Help: natural treatment for ear mites or yeast infection in cats

[Garryowen]

I have a couple of cats outside that some dirtbag threw out a few months ago, and one of them has scratched on side of his head raw and is working on the other side. I think his ears are bothering him, and suspect ear mites.

The vet wouldn't give a prescription medicine without bringing him in, and I responded that I couldn't keep spending money on other people's discards. I lost my job over a year ago, and just don't have the money. She suggested getting something at the farm store, which is okay with me. But then I thought that we have folks right here who know alternative remedies for lots of ailments, so if any of you have some experience with ear problems in cats, I need two bits of information: 1. How do I tell whether the problem is mites or yeast? 2. What can I use to treat either one?

I have a fair amount of various stuff available, if I know what to use, and we do have a herb store nearby.

TIA


Garryowen

 

[gunnersmom]

Go to amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LNSSH2/ref=ox_ya_os_product

zymox otic pet ear treatment 419 reveiws 5 star rating.

I bought this stuff my my lab mix baby who has had ear infections for the last six years. Clear one up and another is waiting in the wings. I've had her put to sleep and did the vet power wash to her ears twice in the last three years. This spring she came down with a doozie. Vet didn't help, all the "natural" treatments I"ve read here and and in other places on the net (some I just wouldn't try).

I found this ear ointment which is really a gel. I started her on it August 6th, twice a day for a month. Her ears were full of brown gunk that I cleaned out every day for two months before that. Within a day she was feeling better and that stuff was disappearing.

I've now got her down to gellilng the ear every few days when I think about it because I'm so scared she'll get it again.

I paid almost $40 for a 4 oz bottle and today its on sale for 26.

I still probably have a half a bottle after all those treatments in the past six weeks or so.

It is well worth every dime of the money and I"ll never have a dog without it again.

Read what is made of, the only thing not natural is the hydrocortizone which is very good with the inflammation.

Good luck. If you lived nearby I would let you use mine.

 

[rugmaker]

Coconut Oil

 

[Garryowen]

Gunnarsmom,

I ordered some of that stuff on Amazon. It looks like there were lots of satisfied users. If I have the same results I will order the huge size.

I already have some coconut oil, but never heard of putting it in ears before, so that's a distinct possibility also. It is reputed to have many beneficial properties.

Thanks all.

Garryowen

 

[packyderms_wife]

check your pets teeth and see if there's any gum inflamation etc. Sometimes they ear problems because they have a tooth problem. My one cat would walk around with his head cocked but his ears were fine, finally got him down and he had a problem in his mouth. Took him to the vet turns out his baby teeth didn't all out when they were supposed to three years earlier.

Anyway, six teeth removed later he's fine now.

K-

 

[Dean Miller]

I have a cat that had exactly the same problem!

I used coconut oil, which seemed to relieve the symptoms (but didn't really get rid of the mites or whatever was there), but stopped that when I found something awesome.

It's called "Best Yet" by CedarCide.com ( http://www.cedarcidestore.com/cedarproducts.html ).

One spray on the sore area and he immediately calmed down, and his horrible episodes of scratching have gone away. I've now sprayed this stuff on almost all of the cats and dogs (a few cats are semi-feral -- can't really get close enough to treat them, but I'm working on it).

I got the "Best Yet" to replace the DEET repellents with something non-toxic, and it works okay for that (but, IMO, doesn't last quite as long as Repel or Deepwoods Off).

You can get some 4-ounce refillable spray containers that work really well. I got 2 of those and the 1 quart refill (comes with a sprayer, which I haven't used yet). A little more expensive than I like, but the stuff works.

BTW, I also got some food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) and have just started using that as a defense against unwanted bugs. (http://www.earthworkshealth.com/

HTH

 

[gunnersmom]

Gary, the hardest thing to do when I started Riley on the zymox was NOT cleaning out her ears. You put that gel in and massage the base of the ear to get into the canal. I was so used to cleaning her ears out that it was hard to resist. The instructions say to leave it alone, except to wipe the excess out of the very outside of the ear.

That stuff literally eats the gunk up!

I was also worried about my carpets because everything I ever put in there, the first thing Riley would do when I was done was rub her ear on the floor. The very first time I used zymox, I did it on the bed and just laid down with her and petted her for a while. She never moved!

The gel seems to have an oily base when you touch it, but I have since seen her rubbing on the floor and there are no marks on my carpet.

After I posted last night I went back and bought another bottle and the bottle of plain cleaner, too.

Good luck and let me know how things turn out.

 

[Garryowen]

Thanks, GM, and the rest of you also. I appreciate your insights into that ear problem. I think we are going to bite the bullet and take him to the vet. His ear canal looks swollen, and I don't know if we can get the stuff into it. I know there will be a big bill, but I guess unless I want to put him down we need to get it taken care of. He shouldn't have to suffer for being owned by a scumbag.

Thanks again,

Garryowen

 

[gunnersmom]

Update? I hope you tried the zymox. Wish I had seen this earlier because that hydrocortisone would have taken the swelling down so subsequent treatments would have gotten inside the ear drum.

If the vet gives you ottomax as a treatment, you'll probably still need the zymox. I've never had an ear infection go away with the ottomax.