How to treat ear mites in cats at home and in which cases the help of a veterinarian is necessary

how to treat ear mites in cats
How to treat ear mites in cats

Hello! I recalled one case when I seriously worried about the health of my cat. She began to behave strangely.

I walked and constantly shook my head. Then I saw that the cat scratched her ear to blood. I saw this in my life for the first time.

With the help of a familiar veterinarian, it was determined that the ear tick was the cause of all these changes. After that, the animal was quickly saved from torment. Want to learn how to treat ear mites in cats? What is the most effective? Then read the details in the article below.

Treatment of an ear tick in cats

Most owners do not immediately notice that his cat has a problem with an ear tick. Therefore, cases of the disease are more often neglected. A single use of preparations from an ear tick does not give results. And then the owners begin to search - how to cure the ear tick in cats and kittens? This is a fairly painstaking task, requiring attention and diligence from the owners.

To recognize the ailment and begin the correct treatment, just look at the photo of the ear tick in the cat.

Cat ear mite
Cat ear mite

For the treatment of an ear tick in cats, 3 preparations are needed:

  • drops or ointment for the treatment of otodectosis
  • ear cleaner
  • insecticidal spray or drops on the withers (if the ear mites cross over to the head or body)

If you choose between a spray and drops at the withers, then choose a spray, they can process the litter and the main places of stay of a cat or kitten. Most often they use drugs based on such drugs as Tsiodrin, Prosoptol, Acrodex, Dermatozol Fipronil, they are not always possible to buy, so you can ask for any skin parasite spray in a veterinary pharmacy.

What is more convenient for cats to treat the ear tick in cats, it will not be difficult to choose, because the range of drugs for treating the ear tick in veterinary pharmacies is quite wide.

Important!
Carefully clean the ears of the cat or kitten from dark secretions.

Do this even if the instructions for the preparation for the treatment of an ear tick say that you can immediately drip, but do not need to clean. The scabs interfere with the action of the drug, it will not penetrate deep enough to get rid of the ticks that have settled in the ear of the unfortunate animal.

If the cat is very resistant to treatment, it can be wrapped in a coverlet, leaving only its head outside.

Insert the ear cleaner according to the instructions (if using vegetable oil, drop five drops in each ear), massage for 30 seconds, let the cat shake its head and wipe the ear with a cotton or cotton pad, in some cases it will have to be done several times, until full cleaning up.

At first, you have to clean your ears every day. DO NOT pick your ears with cotton buds !!! Cotton pads or balls are more suitable for such purposes.

Place an ear tick remedy in each cat’s ear, do everything according to the instructions.Lightly massage the auricle at the base, for better penetration of the medicine. Hold the cat's head a bit so that it does not shake the medicine from the ears. Then moisten a cotton pad slightly with the same preparation and wipe the inside of the ear, as well as the skin around the ear.

If you have several cats or kittens, then for the prevention you need to handle all. For kittens and pregnant cats, special drops and spray should be used.

This procedure must be repeated according to the instructions, usually every 5-7 days, due to the life cycle of the ear tick.

Advice!
Treat the cat's entire body with a spray of skin parasites or drip drops at the withers.

When treated with ear preparations, ticks can pass onto the body of the animal. There was a case that all parasites ran to the tail and legs of a cat, they did not notice right away, then it was very problematic to get them out.

Treat the animal according to the instructions, usually once. Do not let the cat lick until the drug dries. Spray the main places of sleep of a cat or kitten.

In addition to standard treatment, there are other methods, for example: injections from an ear tick in cats. Injections can be used only as prescribed by the veterinarian. Injections from an ear mite are highly toxic compared to drops and can cause an allergic reaction, with hair loss, itching and other consequences.

However, there is still a positive side - an injection helps to get rid of all blood-sucking parasites on the body of your cat (lice, fleas, scabies).

How long is the ear tick treated in cats? The treatment time for an ear tick is about a week or two. How long the ear tick is treated depends on the degree to which the cat is affected.

How to choose the best tool

On the Russian market there are many drugs for ear mites for cats and kittens of domestic and foreign production - these are drops, ointments, sprays and injectable preparations.

The most popular and easy-to-use ear tick remedy for cats and kittens is ear drops. The range of drops against ear mites is the most diverse, making it easier to pick up for kittens, pregnant cats and elderly animals.

