Ear Mites
Natural Remedies

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Ear Mite Remedies

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Helen (Sioux Falls ) on 07/10/2023
 ★★★★★

I mixed diatomaceous earth, 1 teaspoon with his food, because I thought he might have a parasite. The next day he threw up this mucus and it had a little bit of blood in it and there was a worm. I think it was a tapeworm that came out about 12 inches long. So I took him to the vet and I put what he threw up in a baggie and we were in the room waiting for the doctor to come back in and I asked her what it was and she says we don't know what it was and I ask her can I have it back so I can find somebody that knows what it is and she said that they had already thrown it away. Every time I take my dog to a vet I tell them about the diatomaceous earth, and they're all against it but after my dog did the diatomaceous earth, he gained weight he was healthy, running around like a wild dog. He was having fun again.

Also, my Maltese had ear mites, and my Dog Groomer said to use diatomaceous earth and I did and they're all gone now.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Amanda (Wichita, Ks) on 09/14/2017
 ★★★★★

Ear mites DE treatment

I've found to use a makeup brush to apply DE to dogs ears works very well, especially with animal that doesn't cooperate. Be sure to tap off brush before applying it. Doesn't take much to be effective.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Chris (Birmingham, Alabama) on 10/19/2014
 ★★★★★

I use DE for ear mites but it is a desiccant which means it can dry out the skin and ear.

I just dip my forefinger and thumb in and put it on the outside and inside of the ear but not all the way down into the ear canal. Mites travel so they will get up to it. I rub some around the base of the ears and some at the base of his tail. (not sure how much good that does but read that mites will travel to the base of tail area like fleas. ) That is the only thing animal related that DE seems to work for. I had no luck for fleas. It does work for roaches and seems to discourage ants.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Susan (Las Vegas, Nv) on 03/11/2014
 ★★★★★

I have 3 indoor-only cats. Somehow, my Bengal got a case of ear mites, then the Snowshoe and the Maine Coon got them at about the same time.

The Maine Coon is the one that has been affected by them with the worst symptoms-- ear scratching, ear tilting, head tilting and shaking, and looking plain miserable. Of the 3, his ears showed the least amount of the telltale coffee ground ear wax. In fact, his ears were almost free of anything at all. The other 2 had some of the brown stuff, but I've seen worse. Fortunately, he has been the easiest to treat, holding still for us when we doctor his ears. The Bengal is a whole different story!

I've treated all of them with Food Grade Diatomaceous earth. I've put it directly into their ears, onto their ears, into their fur, onto and rubbed into their bedding, I've spread it all over the house and furniture... in fact, I've followed all the things recommended on this site as well as on various Diatomaceous earth sites.

The Maine Coon seemed to get quick relief from the DE whenever he started the cycle of itching and head shaking. This all began about 6-8 weeks ago, and the battle hasn't let up.

Due to the Maine Coon showing the most irritation and been the easiest to treat, I began applying the DE to him on a daily or every-other day basis for about a week to ten days in a row. I'd put a pinch into each ear, then rub a fair amount into his fur, especially around his neck area and outer ears.

Then one day we noticed his fur suddenly appeared to be thinning on each side of his neck, below his ears. Within a couple days, they became obvious bald spots. He loses his winter coat every year, but not like this!

That started about 7-10 days ago, and now he's rapidly losing hair down to bald skin in a pattern around his neck, as if he had been wearing a 2" wide collar and it had rubbed all his fur off (except he doesn't wear a collar! ) The skin is baby-smooth, no redness, bumps, welts, or discoloration of any kind. It does itch him though! 2 weeks ago I was admiring how beautiful his coat was looking- now he's starting to look like Bill the Cat.

I brush him daily to help with the winter coat shedding, and it might be my imagination, but it seems like his coat is starting to thin in other areas too. He seems to be itchy all over, not just in the ear and neck areas, but also along his sides. His winter coat is naturally thick, shiny, long and fluffy and he still has most of that except he is going bald in that 2" wide "collar" area, and also a little in front of his ears (between his eyes and ears), and on the backs of his ears too.

I applied DE pretty heavily in these areas (except for between the eyes and ears.) Could the DE have rubbed his fur off? I can't find anything about side effects.

I stopped using the DE when I noticed the rapid balding, and increased itching. I treated his ears with an ear wash last night, followed by Vitamin E oil mixed with Olive oil to see if that would help sooth his ears. Now he's back to shaking his head and scratching at his ears and surrounding areas. I don't want to use DE in case that's the problem, so I might try a little ACV and water.

Any ideas? I am at a loss and am trying to find a way to stop this rapidly expanding balding thing before it gets worse. He is a very healthy, energetic, inquisitive, loving and playful cat. His personality, eating habits, energy level etc have remained the same.

I would love to hear any suggestion or maybe thoughts on what this might be and/or why it's happening. Thank you for any suggestions, advice or opinions!

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Melissa (Kamloops, Bc) on 06/17/2011
 ★★★★★

Diatomaceous earth is amazing! It works wonders as a dust bath for fleas on my dogs and I even had a friend that used it for bed bugs! Bed bugs is apparently a huge epidemic right now and so I thought I would share what my friend learned from her experience. As everyone has suggested make sure you use food grade d.e. but also make sure that it is in a powdered granulation... Not fine! And most importantly she was told not to put it right on top of the matress but rather to put it in the cracks and crevices, in the boxspring, on the headboard, etc. Where the bed bugs will hide!

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Lynn (Gulfport, Florida) on 01/21/2009
 ★★★★★

My male cat had scratched his ears so much that the ear developed a huge bubble and separated the ear skin/flesh. I had to take him to the vet for expensive treatment and surgery. It was due to ear mites. The ear is now permanently disfigured and ruined his appearance. I used diatomacious earth (food grade) mixed with a little water for transport, and and eye dropper, and put it in his ears when the mites came back. The water will evaporate and leaves the DE in the ear for ongoing treatment, as it is a powder and coats the inside of the ear a little. You don't need much. He stopped scratching by that night, and he hasn't had a problem since. That was a couple of years ago. My other cats are having problems though, and I am going to use it on them. I HATE ear mites and see how my cats can suffer with them. You can buy it (food grade) online or sometimes in a plant nursery (they use it to kill insects). It pays to remember that there may be an infection in the ears as well, and without a proper examination, you can't know. As much as I don't like vets offices, checking for an infection is worth it, especially in severe cases. One of my cats had mites and an infection. Her energy picked up after treatment for the infection, and I felt guilty that maybe she'd had it all along and it was painful. It's important to find a vet you like. Talk to people and get a referral for one you trust. Treatment can utilize both natural and standard treatment when appropriate.

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Marisa (San Jose, USA) on 04/18/2008
 ★★★★★

My cat was miserable and his ear stank. I put a pinch of diatomaceous earth (swimming pool filter grade)in each ear. He seemed to be a bit better in about 40 minutes. He has stopped shaking his head and seems less lethargic. We'll see if he needs something more,(if he has a bacterial infection. His ear smelled like feces. ewwwwww!

Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Lynn (Jeannette, PA)
★★★★★

I have found that putting a pinch of food-grade diatomaceous earth into the dog or cat's ear kills the mites. I do it daily for about a month since that is how long the mites can take to hatch. Within a few days though the animal has absolutely no symptoms of mites and it is completely safe for pets of all ages and sizes. It is also a great way to get rid of mites on birds and to rid a pet of internal parasites.



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