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Is That An Ear Mite In My Cat's Ears?
One of the most important things for any pet owner is knowing the signs that something is wrong. If you can spot the symptoms early, regardless of how minor an ailment it may be, then the chances of reducing any kind of long-term damage is increased tremendously. This is very true of cat ear mites.
If your cat does pick up this irritable infection, the signs can be quite clear. Ear mites will most certainly cause your cat to shake its head quite often. Other than the more than usual frequent scratching of the infected area, there may be some blood or discharge inside the ear. |
Since an infected area will tear due to constant scratching, there may also be a foul smell. Should your cat display shows any or all of these symptoms, you can be fairly sure it has ear mites.
So what are the causes of cat ear mites? These can range from common bacteria, through to yeast infections and parasitical mites attaching themselves to your cat's ear. Since they are attracted to wax, it is critical that keeping your cat's ear clean is a priority. If a cat is infected, there can be painful long term damage if a mite is left untreated, for example burst blood vessels around the ear, and disfigurement.
Fortunately, there is a wide range of treatments available, both traditional and alternative. With the traditional treatment, the first thing your vet will do is to wash your cat's ears via a method called flushing. This needs to be carried out by your vet, since there is the possibility you may harm your cat if not done properly.
After this process, your cat will normally have to then go on a treatment of drugs or antibiotics. As in treatments that are used against fleas, these courses will normally last up to a month, to ensure that both the original ear mites and any eggs that have been laid are destroyed. If the infection has spread, which can often happen, then your vet may prescribe a specialist flea cure such as shampoo or powder.
However, you may prefer less traditional methods of dealing with cat ear mites. Since antibiotics can actually decrease a cat's immunity to certain ailments, they can be less helpful in the long term. A natural alternative to antibiotics is Ear Dr., from PetAlive. This is a mixture of both natural and herbal treatments, and contains olive oil and tea tree oil, both of which has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents in it. Since they are natural products, the cat benefits from effective treatment and a greatly reduced chance of future infections.
Cat ear mites can certainly drive your cat mad but, by looking out for and recognizing the signs, as well as ensuring your cat's ears are kept clean, you should be able to deal with the situation sooner and reduce the pain to your cat.
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