Attention!
While giving injections from an ear tick to kittens and pregnant cats is strictly prohibited.

In addition to ear drops, there are drops on the withers against ear mites, they should be used when the mites have moved to the body of a cat or kitten. Sprays against ear mites in a cat also serve to treat the body of the animal, as well as to treat the litter, because the ear mite is transmitted even through personal items of pets.

For the treatment of ear mites, ointments are also used as the main means of combating it. The choice of ointments is not as great as ear drops, but these drugs have a small plus - the ointment lasts longer on the ear tick and interferes with their movements in the ears of the cat or kitten. But applying ointments is more complicated than drops, drops easily penetrate deep into the ear, ointments penetrate so deeply more difficult.

Ointments can be used as aids in advanced cases of ear mites in cats and kittens, sulfur ointment is especially popular.

In addition to the main medicine for ear mites in cats, you will need an ear cleaner. After all, applying drops and ointments to the ears, full of scabs and dark secretions is a waste of money on drugs, they will simply be ineffective against ear mites.

You can purchase specialized preparations for cleaning your ears, or you can turn to folk remedies for ear mites in cats and kittens. Vegetable oil for cleaning the ears of cats is the best choice for allergic animals, and is also suitable for kittens and pregnant cats.

In addition to vegetable oil, there are many other folk remedies for cleaning and disinfecting the ears of cats and kittens from ear mites.

Drops can be considered the best treatment for ear mites in cats and kittens, as they penetrate better into the ear, their application is easier than the rest, and drops can also be used as a cleaning agent.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies of the ear tick in cats and kittens can be cured only in the early stages of infection, and it is better to leave it for prophylaxis or used as an adjuvant. For instance:

Important!
Camphor, vegetable (sunflower, olive) or liquid paraffin applied to a cotton pad are well suited for cleaning ears from crusts and scabs.

Vaseline oil itself against ear mites in cats and kittens, like any of the above, is not effective. After cleaning the ears with oil, do not forget to thoroughly wipe them with a dry cotton pad, the oil may interfere with the absorption of the drug for the treatment of ear mites.

For disinfecting the auricles after cleaning the ear mites, you can use a 2% -3% hydrogen peroxide solution, to do this, slightly moisten a cotton pad and gently wipe the ears of the cat or kitten. See that the hydrogen peroxide solution does not flow much inside the cat's ear.

A strong infusion of green tea has an antiseptic effect, and is also an excellent folk remedy for eliminating itching in the ears of a cat or kitten. For cooking, you need half a glass of boiling water and one teaspoon with a slide of leafy green tea. Use in a warm form, wipe your ears with cotton pads.

Also, as folk methods for the treatment of ear mites in cats and kittens, it is recommended to use garlic and mixtures of various aromatic oils (lavender, mint, almond).

Although garlic is a recognized antiseptic, applying it to the delicate skin of the ears can provoke even more irritation, and the cat or kitten will be irritated by the pungent smell of garlic or oils. Therefore, you should not use these funds when in veterinary pharmacies there are many effective preparations for ear mites for cats and kittens.

How to cure otodectosis in cats

The ear tick (Otodectes cynotis, Greek oto - ear, dectes - the one who bites, cynotis - dog) is the causative agent of otodectosis, a dangerous disease of cats and other carnivores (dogs, foxes, etc.), also called ear scabies .

Advice!
This is a contagious, invasive disease, which in advanced cases can take a chronic course. Otodectosis is manifested by damage to the inner surface of the auricle. Most often, mites are localized on the skin of the ear, in the external auditory canal and on the eardrum.

Infection with otodectosis can occur in several ways:

  • close contact of a cat with sick animals;
  • joint keeping of healthy and sick animals;
  • through mite-infected items (hygiene items, dishes, bedding, etc.).

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The first sign of the onset of the disease, which the cat's owner must pay attention to, is redness, peeling and itching of the inner surface of the auricle and the external auditory canal.

The animal is worried, constantly shakes its head and tries to comb the affected areas of the skin of the ear with claws of its paws. As the disease progresses, the cat's condition worsens:

  1. inflammation of the skin occurs at the site of introduction of the tick;
  2. fluid begins to stand out (serous exudate);
  3. pus forms over time.

