Ear mites/bacterial infection, question on ear drops

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PeterDevonMocha

PeterDevonMocha

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We just got home from a 4 day vacation only to find that mocha has come down with some serious ear mites! We have never dealt with these before with mocha or twix, but we have with our other GA's. We went and bought some ear drop meds from wal mart and put in 5 drops last night and 5 drops this morning. She screams like the dickens when they go in and I feel awful. Is there anything else we can do for her? We checked twix's ears and they looked clean but we put in drops regardless.

Peter is thinking she caught these when we were at the vets a few weeks ago but honest to goodness I saw no signs of anything going on before we left. Then we come home and find her ear turned down and she was rubbing at it. When I checked it out I knew what was going on. Lots of brown gunk :sad:
 
Re: Ear mites

How were the ear mites diagnosed? What product did you get? I like Acarexx by Idexx, a 0.01% ivermectin solution.
 
Re: Ear mites

I've only had one cat with ear mites, and that was when he was a kitten. They were pretty bad tho--I had drops from the vet, AND I had to clean the gunk out with a q-tip. It was thick and black, and totally disgusting. I don't remember him crying/screaming at all, but then again, he was just a tiny little peanut at the time and didn't have much of a voice.

I would probably call the vet and speak with them, and perhaps take her in. I wonder if perhaps she has an ear infection rather than mites? The ear being turned down is what makes me wonder--I don't remember Potter's ears ever being turned down.
 
Re: Ear mites

Ear mites don't come on and get that bad so fast.

If she is screaming, it could be because there is infection
and possibly open sores inside, which hurt a lot when
the medicine is put in.

I would take her to the vet ASAP and get a proper
diagnosis.
 
Re: Ear mites

Karen & Smokey(GA) said:
Ear mites don't come on and get that bad so fast.

If she is screaming, it could be because there is infection
and possibly open sores inside, which hurt a lot when
the medicine is put in.

I would take her to the vet ASAP and get a proper
diagnosis.
Click to expand...


Definitely second that!!!
 
Re: Ear mites

Third that! One of my civvies recently had ear mites and subsequently (probably not related) a yeast infection in her ears. They looked very similar to me, and the vet had to get some of the gunk and examine it under a microscope to be sure what the issue was. With the yeast infection, she did object strenuously to the ear drops I had to give her, and her ears got very red from them, but they seem to have cleared up the infection. The vet also checked to be sure her eardrum was intact (it was) - that's not something you can do yourself.
 
Re: Ear mites

Ok thanks everyone .. She is due to go back for a check up on her eye sometime soon so I will try to make her an appt for her ear as well .. Peter checked her ear out this morning and said it looked better then it did yesterday .. I hope it's just ear mites ..

Would an ear infection come on that fast? My mom didn't say anything to me each time I called her about her ears bothering her .. and when I asked my SIL about it this morning she said she didn't notice mocha acting weird about her ears either ..

If it was an infection, would there be an odor near her ears?
 
Re: Ear mites

PeterDevonMocha said:
Ok thanks everyone .. She is due to go back for a check up on her eye sometime soon so I will try to make her an appt for her ear as well .. Peter checked her ear out this morning and said it looked better then it did yesterday .. I hope it's just ear mites ..

Would an ear infection come on that fast? My mom didn't say anything to me each time I called her about her ears bothering her .. and when I asked my SIL about it this morning she said she didn't notice mocha acting weird about her ears either ..

If it was an infection, would there be an odor near her ears?
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Yeast infection,...yes maybe an odor that smells like...yeast.

Ear infections are kinda rare in cats unless there is an underlying disease like...ahem...diabetes. The real drawback for Mocha is there may need to be a treatment with corticosteroids to clear it up. :sad:
 
Re: Ear mites

She does not have any smell coming from her ear at all ..

I tested her today at +4 and she was 58, right around where she normally surfs ... would an infection raise her BG's?
 
Re: Ear mites

BG shouldn't go up if it is a local infection, as opposed to a systemic infection.

A tip on cleaning the ears: if you slightly saturate a cotton ball with cleanser, then place the ball into the ear and lightly massage it, the cleanser goes in without dripping in. This may reduce the objection to having the ear cleaned.

To use the cotton ball for medication application, you may want it more saturated so enough of the treatment gets in everywhere.

