★★★★★
Mineral Oil
★★★★★
I once did research on what is in many common pet foods and it will make you well disgusted... even rubber hardeners and other nasty garbage. I use Wysong products (great and low temperature as high temperature destroys enzymes and other nutritional qualities). I add this to a raw diet along with certain home grown herbs and plants chopped and slightly wilted (warm water poured over the food) I add natural sea Vegetables as well (make sure a dog or cat search on any plants that are toxic to them. Or other products).
A great book is "The Natural Remedy Book for Dogs and Cats by Diane Stein and one can search for such other great books. I have had mine for decades and resort to it frequently. Dr. Mercola (Human MD) has great books and products for cats (dogs).
My background was in research (legal and medical) and many other areas. I went holistic as a young child after reading my mothers medical books - although her Merck manual from 1953 is full of natural remedies that work. Rx for people and pet's took over.
Mineral Oil
★★★★☆
Diatomaceous Earth
★★★★★
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!
The bald behind the ears/at the base of the ears sounds like it could be from scratching due to the ear mite infection. That you are still dealing with a mite infestation after treating for 8 weeks with DE tells me that the DE is not working - its not the right remedy in this case.
Read up on EC for ear mite remedies: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/ear_mites.html
Ear mites spread from animal to animal, and do not typically spread from surfaces to animals. So while a thorough cleaning is in order - wash bedding and the like - you shouldn't have to sterilize the entire house - whew!
It may help to bathe the cats using Ted's mange remedy - scroll down as it was posted very recently.
Treat the ears with an oil remedy, use the oils to flush out particulates and debris as the gunk in the ear will cause to itch also. Keep at the ears on all cats am and pm, for at least 5 days to start. The life cycle of the mite is 21 days, so you should really plan on treating for 27 days to ensure you have eliminated all the mites.
Hair loss does seem related to the mites, but you report naked skin and not scratched up and bleeding skin. The mange baths will help determine if its another mite that is the problem. Barring external parasites diet should be considered - what are you feeding?
Many questions but do start with the ear oil remedy and see what results that brings.
Diatomaceous Earth
Yes, I was wondering also! I thought my male shorthair had mites, he was digging at his ears and shaking his head a lot, he was miserable!
Decided a trip to the vet was necessary and found out he didn't have mites, he had a nasty yeast infection in his ears! Much better now, with ear wash prescrip, and an antifungal ear med! Poor guy!
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth
Hand Sanitizer
★★★★★
Castor Oil
★★★★☆
I'll let you know.
Sunny
If this were my dog and castor oil was my option, I would FLUSH the ear with liberal amounts of oil. Really work it down into the base of the ear and all over the orifice. Dabbing with a Q-tip IMHO will not suffice to get rid of ALL of the mites. You may need to treat your dog daily for up to 30 days to eliminate all of the mites.
Medications
★☆☆☆☆
My friend's Rottweiller has ear mites and 3 vets tried to treat her but she wouldn't let them -- (this is what I'm told?) but she's such a sweet dog and I roughhouse with her almost every day and I've broke out in a rash and I feel a crawling sensation and tunnels on my hands AND my ears are being bitten-up. OF COURSE NO DOCTOR WILL EVEN LOOK but only gave me topical medication for scabies - AND I DO NOT HAVE SCABIES.
My question is: is it possible I got infected by canine ear mites? All this stuff sounds crazy to me but it's the only thing that makes any sense. I'd appreciate whatever help I can get and thanks so much! Artie G.
Ear Mites and People
Ear Mites and People
Boric Acid
Also, another comment was that using mineral oil for a couple of days rids your problem. Not so. Ear mites RAPIDLY reproduce and this takes much longer and regular cleaning to even get ear mites under control. However, after using for 3 weeks, I still bring crust up and mites from my kittens ears, as well as the brown wax, telling me they are still there. Once, my kitten is 12 weeks old, I will be using medication and still checking with mineral oil for traces of ear mites.
Boric Acid
Olive Oil, Garlic Oil
How to make:
How to Make and Use Garlic Oil for Ear Infections https://www.doctorshealthpress.com/general-health-articles/garlic-oil-for-ear-infections/
Also, Gentian Violet diluted down to 0.5% with water works excellent for fungal infections in the ears for both human and animals. By I think it may be banned in Australia…. But double check me on that.