The amount of purulent exudate increases, it accumulates in the folds of the auricle, closes the ear canal and becomes an unpleasant putrefactive odor.

In the future, in the absence of therapeutic measures, the hearing is reduced in the animal, perforation (through hole formation) of the tympanic membrane can occur, the inflammatory process extends to the inner and middle ear, and in especially severe cases, the brain membranes are affected.

Another unfavorable development of the disease scenario is the complication of a second (secondary) bacterial infection, in which case the cat may die.

Here's what an ear tick looks like on an animal
Here's what an ear tick looks like on an animal

In order not to miss the onset of the disease, it is necessary to regularly clean the ear canals of the animal from accumulated secretions, inspect them for the presence of:

  • inflammatory processes;
  • a large amount of sulfur;
  • crusts with an unpleasant odor.

If upon examination of the above signs were not found, then there is no reason for concern.

Another symptom that may indirectly indicate the presence of otodectosis can be determined independently. To do this, press on the base of the auricle from above, while a characteristic sound in the form of a splash should be heard.

Attention!
It is also necessary to observe the general condition of the animal, if the cat is depressed, has a fever or the pet constantly tilts its head to the side of the ear, this is a serious reason to seek qualified help from a veterinarian.

Ear scabies has similar signs with other diseases of the ears, so only a specialist can accurately diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment. Any self-medication can lead to the death of a pet.

The diagnosis of otodectosis is based on the clinical signs of the manifestation of the disease. In addition, laboratory diagnostics may be offered. To do this, scraping is sent to the veterinary laboratory from the skin of the inner surface of the auricle.

A parasitologist will conduct a microscopic examination, and if ticks are found, he will confirm the diagnosis.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of otodectosis in cats, it is necessary:

  • Provide good, competent care.
  • Try to avoid direct contact of the animal with already sick cats, dogs.
  • Monitor the condition of hygiene items of your pet, dishes, rugs, carrying bags.
  • Maintain their cleanliness, periodically wash, clean, and if possible, then carry out their disinfection and deacarinization (the use of chemicals aimed at the destruction of ticks in the environment).

Usually, an ear mite is found in homeless cats and dogs, so there is not much chance of getting an ear scab in a pet. But to avoid an unpleasant story, it is better to protect the pet from contact with yard, stray animals.

Treatment of otodectosis

For the treatment of otodectosis, there are a huge number of drugs whose action is aimed at destroying the ear tick. It can be:

  • ear drops (Amitrazin, Tactik, Amit, Acromectin, Amitraz);
  • powders, ointments, aerosols;
  • in especially severe and neglected cases, it is necessary to use intramuscular injections with special antiparasitic drugs, for example, Otodectin.

All medical procedures are quite simple and can be done independently. Just do not forget that ear scabies is a very dangerous, difficult to treat disease, therefore, it must be treated under the strict supervision of a veterinarian.

Before processing the auricle with a drug, it is necessary to clean the ear canal from scabs and pus. This is done with cotton swabs, which are pre-moistened with camphor alcohol, and for a better separation of crusts, you can use a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution.

After that, in both ears instill as many drops as indicated in the instructions for the drug. The auricle is lightly massaged at the base for better drug penetration.

The procedure is carried out once every 7-10 days, until the onset of a positive effect. It is advisable to check the effectiveness of treatment with a laboratory method each time, which consists in microscopic examination of the contents of the auricle. Treatment is stopped when no mites are found in the scraping.

Simultaneously with the main treatment, all skin integuments of the animal are treated with anti-tick drugs.

To alleviate the condition of a sick cat, you can instill otonazole in the ears between treatments, which will reduce itching and inflammation. As an auxiliary agent, ointments are used, which include sulfur compounds (Vishnevsky ointment, sulfur ointment, colloidal sulfur).

Important!
The veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics in addition to the entire treatment. This usually happens when the disease is complicated by the development of a secondary bacterial infection.

Do not forget about raising the immunity of a cat, which plays a significant role for complete recovery. The diet must include high-protein, fortified feed. Also, walks in the fresh air have a beneficial effect on treatment.

