Ear mites are annoying, microscopic creatures that live in cats' ears, causing a good deal of irritation. Infected cats may scratch their ears excessively or shake their heads frequently. If you notice your cat showing these symptoms, follow the steps below to get rid of the ear mites.
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Steps
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2
Take your cat to the vet. Once you've checked the ears and you suspect that your cat might have ear mites, see the vet. It is important that the vet confirms the presence of ear mites before you proceed with treatment. If the diagnosis is confirmed, your vet should clean out the ear. While you could do this at home, the ear is very delicate and can be very susceptible to damage.
The vet will check to see whether live mites or mite eggs appear under the microscope.
3
If the condition is confirmed, take care. In the case that your cat's infection is confirmed to be ear mites, do not let your pet walk among your other pets while infected. Check all your other pets for the presence of ear mites as a precaution.[7]
In a multi-cat or multi-pet household, take no chances. Tell your vet that there are other pets at home and seek advice.
4
If your vet did not clean out your cats ears or you notice some more buildup, take care of that first. Fill a small eye dropper with vegetable oil and roll it between your hands to warm the oil to body temperature to make the experience more pleasant for the cat. Drop a couple drops of oil into the ear and gently massage the ear. This should loosen the wax and dirt. Remove the gunk carefully from the ear with a cotton ball. Take care not to push any of the ear mites or wax further into the ear.
5
Give the cat any ear drops your vet may have prescribed regularly. You can get over-the-counter ear mite treatments, but prescribed treatments are often stronger. Hold your cat still in a comfortable position, with the head to the side if possible, leaving the infected ear exposed. It may be helpful to enlist the help of a family member to keep the cat still. Once you have applied the drops, gently massage the ear to ensure that the medication does not get shaken out when you release your cat.
6
Check the ear every few days. If you notice the problem begins to appear again, clean out the ear again using the method above and apply more ear mite treatment.After a few cycles of this, the problem should disappear. If it doesn't, take your cat back to the vet.
7
Think outside the box. Check the rest of your cat, especially around the ears, for other ear mite infestations. Give your cat a thorough bath in order to wash off any ear mites in your cat's fur
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Steps
1
Identify the problem. The common cat ear mite (Otodectes cynotis (cyanotis)) is carried by many cats and usually presents little or no irritation.]The mite becomes a problem when it causes otitis (ear inflammation) or otodectic mange[2], and once this starts being a problem, the mite infestation will cause your cat to scratch his ears a lot, lay his ears back, and shake his head.[3] Look inside your cat's ears; if he has ear mites, there will usually be a lot of dark dirt or brown crusty discharge. This is debris. You may also notice a foul smell coming from the ears.- A cat that has suffered from ear mites for a long time can develop inflammatory polyps in their ear canals, and blood blisters on their ear flaps due to constant rubbing.[5] In addition, the external ear may be inflamed and producing pus, or the cat may have a torn eardrum.
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2
Take your cat to the vet. Once you've checked the ears and you suspect that your cat might have ear mites, see the vet. It is important that the vet confirms the presence of ear mites before you proceed with treatment. If the diagnosis is confirmed, your vet should clean out the ear. While you could do this at home, the ear is very delicate and can be very susceptible to damage.
3
If the condition is confirmed, take care. In the case that your cat's infection is confirmed to be ear mites, do not let your pet walk among your other pets while infected. Check all your other pets for the presence of ear mites as a precaution.[7]
4
If your vet did not clean out your cats ears or you notice some more buildup, take care of that first. Fill a small eye dropper with vegetable oil and roll it between your hands to warm the oil to body temperature to make the experience more pleasant for the cat. Drop a couple drops of oil into the ear and gently massage the ear. This should loosen the wax and dirt. Remove the gunk carefully from the ear with a cotton ball. Take care not to push any of the ear mites or wax further into the ear.
5
Give the cat any ear drops your vet may have prescribed regularly. You can get over-the-counter ear mite treatments, but prescribed treatments are often stronger. Hold your cat still in a comfortable position, with the head to the side if possible, leaving the infected ear exposed. It may be helpful to enlist the help of a family member to keep the cat still. Once you have applied the drops, gently massage the ear to ensure that the medication does not get shaken out when you release your cat.
6
Check the ear every few days. If you notice the problem begins to appear again, clean out the ear again using the method above and apply more ear mite treatment.After a few cycles of this, the problem should disappear. If it doesn't, take your cat back to the vet.
7
Think outside the box. Check the rest of your cat, especially around the ears, for other ear mite infestations. Give your cat a thorough bath in order to wash off any ear mites in your cat's fur