Olive Oil, Garlic Oil
Diet plays a significant role in dog ear troubles. My dogs had itchy and inflamed ears, especially in the summer, until I put them on a freeze-dried raw food diet. Issues went away within a week. But they still needed a good ear flush from time to time. I used Epiotic advanced cleaner for that with very good results.
Diatomaceous Earth
It is amazing! My daughter and I both drink about 1 Tbs a day with plenty of water, or sprinkled in yogurt. It has helped our digestive systems as we both have issues with constipation and diarrhea depending on the day.
I also made a paste with 1 Tbs DE, 3 Tbs water,1 Tbs olive oil and 1 drop of peppermint oil and used it as a face mask.Rub on gently and let dry for about 5 minutes and wash off-smooth and soft!
For my pets I use DE to get rid of fleas. I brush it into their fur making sure it doesn't get in their eyes or face. I also mix a couple teaspoons in their wet food to get rid of worms. I do this every other day. Also, I put it on my rugs and the bedding and leave it there a few days then vacuum up a couple times a month. This has taken care of a severe infestation that has not returned since started.
This is a product that is worth doing a search on the internet about. DO NOT USE POOL GRADE. ONLY FOOD GRADE.
Vinegar, Oil
Always dilute vinegar for use on a dogs fur or in his ears. No more than 50% vinegar. If the skin is broken, dilute it more. I wouldn't use more than 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of water if skin is broken.
~Mama to Many~
Medications
Diatomaceous Earth
★★★★★
Medications
Medications
First off, Revolution offers a money-back satisfaction guarantee if purchased from a veterinarian. Download the form from their website. Fill it out and send in with necessary information. They will require a phone call from your vet, with a Case Number your vet needs to assign to your case, and probably the medical records indicating that your cats are on Revolution, and yet still got ear mites.
(Their own website states that if the product is used over a long period of time, the fleas, mites, etc. can become resistant to it, and it won't work anymore.)
Make sure to read the fine print at the bottom of the form. You should be able to get your money back. Here is the manufacturer of Revolution (Pfizer's) website address to get the form: https://animalhealth.pfizer.com/sites/pahweb/US/EN/contact/product_information/Pages/VMIPS.aspx
The above page is in a .pdf format, and most all computers can open a. Pdf form. On this page, just click on (EXPAND) next to where it says "Revolution Satisfaction Forms". Then click on "download form". Once downloaded, just click on it to open the form, print it out on your printer, fill it out, and take it to your vet.
What really gets me is, on this same page, where it says "How to report a product issue", if you click on that, it says " To report an adverse event such as your pet's reaction to a medication, the product not working as expected, or a quality issue such as leaking or damaged product, contact your Veterinarian. " What the heck???????
If the product causes an adverse reaction, or does not work as expected, YOU SHOULD BE CONTACTING THEM!! , not your VET! They should be taking responsibility for their own product, not pawning it off on your vet! Yet another reason NOT to use these products!
Revolution (and all other animal flea, tick, & parasite control products) is EXTREMELY TOXIC to pets and humans. Read the label!! The fact that it even HAS a MSDS (material safety data sheet) for humans should tell you all you need to know. If it is not safe for human skin, it is not safe for animal skin!
There are many, many all natural treatments for fleas, ticks, ear mites, and such, that work just as well, if not better, and will not harm you, your pet, or the environment.
My dog and cat currently have ear mites. I am treating them myself using natural cures, and herbal cures. Google "natural and herbal cures for ear mites" and see what you find. There are differing opinions on almost every treatment, so you need to decide which one will work best for you.
