Feline Ear Mite is Small, but Packs a Big Punch
Pet Ear Mites Spread Quickly, Cause Itching, Feline Ear Infections
Sep 16, 2009
The feline ear mite was obviously not what the person who said, "Good things come in small packages," had in mind. Although pet ear mites are hard to see with the naked eye, they cause problems far out of proportion to their size.
Feline Ear Mite Facts
Cats and ear mites seem to go together like milk and honey, although they're not nearly so pleasant. In fact, the Latin name for ear mites is "Otodectes cyanotis," which literally means "picker of the ear." This description is very apt, since pet ear mites cause severe itching for afflicted cats. Constant scratching leads to irritation of the ear canal, which in turn can lead to feline ear infections that can become chronic.
As a result of the constant scratching, some cats may develop a hematoma, which is a blood-filled pocket on the ear flap. This is very painful for the kitty, and must be drained by the vet.
Kittens are very susceptible to cat ear mites, and they often get them from mama cat. One thing many people don't realize is that as cats get older, they develop some immunity to ear mites, and even though a cat is infected, she may not show any symptoms. Up to half of all adult felines carry pet ear mites, and they quickly share them with any other cat or dog in the household. This is why it's necessary to treat all pets in the home at once.
Symptoms of Pet Ear Mites
A kitty with ear mites will be constantly scratching at her ears, and shaking her head. If the pet owner looks in the cat's ears, he or she will see a thick, reddish-brown to blackish ear wax that may resemble coffee grounds.
An easy way to check for feline ear mites is to rub the cat's ear canal area. This will cause the kitty to make scratching motions with her back legs. It's unusual for a cat to make these scratching motions if she doesn't have ear mites.
The vet will diagnose ear mites in cats by taking a sample of the wax from the cat's ear. Ear mites can often be seen with the naked eye, as tiny white dots scurrying around. The mites can be seen more easily under a microscope.
Cat Ear Mite Treatment
Ear mite treatment for cats used to be an arduous round of cleaning the kitty's ears every day, and applying insecticidal ear drops. This treatment had to be repeated on a daily basis for at least a week. Often a second round of treatment was needed, as the next batch of ear mites hatched out.
This was unpleasant for both cat and owner. Anyone who has ever dealt with feline ear mites can attest to being showered with ear drops and ear crud when Kitty shook her head after treatment! If even one day was skipped during the treatment regimen, the ear mites would return with a vengeance. It's no wonder that cat owners viewed a diagnosis of ear mites with dismay.
Today, there are products like Aacarex, and Revolution for cats, which require only one application to clear up a pet ear mite problem. It's still necessary to have the vet clean out the cat's ears, to remove the waxy discharge, which would prevent the product from reaching the ear mites and killing them.
Cats and ear mites don't have to go together any more. These pests are easily treated today, so don't let a kitty suffer with these "ear pickers" a day longer than necessary.
Source:
Answering Your Questions About Ear Mites
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