To prevent re-infection of the cat, it is recommended to wet-clean the room once a week using an acaricidal agent. This must be done in order to destroy ticks that could crawl from the animal to the floor, furniture or other interior items.

Here's what this parasite looks like under a microscope:

Ear glue under the microscope
Ear glue under the microscope

Cat, cat or dog ear mite

An ear mite called in the veterinary world Ototdectes cynotus causes an infection called otodectosis. You can infect the ear tick only from a sick animal, the tick does not live long in the external environment without a host (cat or dog), the ear tick is not dangerous to humans.

Most often (from practice) cats that have access to the street get infected with an ear tick, kittens get it from their mother, an ear tick can also be "obtained" if you use a hotel for an animal, where animals are kept by a common group. Dogs are usually infected with an ear tick from cats.

Uncomplicated infection with an ear tick is quite easy to eliminate, complications come in old cases, as well as when bacteria are added to the pathological process that are always on the skin of the ear canal and can add unnecessary trouble if the protective skin barrier begins to break down by parasitization of the ear tick.

It is also necessary to make a reservation that another disease in cats from the group of skin parasitoses is similar to otodectosis. This is a cat nodtohedrosis caused by the tick tick Notoedres cati.

But this parasite does not live in the ear canal of the ear, but on the outside of the auricle, combs with notedrosis are more severe. If a cat with otodectosis (the first option) can live for several years without causing suspicion among the owners, then a cat with notedrosis very quickly combes its ears to the blood.

Advice!
The final diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian by making a scraping, smear and analyzing it under a microscope. Noothedrosis is more difficult to treat.

Signs of otodectosis, of course, are dirty ears and the constant scratching of their animals, the appearance of scratches, crusts and blood on the ears, and in fluffy cats, the appearance of tangles behind the ears.

The discharge in the ear canal in the presence of an ear tick has a dirty brown color, there are usually a lot of them; in uncomplicated cases, "sulfur" is dry, resembles a coffee drink, and in complicated cases it is semi-moist with an admixture of pus and / or blood. When sampling with cotton buds, the animal begins to jerk its hind legs intensely, which is a sign of itching.

A simple diagnosis (if you have good eyesight) can be done without a microscope. We collect the discharge directly from the ear onto a cotton swab above a carbon black sheet, gently tap on the stick, while the ticks, if any, fall onto the leaf. And then we observe the movement of ticks.

What to search? We are looking for white grains (smaller than a semolina), it is better to put a black sheet of paper and watch on a black background, and look closely at one of them, if it moves, it is a tick.

To confirm our observations (that this is not self-hypnosis), we look for a similar white grain and observe again.

The tick does not move quickly, but noticeably. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the treatment below is for you. It is important that if you keep several animals in one group, it is necessary to treat all at the same time, regardless of the presence of signs of the parasite.

Treatment (liquidation)

Treatment, or rather the elimination of parasitization of the ear tick, begins with determining the degree of ear inflammation. 1st (mild) - the mud is dry. without blood and pus, you only need an anti-mite drug, maybe a lotion to clean your ears.

Attention!
2nd (complicated degree with chronic otitis media) - it is a lot of dirt semi-moist or porridge-like, the ear canal is very clogged with dirt, therefore, a one-time cleaning of the ear canal by a veterinarian is necessary, after which you will need a lotion to clean the ears, an anti-mite drug and complex antibacterial and antifungal drops or ointment.

From practice, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of using drugs not containing alcohol (any, ethyl or isopropyl), especially when used in case of severe inflammation. Before instillation, it is necessary to clean the ears if they are dirty. Ears, especially in complicated cases, cannot be cleaned with cotton buds.

Firstly, mechanical irritation of the skin aggravates inflammation, and secondly, by pushing dirt further into the ear canal, an artificial plug can be created. To clean the ears of dirt suitable: Otifri lotion (without alcohol), any other lotion to clean the ears without alcohol, in the absence of choice and a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.

Use all lotions only in warm form (38 degrees Celsius). Bury 5 to 15 drops, massage the ear at the base and allow the animal to shake its head. Cleaning is carried out depending on the degree and rate of contamination of the ears. In the early days more often, after less often. The first cleaning with very severe contamination is best left to the veterinarian.

Tick-borne drugs can be complex or not.