But firstly, you need to clean out the gunk (greasy, dark, and/or smelly earwax and such). You should do this on a regular basis anyway. It is easy and inexpensive. All you do is use either olive oil, or Almond Oil (available at most natural health food stores), and a bottle of 400 IU Vitamin E softgels. You mix 1/2 ounce (1 Tbsp. ) of either oil with one Vitamin E softgel capsule (prick with a pin and squeeze the oil out). You will need a dark colored small glass bottle with a dropper screw top (also available at any health food store), and a tiny funnel that will fit into the top of the bottle (both inexpensive). I quadrupled the amounts so I could use it later. Then once mixed, whenever you are ready to use it, sit the bottle in a bowl of hot water (don't cover the top part), to warm to body temperature - just a few minutes should be enough. Test a drop on your arm to make sure it is not too hot. Have someone else holding onto your pet, and lift up your pet's ear, and place 1/2 dropperful into ear canal (make sure not to go too far down with dropper so you don't damage the ear canal). Immediately (without letting your pet shake the oil out first) begin massaging the outside of your pet's ear canal to make sure the oil gets down inside, for about a minute or so. Then let your pet shake it's head, while still having someone hold onto your pet. Then, just use a soft cotton pad or cotton ball, and wipe out the entrance of the ear canal, to get the wax out.
It sounds more hard than it is. I have done it by myself without someone else to hold the pet. It is trickier with a cat, as most will not sit still to let you do this. I just covered my cat's body with a bath towel, on top of my bed, and used my own body to pin her down (without hurting her). Leaving my hands and arms free to administer the drops and massage them in, then clean them out with the cotton.
This oil also suffocates the mites, while soothing any swollen or inflamed tissues in the pet's ears. You need to do this once a day, every other day for 6 days (a total of three treatments). Then you let them rest for three days.
The second half of the treatment is necessary due to the fact that mites eggs can hatch out every 4-6 days, and you need to make sure you kill them also. There are several methods for this also. Diatomaceous Earth (must be Food Grade! ) can be purchased at specialty pet food stores, and it it CHEAP.
Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth
- Do not use pool-filter-grade diatomaceous earth near your pets. However, the food-grade product will not harm them. Just put a pinch of the powder into the ears daily for a month to kill existing and newly hatched mites. or you can mix it with warm water, and use a dropper to administer.
The label for Revolution also states: REVOLUTION may be irritating to skin and eyes. Reactions such as hives, itching and skin redness have been reported in humans. Wash hands after use and wash off any product in contact with the skin immediately with soap and water. If contact with eyes occurs, flush eyes copiously with water. In case of ingestion by a human, contact a physician immediately.
(What if your cat licks any of this stuff off of its skin while grooming? Cats lick their paws, and their fur, while grooming themselves, including the fur on the back of their necks...... Then it is ingested by the cat, and will kill them, without immediate (and expensive) veterinary intervention. Even then, they still may die. It is highly poisonous, even says so on the label.)
Label also states: Flammable - Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames or other sources of ignition. AND.......
Following treatment with REVOLUTION, transient localized ALOPECIA (hair loss) with or without inflammation at or near the site of application was observed. Other signs observed included vomiting, loose stool or diarrhea with or without blood, anorexia, lethargy, salivation, rapid breathing, and muscle tremors. There have been reports of PRURITIS (chronic itching), URTICARIA (hives, or itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin), ERYTHEMA (which has many different types and can cause - redness or rash or raised spots or other lesions on the skin, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms, & itching, Joint pain, Arthritis, sensitivity to sunlight, sudden outbreak of tender spots, bumps, lumps, or lesions, usually on the legs, knees, and feet, target lesions - spots surrounded by rings of normal and red skin, looking like a target, rash on the face, Clusters of nodules (small round masses) and lesions on shins, forearms, thighs, and trunk, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the most severe forms of erythema have a different set of symptoms. Target lesions on the trunk, hacking cough, fever, and blisters around the mouth, eyes, nostrils, and anal and vaginal areas are the key symptoms of SJS, TEN will have symptoms of SJS that worsen to include peeling and detachment of the skin, pus-like infections, fluid loss, and even death.), ATAXIA (is the inability to maintain normal postures and perform normal movements. Movements are jerky and uncoordinated, without the smooth flow of normal motion. Ataxia may affect any part of the body. Ataxia occurs when there is breakdown in communication among the brain centers responsible for coordinated movement. These include areas responsible for sensation and balance. Symptoms may include tremors, involuntary back-and-forth eye movements, Postural instability, swaying while standing, wide-based gait, sometimes likened to a "drunken reeling", uneven stride, with steps of different lengths and not always straight forward) FEVER, and reports of DEATH. There have also been reports of SEIZURES in dogs.