And I've always been advised not to do the cleaning solutions when I'm giving medicated solutions (a light, gentle, wipe out with gauze or tissue before meds was OK)
 
Re: Ear mites

What do you wipe the inside of the ear with? I mean, I know I should use a cotton ball, but should it just be in water? I have heard using mineral oil?
 
Re: Ear mites

You can use mineral oils to clean and disinfect your cat's ears. When you apply mineral oils to your cat's ear, it will loosen the ear wax and any debris in the ear canal. If your cat has ear mites, mineral oils will suffocate the mites, and by removing the excess ear wax, you are removing the mite's food source. In the case of a yeast infection, it can help clean the ear and return the yeast to a normal balance.
To use mineral oils as an ear cleaner, use an eye dropper to add a few drops of mineral oil to your cat's ear. Then massage the base of the ear to work it in. Wipe away any excess oil and loosened debris from the ear using a clean cotton ball. If you want to use other types of oils, you can try any type other than tree oil, which is not safe for cats

Read more: Ear Cleansing Solution for Cats | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6308584_ear-c ... z1QhsOk1eG
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Now, if you go and read the label on some of the cleansers you will find they are more than 50% Witch Hazel. I said to myself...uh? I have Witch Hazel in the house. It is an astringent cleanser. I mix a 50/50 solution and use a gauze pad to clean my cat's ears every other week.
 
Re: Ear mites

Thanks so much blue! Now, where do you find mineral oils? Is there a certain brand just called mineral oil, or is this an ingredient? And this is completely safe to use on a kitties ear?
 
Re: Ear mites

PeterDevonMocha said:
Thanks so much blue! Now, where do you find mineral oils? Is there a certain brand just called mineral oil, or is this an ingredient? And this is completely safe to use on a kitties ear?
Click to expand...


Baby oil is mineral oil. Baby supplies section of any grocery store should have it.
Also drug stores (baby supplies section).

Mineral Oil is also sold in the laxatives section as an intestinal lubricant. Bigger bottle and
better price. Probably a life-time supply for cleaning cats' ears.
 
Re: Ear mites

Great, thanks everyone! I will go in the morning and get some mineral oil and cotton balls ... we've just been doing hartz ear drop medicine, but now I know we need to clean out her ears too ..

Thanks again everyone!
 
Re: Ear mites

Just sending hugs to you and Peter, dear Devon, and, of course, Mocha too,

There's nothing like ear duty with a cat. Drop cloths are helpful when they shake their heads and brown goop flies everywhere... Ewwwwwwwww!

Been there, done that, cleaned them, and learned to wear brown ear goop colored attire...

Big hugs for you all!
Deb and Nikki (it's not our fault, mocha...) -- and, Giz, who taught me everything about indoor rain gear...

PS: Please do get Mocha checked out. She shouldn't be screaming... Ear mites are different than ear infections. If her vet prescribes Tresaderm in addition to an ear wash (Oti-Calm or Epi-Otic, to name two), understand that it contains steroids and you'll have to shoot around it for as long as it's prescribed... It's okay. Been there, done that, adjusted dose forth and back, and survived it... But, ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
 
Re: Ear mites

Thanks Deb .. I guess I shouldn't say that she is screaming in pain, but more like screaming cause she doesn't want that stuff in her ears .. we've done a lot of stuff for mocha, but she seems most bothered by these drops going in her ears .. When we put the drops in twix's ears, she does the same kind of noises ..

Peter looked in her ears this morning and said they looked better today then yesterday, which looked better then the day before .. so I guess it is slowly working on her ..

Today I'm going to get the mineral oil and cotton balls and then we will be able to clean out her ears .. hopefully that lodges up any gunk .. yuck .. this is gross stuff!

I'm hoping we don't have to mess with steroid treatments .. she is OTJ now and I'm hoping we can work this out on our own .. but I won't let it get out of hand ..
 
Re: Ear mites

Deb415andNikki said:
There's nothing like ear duty with a cat. Drop cloths are helpful when they shake their heads and brown goop flies everywhere... Ewwwwwwwww!

Been there, done that, cleaned them, and learned to wear brown ear goop colored attire...
Click to expand...

If it is real bad and Mocha decides head-shake is needed...retire to the shower stall with her. Not give her the shower ...but to keep the ewwww...flying stuff easily contained and readily cleanable!
 
Re: Ear mites

yeah .. that is a good idea .. she went crazy shaking her head the first day we did drops and a bunch came flying out .. yuck ..
 
Re: Ear mites

I'd avoid the Baby oil, as it is usually scented in some way.