Incomplete preparations, those that do not contain antibacterial or antifungal components and act only on the ear tick (all of them are veterinary drugs): Front Line, Aversectin Ointment, Amidel Gel, Amit Forte and others (we mentioned here drugs that have been tested in their practice).

Read the instructions before use. Complex preparations (without alcohol; also only veterinary drugs): "Oricin", "Oridermil" and others.

If supplementation with antibacterial and antifungal ear drops is required when using non-complex anti-mite drugs, then the following veterinary preparations can be used: Otanazole, Aurizon (dogs), Canaural, Surolan and others according to the instructions.

Important!
As a rule, after a long-standing parasitization of an ear tick in cats and dogs, a fungal infection remains, which also manifests itself as a slight brown moist pollution in the ear canal.

Some experts, and even doctors, take this for an ineffective treatment of otodectosis and continue to stuff the animal with anti-tick drugs, but in fact, these are just yeast-like fungi, which can be eliminated by prolonged use of antifungal ear products. Do not neglect the help of a veterinarian.

Ear mite. How to treat at home. Causes and symptoms

The ear mite is very simple. If you see that your cat shakes its head and scratches its ears excessively, or you notice an unusual smell coming from its ears, these may be the first signs of an ear tick. The medical name is otodectosis.

Ear mites are the most common disease in cats: almost 90 percent of all cats become infected sooner or later. In addition, the disease is very contagious and spreads to other cats in the house.

If your cat has an ear tick and you don’t know what to do and are looking for advice on the Internet in forums, we recommend that you do not self-medicate and experiment with your favorite cat, because the consequences of your experiment may disappoint you and your family.

10 reasons to call a veterinarian at home

The ear mite in cats is a tiny, crab-like parasite. Ticks live in the ear canal and on the head, and sometimes on the body. Imagine how thousands of these tiny insects crawl in your pet’s ears! Ticks live on the surface of the skin and in the ear canal, where they feed on dead cells and tissue fluids.

Ticks can also spread over the entire surface of the skin. When this happens, the cat begins to scratch its back, neck and tail. The presence of ticks can cause severe inflammation in the ears of your affected cat.

Advice!
Although an ear tick can appear in a cat at any age, nevertheless, a tick is more common in small and growing kittens. This is due to the not yet fully formed immunity.

Ticks have a three-week life cycle and can live without a parasite host for several weeks. Unlike fleas, the tick does not penetrate the skin and does not suck blood.

What are the symptoms of tick-infected cats?

  • Irritation and scratched skin;
  • Increased earwax;
  • Thick, black discharge from the ear;
  • Scratched ears;
  • The cat shakes its head regularly;
  • Scratched skin around the ears.

Symptoms of an ear mite are often similar to other ear diseases. For example, a yeast infection can also produce black exudate (black secretions) in your cat’s ears, but if you decide to experiment with the cat and, without a diagnosis, use ear mite medications, the situation may worsen and the cat’s ear inflammation will begin.

Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is a prerequisite for the recovery of the cat.

Determining the exact diagnosis for the vet is not a problem. An ear tick is a large insect that can be seen with an otoscope that enlarges an ear tick: light from an otoscope helps distinguish ticks from ear wax.

Also in the light, ticks begin to move. If the tick is located deep in the ear canal, the veterinarian will use the ear stick to remove the ticks that are deeply entangled to examine the exudate under a microscope.

Ear tick is a very contagious disease. All other pets should be examined and treated at the same time. Ticks can also be transmitted to your dogs.

What to treat?

The vet starts the treatment by cleaning your cat's ears. Some of the new drugs do not require thorough cleaning before use. The veterinarian can prescribe injections and medications for home treatment.

How to drip ear drops to a cat?

Ear diseases, infections and injuries are fairly common diseases, often requiring medication. For the average person (not the medical profession), using these drugs can be confusing and complex.

Attention!
Some cats refuse medicine and do not want to be treated, especially if it concerns their ears, which also hurt a lot.