In the above paragraph, the words in italics were added by me, to describe what all of these conditions THEY list, really are, and what they can cause. The words in capital letters are the only things they listed, failing to mention what they are.
Believe me, I know from personal experience. The damage caused by these products, and the damage caused by annual (unnecessary) vaccinations, has been DIRECTLY CONNECTED to many, many health problems your pet may develop immediately after use or further down the road, by numerous studies and personal experiences of some of the most notable homeopathic vets in the country.
The evidence is overwhelming if you care to read it. The two best homeopathic vets are Dr. Richard Pitcairn, D. V. M. , Ph. D, (who has written 2 books) and Dr. Martin Goldstein, D. V. M. (who has written one book). I have all three books, and they are real eye openers! Dr. Goldstein's book in particular (which was a bestseller), has a whole chapter devoted to the "Dubious history of Vaccines", and also talks specifically about commercial pet parasite control products and their dangers to both animals and humans. Annual vaccination of pets has lead to more deaths, than any other single pet disease in the US, and had even been given a name.... Vaccinosis. Google that word, and see how much info shows up........ TONS. And, not only for pets, but humans also.
They also have websites. Dr. Goldstein's is : http://www.drmarty.com/
and Dr. Pitcairn's is : http://www.drpitcairn.com/
You can purchase used copies of all of their books on Amazon.com cheaply ($5. 00 or so). And they are VERY WORTH the money, if you care about your pet's health.
Good Luck!
Valerie J.
Medications
★★★★★
Medications
★★★★☆
Tommy, a small tiger-looking cat who conned me into taking him in, here in Saipan (my original four cats came with me from Japan), had been suffering for weeks from what was obviously ear mites according to my knowledge. The first squirt of "baby oil", consisting of mineral oil and "olive oil essence" with a very minimal odor, stopped the severely lowered ear position, head shaking, and scratching very quickly.
Three or four days later, those signs starting popping up again, slightly, so I gave one more squirt in each ear. Again, very helpful. Then five or six days later, a lower level of those same signs, so I just gave one squirt in each ear.
I think this is the same treatment a vet might charge $50 for. Depending on the severity of the infestation and your cat's overall health, diet, and freedom to exercise and get sunshine, you might need to treat with mineral oil more than once, up to perhaps five or six times, to get complete resolution.
I took Tommy's brother, Toby, to the vet several weeks ago for the same condition. Although I avoided examining the bill for details ( "anger management" ), I suspect I paid $40 to $60 for a squirt of mineral oil in each ear.
It's not a magic cure, but the best thing I have found for ear mites so far.
Hydrogen Peroxide
★★★★★
Ted's Mange Cure
One part 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and 2 parts water equals a 1% solution.
The 2 parts water dilutes the 3% H2o2 solution to a 1% H2o2 solution.
Store in a sealed glass container. Pour out enough of the 1% H2o2 solution for
one treatment into a separate shot glass.
Now put add in a little borax until it won't dissolve any more and you're done.
Use an eye dropper to pour into Kitty's or Dogs ears. Throw the contents of the
shot glass away. If you need to re-administer, use the stored 1% H2o2 in the
same manner as above. Keep in mind, if it's more than a mth old, throw it out
and make a fresh batch of 1% H2o2.
Mineral Oil
09/29/2007: Andre from New York, USA writes: "I tried the oil based treatments, actually using coconut oil since I heard it has antiseptic properties, and hdrogen peroxide. This only slowed down the ear mites. After a couple of weeks of this, I started with a mix of Borax (20 Mule Team), hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and a little Dr Bronner soap. After just two days the mites are disappearing. To prevent my cat from lcking off his wet fur, that I allow to dry naturally as indicated, I got him a collar. See his picture on Fickr, tag: ear.mite.cure.for.cats, or go directly to the page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycandre/1459080973/
Thanks a lot, Ted and everyone else here! nycandre"
Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "Thanks for the information! The Dr. Bronner soap has the lavender and tea tree oil that I always like. So its great you use it. The house should lightly be sprayed with some borax solution or sprinkled borax powder if possible to prevent reinfection. You can also use a small amount of borax, and sprinkle it like a talcum powder on the localized area. Not only the borax kills them, the powder also cause the insects to be suffocated. Those are optional.