You may reduce the shrapnel by thoroughly oiling the cotton ball (or gauze pad) and using that to wipe out goop.
The reason oil works to loosen wax is that they are similar chemical compounds (got that from a survey course in organic chemistry - "like dissolves like" , so oil dissolves/loosens wax, other oils, adhesives, tar, and gums)

Other cleansers may have a bit of acetic acid in them, AKA vinegar, which helps discourage yeast.
 
Re: Ear mites

ok, so my SIL has some mineral oil and cotton balls so I can get that from her later on today. She doesn't have an eye dropper so I'm thinking if I soaked one cotton ball in the oil I could squeeze a few drops down into her ear and work it that way .. then take another one and wipe out whatever comes to the surface .. right?
 
Re: Ear mites

PeterDevonMocha said:
... I soaked one cotton ball in the oil I could squeeze a few drops down into her ear and work it that way .. then take another one and wipe out whatever comes to the surface .. right?
Click to expand...

That'll work too - though if the ball is saturated enough, you don't need to squeeze drops, just massage the ear around the cotton ball.
 
Re: Ear mites

Ok so tonight we used the mineral oil and got some more brown gunk out of her ear .. I can tell it's cleaning up nicely though it will probably be a few more days before it starts looking really good again .. I'll be glad when these things are gone!
 
Re: Ear mites

Yikes! Poor Mocha!

Junior had ear mites when I first adopted him when he was a kitten. I just put in a few drops. No swabbing or cotton balls. Maybe it's b/c his ears were too small at that time. It went away after a week.

Good luck Mocha!
 
Re: Ear mites

PeterDevonMocha said:
Ok so tonight we used the mineral oil and got some more brown gunk out of her ear .. I can tell it's cleaning up nicely though it will probably be a few more days before it starts looking really good again .. I'll be glad when these things are gone!
Click to expand...


((((((((((Mocha)))))))))))))
 
Re: Ear mites

Thanks everyone! Her ears were cleaned again this morning with the mineral oil .. we can see it's bringing up more gunk to the surface of her ears overnight .. Thanks again for all the help/ideas!
 
Re: Ear mites

Here is some additional information you can use with Mocha.

One of the popular ways to kill ear mites is with warm oil. Ear mites like to hide under the crust and flakes that accumulate inside a cat's ears. To get rid of this brown crust, add a few drops of mineral oil into each infected ear. It will take a few hours for the crust and debris to loosen up, but it will help your cat find some relief.

Every day, apply one to two drops mineral oil into your cat's ears. This will suffocate the mites. Continue to perform this process for up to a month. Your goal is to treat the entire growth cycle of the mites so they won't come back.


Your cat will likely have some redness and inflammation from the mites. Add a little Vitamin E to whatever oil you use. The natural antioxidant in Vitamin E will help speed up your cat's healing process.

Read more: Holistic Feline Ear Mite Treatments - VetInfo
http://www.vetinfo.com/holistic-feline- ... ments.html
Click to expand...
 
Re: Ear mites

Thanks Blue, we noticed today that mocha's ear is looking a little red. Called all the vets in the area and they are closed for the holiday weekend so we will continue doing the mineral oil and hartz ear drop meds. We are getting a lot of brown crusty gunk up each time we do the mineral oil but can't say mocha is a fan of this whole process. :sad:
 
Re: Ear mites

PeterDevonMocha said:
We are getting a lot of brown crusty gunk up each time we do the mineral oil but can't say mocha is a fan of this whole process. :sad:
Click to expand...

I don't think any of us are! It is a yucky process to go through...
 
Re: Ear mites

Well, it has been a week since starting mocha's ear meds. She seems very sensitive in the ear area, touch it and she goes crazy so tomorrow morning I'm calling the vet and getting her an appt. I just want to know what I should expect .. I assume she will flush out mocha's ear? Will she have a strong ear med to use at the office? Does anyone know the name of what she might use, or any recommendation on what I should ask her to use/not use? Any advice is appreciated!
 
Re: Ear mites, making an appt tomorrow

Danny used to have loads of ear problems so we went this a lot. It was always brown crusty stuff but it was never mites. Of course Danny didn't like his ears messed with, but I was able to gradually do some behavior modification with him. Basically I would briefly hold/manipulate his ear, and in return he got a low-carb treat like freeze-dried salmon. We progressed to ear swabbing. I would do just one in each ear, each time I took his BG. With ample treats, he didn't mind the ear cleaning or at least tolerated it.