To complete a doctor’s prescription may require diligence and patience to give the cat medicine. The technique used to complete the doctor’s prescriptions is described below:

  1. Prepare the medicine by opening the vial;
  2. Hold the head of your cat with one hand and with the other hold the medicines used;
  3. You can also grab the tip of the affected ear to help keep it motionless in this way. Be very careful not to hold your ear too hard, because it can cause even more pain. Be prepared for your cat to flinch when the medicine touches your ear;
  4. Continue to hold your cat's head, and use the medicine bottle with your other hand;
  5. That's all. You have instilled one ear.Gently massage the base of the ear so that the medicine spreads deeper into the ear.

If your cat's skin is also affected, you will have to wipe the tick-affected areas with the medicine. After completing the prescribed course of treatment, a repeat visit to the veterinarian is required for a final conclusion.

What are the methods of prevention?

You can prevent the ear tick from appearing if you dry your cat’s ears after bathing, regularly check for foreign secretions and, if necessary, promptly call a veterinarian at the first sign of trouble.

An ear mite, otodectosis (Otodectes cynotis), is a parasite that lives in a cat’s ear canal. These microscopic white insects can appear at any cat age, but more often in young animals.

The most common sign of ear mites in cats is itching in the ear and black discharge. Ear mites can also spread to the surface of the skin. When this happens, the cat begins to "itch" in the back, neck and tail.

How to diagnose a parasite?

An ear mite spends its entire life on an infected cat. The female tick lays eggs in the ear and in the area of ​​the hairline of the ear. Small mites hatch from the eggs after four days of the incubation period. The larva feeds on earwax and secretions from the skin for one week.

Then they molt into “protonymphs,” which, in turn, molt into “deutonymphs.” Daytonymphs do not develop sex until they mate with a male tick. If, as a result, the tick is female, then it will be fertilized with eggs with the following offspring.

Important!
Your veterinarian will be able to diagnose a cat’s ear tick if its ears are full of black, solid sulfur and the inside of the ear has an unpleasant odor.

Ear mites in cats are contagious! If an ear tick was found in one of your animals, you should check all domestic animals for its presence and, if necessary, conduct treatment.

The veterinarian will need to provide a complete medical history of the animal and conduct a physical examination, with particular attention paid to the ears and the skin around the ears. For an accurate diagnosis, the appearance of the discharge, the place of scratches or other symptoms play an important role.

  • An ear mite is most often diagnosed by a veterinarian when examining an ear with an otoscope with a magnifying glass. In this way, the tick can be seen;
  • The cytological analysis of the smear involves taking a sample of the discharge from the ear and examining it under a microscope (the swab is mixed with mineral oil and placed on a microscope slide - so you can see the ear tick);
  • Scraping can also be done if your cat is hit by a tick and on the skin.

Some pets may need additional diagnostics to determine the root cause of the ear abnormality.

Pets with recurrent ear infections, that is, poorly treatable animals with generalized skin abnormalities or other health problems, may be subject to additional diagnostic tests.

These tests are not typical for animals with simple ear tick disease. Additional tests may include:

  1. Bacterial culture and sensitivity. This test may help diagnose bacterial infections. The procedure involves taking a sample from the ear and analysis in the laboratory to determine specific bacteria. Bacteria are treated with several antibiotics to determine what will kill them most effectively;
  2. X-rays or CT scans. These studies can be done to determine the condition of the auricle and bone, and they can also be used to assess the degree of involvement in the disease;
  3. A complete blood test and biochemical analysis can be done in order to check the factors contributing to the development of infection, as well as to determine the presence of a concurrent disease;
  4. Skin scrapings;
  5. Allergic tests. Your veterinarian may need this test if your pet has an allergy that can irritate your ears as well as your skin.

What treatment is prescribed with an ear tick?

The ear tick in cats should only be treated after the veterinarian has examined and diagnosed. If the cat has no ticks in its ears, the use of anti-tick drugs can aggravate the situation with a sore ear. Complete treatment consists of the following steps.

Ear cleaning. The cat may need ear cleaning, but it all depends on the medication used and the amount of discharge from the ear. Hospital sedation and ear flushing may also be required.

Advice!
It all depends on the degree of infection with an ear infection. Do not use cotton swabs to clean your cat's ears, this can only aggravate the situation, as you can push the infection deeper into the ear canal.

Use of medication for infected cat ears. Usually the veterinarian prescribes local treatment, which consists in the use of preparations for the ears (drops). Often prescribed drugs, which include milbemycin or ivermectin. Thiabendazole may be prescribed for home use. Selamectin may also be applied topically (between the shoulder blades).

