Mary Allen
Ear mites in cats usually cause severe itching in the ears. This parasite infestation is also referred to as ear mange. Because ear mite infestation is very unpleasant for velvet paws and the parasites are quickly transmitted to other animals and even humans, you should visit a veterinarian as soon as the first symptoms appear to have your cat treated.
Stray cats are particularly often affected by ear mites, but also outdoors are also occasionally attacked by the parasites, which cause very severe itching in the ears. If the cat then returns home from its forays, there is an increased risk that it will also transmit the ear mites to other pets or family members. It is all the more important that you recognize the symptoms as early as possible.
Symptoms of Ear Mites in Cats
Ear mites first attack the cat’s pinnae. There they can cause such severe itching that your cat scratches its ears until it bleeds. Another symptom of cat ear mites is the constant tilting or shaking of the head. Some animals also flap their ears. Sometimes the itching caused by the parasites is so severe that the velvet paw runs in circles uncoordinated. If your cat exhibits such behavior, you should see a vet anyway. A look in the ears can provide additional reassurance: a black, crumbly discharge is another clear sign that ear mites are plaguing your cat.
How the Vet Treats Ear Mites
It’s important to properly treat a cat for ear mite infestations to prevent further inflammatory disease. The veterinarian will conduct more detailed examinations to find out whether it is actually the parasites that cause itching or whether there are other causes of itchy ears. If the suspicion is confirmed, the first part of the treatment is a thorough and professional cleaning of the cat’s ears. An antiparasitic with the active ingredients ivermectin, doramectin or selamectin is then probably used. They make it possible to carry out the treatment exclusively locally on the ears. The vet also treats possible inflammation caused by the parasites.
Prevent Ear Mite Infestation Again
On veterinary advice, other pets at home may also need preventative treatment, as ear mites can survive for several weeks without the host. To prevent the parasites from re-entering the healthy cat, other animals, or family members, the veterinarian can give you an environmental spray and thorough cleaning with a vacuum cleaner recommend prevent ear mites, a so-called spot-on medication may also be necessary. This is applied to the cat’s skin and keeps the parasites from re-establishing themselves over a longer period of time. You can also prevent this with the right means of cleaning cat ears.
Beware of Home Remedy Recommendations From the Internet
A wide variety of tips are circulating on the Internet to combat ear mites in cats with home remedies. For example, paraffin oil or olive oil is recommended, others advise putting baby oil in the cat’s ear. However, this is very risky, because from the outside it is difficult to assess how far the mite infestation has progressed and whether scratches have already become infected. The danger is just too great that home remedies of this kind will only make things worse.
You should therefore definitely go to the vet if your cat scratches itself noticeably often, has dark incrustations in the auricles, tilts its head, or appears otherwise ill. He can make the correct diagnosis and check whether it really is ear mites. He will then prescribe the right medication for your cat and give you precise information on how to do it use and dosage.