear cleaner (its not expensive at all). Wrap your cat in a towel, and hold a cat down securely. You may need to get someone else to really hold him down well, since kitty is probably not going to want to cooperate. Squirt some cleaner on some gauze or cotton swabs (dont use q-tips, or you might accidentally go too deep), and wipe his ear. Push the swab down on the base of the ear and rub off some of the gunk. Basically wipe out all the gunk you can see. That might at least offer them some temporary relief.

Answer 2

I would suggest going to a vet and saying "look at this! my cat has ear mites! can I have some treatment for it please?"

Pet shop stuff is pointless - they're not licensed to sell eaer-mite killing stuff, so in the event they do offer anything that claims to kill ear mites, I would wonder what is actually in it! You need medication from a vet - they won't give you any without seeing the animal (apart from Revolution flea spot-on, which also treats ear mites but may not necessarily work for your cat) but if you're sure of the diagnosis, just take her along, demonstrate to the vet and get some medication. It will just be the price of a consult fee and a bottle of the ear drops.

What did you see when you looked in your cat's ears exactly? Ear mites are microscopic, mostly you see the waxy brown buildup of their secretions.

As for applying the meds - get the vet to show you the first time! That will be included in the price of the consult fee.

Chalice

Answer 3

I think it's going to be hard to get around a vet visit. Ear mite are often accompanied by ear infections and you wouldn't be so cruel as to let an ear infection go without treatment..

Answer 4

Excerpted from Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Cat Care, by Randy Kidd, D.V.M., Ph.D.:

More than 50 percent of ear infections in cats are related to otodectes cyanotis, or "ear mites." External ear infections such as ear mites will respond to herbal and other treatments, however infections of the middle and inner ear must be treated by your veterinarian only. Be sure to get an accurate diagnosis before you begin home treatment on your own.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: Gently swabbing the ear canal with a large of chunk of cotton may reveal a gooey brown to black discharge often produced by ear mites.

While ear mites can be annoying to both owner and cat, they are relatively easy to clear up-if we are persistent and give several treatments over the course of 3 weeks. Almost any natural oil-based ear medication, even one that does not directly kill the mites, will ultimately drown them. (The oil covers the mites' breathing pores, eventually suffocating them.)

Ear mites are highly contagious, even though they are usually only found in younger animals, so you will want to treat all of the animals in the household. Don't forget to treat any dogs that are in contact with the infested kitties; dogs are also susceptible to the mites. And even if only one ear appears infected, treat both ears. The mites readily migrate over an animal's head, from one ear to the other.

I usually recommend an oil-based herbal treatment (see below) every day for about a week, then every second or third day for two more weeks. You need to treat your cat for three weeks in order to catch the mite eggs as they hatch. (Mites have a life cycle of about three weeks.)

Mullein Mix for External Ear Infections

Mullein flowers (available in health food stores)
olive oil
crock pot


Place mullein flowers on the bottom of a crock pot. Cover with olive oil. Heat on low for six hours. Cool. Strain. Pour into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month. To use, apply several drops of the oil, warmed to body or room temperature, into the ear canal.

Answer 5

this is what i did. we took in a stray, pure fluffy white... her ears looked black and thicke. it was the mites and gunk.. being a stray and never groomed, well not in a long time anyway...... wrap kitty tightly in a large towel , everything but the face..... have a bowl of water with just a few drops of flee shampee in it. use a cotton ball to wipe... keep wiping and get as much as you can out... work fast... then next week do it again... each kitty, work fast...... and have some q-tips ready this time as well, if they are not freaking then dab q-tip in water and wipe. not too far down inside...

Answer 6

Get a cotton ball and put baby oil on the cotton ball. Clean your cat's ears with it in circular motion. It really works.

Answer 7

go to
http://www.earmites.ca/