The use of the drug on affected areas of the skin. If the cat’s ear tick has spread to the skin, the affected areas are often treated with flea remedies.

Re-examination of the veterinarian. All other animals that have been in contact with an infected animal should also be shown to a veterinarian.

Symptoms and treatment of an ear parasite in cats

Ticks in the ears of cats are not just pests that injure the sensitive skin of the auricle. Parasites cause a serious disease called otodectosis, which in especially severe cases can lead to the death of the animal.

Stages of the disease

  • first, ticks injure the skin mechanically, and also irritate the nerve endings with their waste products.
  • in places where ticks appear, hyperemia occurs, that is, the vessels of the circulatory system are overflowing with blood, as a result of which swelling of the skin is observed.
  • so-called exudate is sweating from the damaged areas of the ear. This medical term refers to various kinds of discharge.
  • Having dried up and reacted with waste products of ear mites and with dead epidermis, the exudate forms scabs of dark brown color.
  • these crusts covering the formed wounds in the auricle form a plug in the ear canal.
  • further (in the absence of the necessary treatment), the eardrum is torn, opening the inflammatory process to the path to the middle and inner part of the cat's ear. This causes labyrinthitis.
  • the final stage of the disease is the defeat of the inflammatory process of the meninges, which entails the death of the animal.

It is advisable to start treating an ear tick immediately after the onset of symptoms of this disease, in order to prevent complications.

How does infection happen?

The causative agent of the disease is a skin-mite tick. Your pet may become infected with ear scabies from an infected animal - in direct contact with it or through care products.

Please note that a sick cat is also dangerous for other domestic animals, for example, for a ferret, for raccoon dogs, for dogs with long ears. Also, the disease is transmitted to foxes and arctic foxes and many other predators.

For humans, otodectosis is not dangerous. However, people can become carriers of the infection - you can infect your cat by transferring an ear tick on your hands or on clothes.

In addition, the cat can become infected by fleas and flies, which are also carriers of ear scabies. Young individuals aged one and a half months are most susceptible to this disease, but an adult animal can also get ear scabies.

Symptoms

At the initial stage of the disease, the cat experiences severe itching inside the auricle, so the animal often shakes its head, combing the mite damaged areas. As the disease develops, a purulent mass begins to stand out - you can notice the wool glued to it in the lower part of the animal’s ear.

Attention!
The fact that the disease has passed into a complicated stage is evidenced by the development of the so-called symptom of “crooked head”. The cat often turns its head at an angle of 90 to 120 degrees, turning the sore ear down.

When an infection affects the meninges, the animal begins to suffer from seizures, as a result of which it most often dies.

Treatment

Treatment of otodectosis begins with a thorough cleansing of the cat's ears - the ear is washed with antiseptics, for example, chlorhexidine.

Liquid medicines that are injected using a syringe with a rubber tube will help the cat get rid of parasites. Next, the auricle is massaged with light movements, previously bent in half. You can use ear drops: "Aurikan", "Amatrizin".

Treatment of the ear tick in cats is also carried out by applying ointments - for this, cotton swabs are used, they process the inside of the ear. Medicinal powders are poured into the auricle and massaged.

In addition, aerosol preparations based on such drugs as Tsiodrin, Prosoptol, Acrodex, and Dermatozol are used to treat ear scabies in veterinary medicine. They should be sprayed at a distance of 5 cm from the ear for 2 seconds. It is best to consult a doctor before using such drugs, and it’s not always possible to buy them at a regular pet store.

If the kitten has an ear tick, it is excreted with drugs that are not contraindicated for young individuals. Among them can be called "Ivomek."

If the cat is pregnant, most drugs are not suitable for her. Experts advise regular cleaning of the ears and instill camphor oil. You can also use drops at the withers, for example, Promeris or Advocate.

Important!
Drops on the withers of the FRONTLINE company under the name “SPOT ON” are no less effective. However, they cannot be used to treat kittens under 8 weeks of age.

Whatever treatment option you choose, you need to carry out it three times in 5-6 days - this is due to the life cycle of the ear tick.

Prevention

A measure of the prevention of the appearance of an ear tick is the prevention of contact with stray animals.