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Hand Sanitizer
I have googled the use of hand sanitizer to cure ear mites and some folks say it does the trick. I can only say this: use with caution as it will sting like the Dickens if there is raw, open sores on the skin!
Please consider using one of the many olive oil remedies suggested on EC's ear mite page:
Hand Sanitizer
Hand Sanitizer
It is quite possible to contract scabies mites from hotel bedding - Ted's Mange Remedy applies here for both you and your dog. Do also wash both dog and human bedding and clothing daily to avoid re-contamination.
Multiple Remedies
Ear Mites Vs. Ear Infection
Campho Phenique
★★★★★
★★★★★
Mineral Oil
If you have been dealing with it that long it probably needs antibiotics...
That's my take. Good luck!
Mineral Oil
Mineral Oil
You can find mineral oil at your regular drug store, and sometimes grocery stores carry it too - not hard to find. You might also consider olive oil - the cooking kind. You can crush garlic and add it to the olive oil and let it sit over night, and then use that for ears.
Yellow Dock
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth
Hmmmm!
My first thought on reading your update was that it doesn't sound like you are dealing with ear mites as you certainly have done all the right things to get rid of mites and the symptoms persist.
My next thought is ZYMOX otic with 1% hydrocortizone, enzymatic ear solution. Google it, order it, its not spendy. The hydrocortizone helps calm the skin and the enzymes 'digest' the yeasts that may be in the ear. You should dose once per day, but you don't have to dig around and clean the ears so it is easy to use.
Hair loss around the neck and ears indicate itchy ears - usually. And your cats do have something going on with their ears so it would make sense to see this hair loss. But just in case its something way off the mark check out these sites and see if anything makes you go "Hmm...."
Diatomaceous Earth
I am just not picking up on mites. you could maybe use your jewelry lope to examine the gunk to see if there are mites, but the treatment didn't work - all the treatments didn't work, so again I rule out mites when I think on it.
The only thing that I can think of that could *appear* to be contagious to all cats/get's passed around would be inhalant /allergic reactions - be it from allergens in the breeze blowing pollens from CA over to you, or from the junk food treats you abundantly fed. I know around this time of year I see allergies in my pack; it shows up as gunky ears: best I can figure it's the molds and mildews from the spring melt that come into play and while it seems to affect all of the dogs, the way the allergic reaction is expressed in each dog varies greatly. This could be the same deal with your pride. Feeding the wrong foods will cause one of my dogs to get swollen lumps that act like abcesses and ooze and weep, while another dog might get gunky ears and another might break out in itchy hives. Feeding the wrong stuff can set up a chain reaction on the inside allowing yeast to over grow in the GI tract which often expresses as skin allergy, but might also express as gunky ears.
I would go ahead and get the Zymox; I would also try alkalizing the water by adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to 1 liter of pure water; if you can build it up to 1 teaspoon do so, and dose 1 teaspoon per liter for one week. In addition I would consider adding probiotics of some sort - ie DDS with FOS. As with yeast over growth, if you have too much of one flora in the GI tract the whole system fails [you see skin problem or ear problems] so rotate the probiotic flora species around - when you finish 1 bottle, replace it with a new formula, and so on.
Also consider the chemicals in your house. From what you have shared I get the idea that you likely would use green chemicals for kitty safety, but things like scented plug ins can cause all sorts of problems for cats, along with the type of laundry soap you use to wash their bedding. So have you purchased new cleaning products in the last few months?
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth
Soaked Tobacco
★★★★★
Soak pure tobacco (buy online) in about 100 ml of water for half an hour, and strain out the tobacco with a coffee filter. Use an eyedropper to squirt in the cat's ear and massage the ear afterward.
Worked extremely well.
Garlic in Olive Oil
★★★★★
I will keep you posted. Wilby the happier Cat
Vicks Vapor Rub
★★★★★