I would expect that the vet will first get a sample from the ears, and check the microscope for ear mites. If it's mites, you can get Acarexx which is a single-dose treatment -- better than daily ear drops!! Or, depending where Mocha is in her flea treatment cycle, you could buy some Revolution. This will kill mites where ever they are on the body (they don't necessarily just hang out on the ear), also it will kill many internal parasites.

If it's not mites, the vet may culture the ears. This is maybe $100 or so. Danny had this done multiple times and I think once they found yeast and once they suspected a fungus. Tresaderm has steroid which caused a huge jump in Danny's BG (500+) so I would really recommend against that. What we mostly used to keep the ears semi-clean was Malaseb ear wash. I had tried the "gentle" ear wash from Dr Foster Smith but he had a reaction and his ears got scaly, and the skin cracked and bled. :( I'm currently using vinegar/water to clean kitten ears after Revolution treatment, and this seems to work pretty good to loosen the remaining crusty bits.

Surgery was being discussed as an option but luckily we were able to avoid that. What finally worked for Danny, after years of problems, was something called Tri-otic. It's been like two years and his ears have stayed clear ever since. It is an antimicrobial / antifungal and it does have some steroid in it. Oddly enough, as I recall the steroid in this formulation didn't cause any significant BG issue.

good luck,
laur
 
Re: Ear mites, making an appt tomorrow

Thanks so much Laur. Mocha has never had a problem with us messing with her ears before the mites. Or at least what I believe are mites. I'm keeping my finger's crossed they are mites, and she has heard of acarexx and wants to use it. I want to avoid steroid treatment at all costs, but if I can .. I guess I will deal with that too ... She has never had any ear problems before the last two weeks .. I hope this is the last of the ear problems as well ...
 
Re: Ear mites, making an appt tomorrow

The animal hospital here use Stronghold for ear mites. One just put it on the skin of the neck and it goes out to the ears by itself.
 
Ok, we are back from the vets. Mocha has a bacterial ear infection, in both ears. The vet gave us drops called Zymox, hydrocortisone free.. These are safe to use, yes?
 
Seems very safe:
Zymox Otic ® (formerly Zymox-E ® )contains 3 active enzymes that have been shown to be antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral. Zymox Otic ® is the natural antibiotic free treatment of choice proven to be highly effective against yeast and bacterial infections. Completely safe and harmless if ingested by the animal. The once a day protocol makes it very to use.
from;
http://zymox.net/
 
Thanks ann! Unfortunately mocha's ear problem turned out to be a bacterial infection in both ears .. so we got her meds and will get her better asap!
 
Yea, Simba got staphylococcus bacterias and fungus in his ear, really bad, with a lot of puss too, but with the right ear drops and my cleaning he became well from it again. The staphylococcus bacterias however out smarted me, and spread to the neck, to all the invisible needle holes from his insulin shots. So his entire neck became infected too and I had to stop giving insulin while I treated the neck from the staphylococcus bacterias, and instead used acarbose during those weeks it took. So if it is staphylococcus bacterias Mocha has, keep an eye out on the areas around the ears and in the neck, so they don't decide to spread to the insulin shot areas.
 
Oh my gosh, that sounds horrible .. Thankfully mocha is OTJ and hasn't had shots in nearly 4 months .. but I will keep an eye out for anything new on her body .. Mocha also hasn't had any puss coming from her ears, just lots of brown gunk .. The vet told us that we do not need to clean her ears with these meds, if stuff comes to the surface we can gently wipe with a cotton ball, but we don't have to wipe inside her ear ..

The vet did not say what the name of the bacteria infection was, that's just what she kept calling it .. I should have asked ..
 
Oh, dear Peter, Devon, and, of course, you too, Mocha with the brown ear gunk...

You all will survive this. Trust me. The brown gunk journey is what it is. It's gross...

Much love and drop-cloth laden hugs,
Deb and Nikki (gunk happens, mocha. it's not our fault...) -- and, Giz, who taught me basically any number of fashion statements whilst dancing...



PS to BJM: Shrapnel?!?!?!?! What an absolutely purrfect description. Purrfect! ROFLMAOF!!!!!!!!! And, I've been hit... Ewwwwwwwwwww...
 
Thanks Deb .. it sure does help to come here and be able to verify things .. and of course, talk to those who understand ..
 
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