In addition, you should regularly clean your cat’s ears with special tools:

  • Otifri Lotion
  • Means "FURminator"
  • Espree Clean Ear Treatment Spray
  • Drops "Otodepine".

These funds are a reliable prevention of the occurrence of otodectosis in cats, in addition, most of them are safe for pregnant cats and kittens.

Ear mite in cats: how to treat?

The ear tick (Otodectes cynotis, stands for oto - ear, dectes - the one who bites, and cynotis means canine) is the causative agent of the disease dangerous for cats - otodectosis. The latter is popularly called ear scabies, and therefore the ear tick of a cat is often called the scabies mite.

Otodectosis is a serious disease, which in case of untimely treatment can go into a chronic form. With developed otodectosis, the inner surface of the animal’s ear is affected, resulting in unbearable itching.

Taking into account the latter fact, there is nothing strange in the fact that most often owners start to suspect a cat with an ear tick only after it scratches the ear right up to the blood.

Since an animal (not necessarily a cat and not necessarily a cat) can become infected with otodectosis in several ways (for example, through close contact with a sick animal or through mite-infected items), the problem of scabies mites is very important.

Symptoms

The first symptom of a cat getting an ear tick is constant anxiety, which is manifested by shaking the head. The animal begins to feel severe itching, rubs its ears with everything that is possible and constantly scratches the ear with its paws.

Advice!
Further, the situation with ear itching only worsens, because the cat through constant scratching makes in the auricle and around her wounds, which also begin to fester. If treatment of the ear tick is not started in time, a complex form of otodectosis may develop in which the tympanic membrane will burst, and the inflammation will go to the middle and inner ear.

Moreover, if even then treatment is not started, then inflammation can go to the meninges. Such development threatens the cat with death.

Therefore, if you have not noticed before, but now you see that your cat is constantly depressed, has a fever, walks as if drunk and at the same time tilts her head - check her ears. If the picture is identified as in the photo on the right, immediately begin to treat the cats or show the animal to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Treatment

Now there are a lot of drugs to treat otodectosis, that is, to destroy the ear tick in cats. These drugs can generally be divided into three types: ear drops; powders, aerosols and ointments; injection drugs (used in very severe cases of otodectosis).

The process of treating an ear tick is quite simple, but because everyone can cope with this ear scabies at home. However, when it comes to “neglected cases”, it is best to immediately show the animal to the veterinarian.

So, first you need to clean the auricle and ear canal from scabs and pus. To do this, you can use cotton swabs, which must first be moistened with alcohol.

In order for dead skin to become better off, a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution can be used. Only after cleaning the ear, you can begin to apply the medication according to the instructions that are indicated on the package or label.

The frequency of the procedure according to the instructions for use of the selected therapeutic agent. Treatment lasts for the complete disappearance of the symptoms of the ear tick.

Attention!
In addition to the main treatment, it is recommended to treat the entire skin of the cat with special preparations against ticks. Between treatments, instill Otonazole in the auricle, which will reduce itching, alleviating the cat’s suffering.

If drops are used as the main treatment, then it will be good to use a special ointment as an adjuvant. Antibiotics in addition are used only as directed by the veterinarian in case of secondary bacterial infection.

What to treat?

Drops against an ear tick: Bars (≈40 UAH), Amitrazin Plus (≈10 UAH), Otoferonol Gold (≈30 UAH), Tsipam (≈50 UAH), Surolan (≈100 UAH ) Ointments against ear mites: “Ordermil” (≈100 UAH), “Aversectinum ointment” (≈35 UAH), “Vishnevsky ointment”, “Sulfur ointment”, “Colloidal sulfur”.

Of course, this is not the whole list of drops or ointments from ear mites. Others can be asked at a veterinary or veterinarian. Additional drugs are used only after the appointment by a veterinarian.

Prevention

In order to prevent infection of the cat with ear mites, you need to take good care of your pet.

First of all, it is worthwhile to prevent contact with other animals sick with otodectosis, as well as to monitor your cat’s care and hygiene items (carry out regular cleaning and disinsection of rugs, carrying bags, etc.).

Also, you should not allow contact of your pet with domestic animals, because it is they who most often suffer from ear scabies.

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