Ear Mites

[Avas_Mom]

i posted a question not long ago about this. All my indoor cats somehow got ear mites. Well the vet gave us REVOLUTION. Its suppose to be a 1 time thing. So we got home and put it on all our cats, I even went out and got baby oil to put in their ears to suffocate the mites too. Its been about 2 weeks and my youngest kitten is still scratching her ears. Why isnt this stuff working?? My other cats seem to be ok now. We cant afford to take her to the vet. We just spent over $100 bucks on this medicine and the vet visit. What should i do?

[Savas]

A good trick for spotting ear mites is to get some of that gunk and put it on a black piece of paper (or something). Ear mites show up as little white specks. HOWEVER, if you don't see them, it doesn't mean they aren't there. It isn't an exact science, this trick. :)

Ah, also, if you're using the OTC medication, cat's hate it. They'll scratch for days after a dose. Which is why the the vet's treatment is better.

How did the mineral oil work out? I've never tried that before. I did hear you have to mix it with some herb to make it truly effecacious.

[christy195050]

Make sure she is scratching the ear itself and not around the outside of the ear as this could be a sign of another problem like ringworm or an allergy. Do not use revolution more than once a month as it can make your kitten sick. Do not use cotton buds or oils in the ear unless you know what you are doing as you can damage the ear and its hearing gently does it. The Revolution should give protection for up to a month.
Mites are highly contageous and can live in the surroundings for months and if their bedding and other things are not sterilised as well there could be reinfestation.

[Avas_Mom]

I think she has ear mites, im not too sure. I know when he gave us the medicine because our other cat had it he showed us a q-tip which he cleaned her ears out with and it just looked like a bunch of black stuff. Didnt look like bugs. So we cleaned out her ears with baby oil too just to suffocate any that might be left..but shes the only 1 still itching. Her ears dont look red or swollen or anything. And they dont really have beds to clean, they sleep everywhere, our bed, but mostly the tile on the kitchen floor. I dont understand why this revolution wouldnt work. I put another dose on her again today.

[Savas]

Are you sure the kitten still has ear mites? They're pretty easy to spot. You can try an over the counter remedy if you don't want to go through the cost again...although it should have worked. But ear mites are persistent. Did you clean their bedding? They can get back in that way.

It's possible your kitten did some damage from scratching. Take a look in the ears to be sure there isn't inflammation or swelling.