Ear Mites in the Cat

Disclaimer: This article in no way is to be a substitution to Veterinary examination and treatment. Please seek Veterinary advice and treatment if you think your pet may have health problems.

Cats can have many things wrong with their ears. This is an overview of just one ear disease in cats. Many times ear diseases will look the same on the outside and need to be professionally diagnosed for proper treatment.

What Ear Mites Are – Ear mites are spider-like arthropods that live and breed in the ears of cats, dogs, and many other species. Ear mites are microscopic and you need good magnification in order to see them.

What Ear Mites Do - They cause intense itching of the ears in most cases. If left untreated they cause severe ear infections, self-trauma of the ear, pain, and ear hematomas. Ear mites live off the earwax and fluid in the ear canal. Ear mites cause an allergic type reaction in the ear from their movement and excrement; further causing more fluid and wax production in the ear canal, which produces more food for the mites. This combination of ear mite waste and excessive earwax causes a build up of this thick, dry, black substance in the ears that is typical of an ear mite infection. This black waxy buildup contains ear mites and their eggs, and is very contagious to other cats. This is important to understand for treatment of ear mites because when the cat scratches its ears the substance with the ear mite eggs is dropped into the environment.

Ear Mite Treatment - People can develop a rash from these mites, so it is important to wear latex gloves when treating your pets for ear mites.

Step 1: Clean Ears
All affected animals and those with contact with affected animals should have their ears cleaned very well. A very good product for this is MalAcetic Otic by DermaPet. Apply a liberal amount of solution in the ear canals, massage below the ear gently, let the cat shake out some of the wax, and wipe off all the excess wax. Clean the ears before each treatment. MalAcetic Otic is also a good routine cleanser for dog and cat ears.

Step 2: Apply Medicine
Apply medicine into the ear canals. I would recommend Otomite Plus by Virbac. The medicine is applied once weekly for 3 treatments.

Step 3: Clean the Environment
Vacuum and clean the environment thoroughly each time ear mite medicine is applied. Wash your pets bedding is able in hot water with detergent.

Following these steps will eliminate ear mites. There are many other causes of ear disease in cats. Examples include: bacterial infections, polyps, yeast infections, and allergies. These conditions will require examinations and diagnostic testing, which may require sedation, in order to come to a correct diagnosis. Always seek the advice and care of your Veterinarian.