natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foster)

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hollybee

Member
Hi all ~ foster mommy of Alex Olivia here.......we got through all the major hurdles of getting her off insulin (OTJ since March), on good food, over her URI, and finally the return of her fur (yippee!). When she first came to us she had REALLY dirty ears - I've cleaned them numerous times with Q-tips and have gotten out the major goo. Her ears *look* pretty good, but she still scratches at them, shakes her head some and sometimes holds her ears a little flattened. It's as if there is still goo way down in the ear canal that can't be reached with a q-tip (not surprising she may have years of build-up in there, her *family* dumped her and her 'hubby' off at a kill shelter b/c they had 'too many animals' so taking care of their animals probably wasn't high on the list :roll: ).

Anyway, wondering if anyone has suggestions for any natural things to try? THANKS!!

BTW< got a cute little video of the two of them over the weekend, all snuggled up during the rainstorms here in the mid-Atlantic region:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnfyb9KJDCc
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

Maybe it's ear mites or some other issue? Ear wax is normal. It's usually honey colored and a little sticky and doesn't cause any discomfort. Ear shaking and pawing at the ears may indicate something more serious. Has the cat been seen by the vet for the ear issues? I know there are OTC pet ear cleaning solutions and pads and powders you can use but they only take care of ear wax issues.
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

yeah, when she first moved in, I took her in for blood work related to the diabetes and he swabbed her ears.....I don't think it's an active infestation, I'm thinking it's maybe some past ear mite dirt or wax build-up....her and her 'hubby' are very close and snuggle and he has no problems, none of the other cats have issues either and I understand they are very contagious.....hmmm.....thinking I need something to loosen it up.......
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

My Charlie has dirty ears, no mites or anything, just occasionally dirty. I use peroxide on a cotton ball and they clean up really well.
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

thanks, I'll try that - although it's pretty far down in......I had ear problems growing up and my mom put peroxide in my ears....I wonder if it would be OK for Alex O? something to loosen it up - geez I better put her in the bathroom when I do it so when she shakes I can clean it up!

BTW, we have a Charlie too......he's at the ER right now, he's young but has had problems with crystals in his urine and last night he blocked ; (
....he's been on a top shelf wet food and holistic supplements - he did well with treatment and I can't wait to pick him up in the morning, we miss him around here....poor little guy......
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

thanks! he's definitely on the mend now that his pipes are all cleaned out......it's weird b/c just the other day I noticed his pee and it looked the best it ever has - nice color and amount......then 3 days later he was straining and blocked.....happened once before but he didn't block that time......hoping we're starting over with a clean slate and now the regimen of remedies will keep this from ever happening again......grr....poor sweetie, I miss his high pitched meow waking me up in the morning (I took him to the ER late last night)......
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

Many of the OTC ear cleaning solutions contain acetic acid ... another name for vinegar! Its in a specific strength, so you may not want to mess around making your own.

A cotton ball saturated with cleaner, inserted in the ear, and then massaged, is a good way to get the solution in without actually dripping or pouring it in, which many cats seem to hate. Plus, the massaging helps loosen up any goo and wipes some of it out when you remove the cotton ball.
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

thanks BJ! I'll pick up a bottle and see if it works.....lots of rubbing and massaging will hopefully do the trick!
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

I once got a box of several small vials of cleaner called Otoclean from the vet and it worked quite well.
Oliver has a problem with only his left ear and I have asked a few vets about it, but it's just wax. I need to clean his one ear every 2 or 3 days, but the right ear is fine.
None of my other cats have a single problem.

Otoclean
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

thanks Gayle! I'll start with the OTC and see if I get any results.......luckily it doesn't seem to bother her, but I bet it will feel soooo much better!! Her 'hubby' that came from the same house has spotless ears.......
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

We went on vacation about two months ago and came home to find mocha in the same situation as your kitty .. shaking her head, turning her ears down, scratching at the base of her ear .. I thought for sure she had ear mites, there was brown gunk galore in her ears (never had ear mites before) .. We used mineral oil (which kills the mites?) But she screamed bloody murder ..

After a few days we decided it would be best to take her to the vet .. the vet scraped the insides of her ears and found out both ears had bacteria infections in them .. We were put on ear drops for a week .. Thankfully within a few days the scratching of the ears and folding of the ears stopped. She still has some brown gunk down low and I questioned about this the other day on here and was told it is normal for cat's to produce ear wax ..
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

hmm.....I'm wondering if she may have had an infection long ago? maybe/maybe not treated and it's the reminants of the goo.....she doesn't scratch a whole lot, but enough that I felt like there is some sort of build up.....I'll try the OTC stuff and see if it's that....

thanks everyone!
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

By keeping the buildup of wax under control, it should reduce the breeding ground for any bacteria to start or continue.

Note: when you are using a specialty ear cleaner or ear treatment, be sure to follow the instructions on the use, including whether or not to use any other agent, and if so, how.
 
Re: natural remedy for dirty ears? (for a diabetic OTJ foste

thanks BJ! I have some natural ear cleaner on order.......
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top