Home Remedies for Ear Mites
If fleas and ticks weren’t enough for your pet to avoid, they also have to contend with the threat of the very irritating presence of ear mites. Depending on the species, ear mites attack dogs, cats, rabbits, and even cattle. As a highly contagious pet condition, it is important to supply your companion with an immediate remedy for the constant scratching and irritation that takes place with an infection. Before relying on chemical means to destroy the presence of ear mites, you should consider using treatments made at home.
What are Ear Mites?
Ear mites belong to the class Arachnida, which includes ticks and other species of mites (such as the dust mite and the mold mite). Mites are often considered one of the most diverse and prosperous of all invertebrates [1]. Since they possess a small body structure, they are able to conduct their regular routine without being detected by others. Most mites are microscopic, living in the soil and water, as well as on humans and animals. As for the ear mite, they choose to set up shop in the ears of animals (mostly cats).
The most common species of ear mite is the Otodectes cynotis, which possesses the capacity to spread at a rapid pace – transmitted with the briefest of physical contact with other animals. When it comes to the animals you share your home with, ear mites typically affect cats and ferrets the most, but also attack dogs as well. In very rare cases, ear mites will come in contact with humans and become an issue. Unlike most mites (which burrow), an ear mite simply lives in the ear canal [2].
Other animals affected by the ear mite include rabbits and cattle. The Psoroptes cuniculi species is larger in size than the Otodectes cynotis and is seen in rabbits. In regards to rabbits, ear mites cause thick debris to accumulate in the ear canal. As it worsens, the outer ear and face may show signs of infection. Usually, the rabbit will scratch at and shake their head. In cattle, a serious ear mite infection can affect their hearing [3].
The Life Cycle of an Ear Mite
The eggs of an ear mite are laid and hatch within four days of incubation. Larva emerges and feeds on the ear wax or skin oils of its host, which continues for about a week. Afterwards, the larva will molt into what is called a protonymph, which then molts again, becoming a deutonymph. The deutonymph mates with adult males, even though it surprisingly hasn’t even established a gender at the time.
After mating, another round of molting takes place and the mite is established as either an adult male or female. The females are already ready to lay eggs, while the males go off to find deutonymphs to mate with. The average life span of an adult ear mite is about two months.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Pets infected with ear mites often scratch about their ears or characteristically shake their heads. The intensity of scratching and head shaking will depend on how badly they are infected with ear mites. In the worst cases, the ear canals begin to bleed, where fresh or dried blood becomes quite visible inside of the ear canal. This dried blood is often described as coffee grounds. Although a buildup of this coffee ground-like material in the ear canal is a common symptom of ear mites, it is not a completely conclusive manner to diagnose an ear mite infection, as a handful of bacterial and/or yeast infections will also produce this effect.
The presence of ear mites is quite common, but an infection is too serious of a condition to ignore. When left untreated, the ear canals can become severely damaged along with the eardrum. Unfortunately, animals have been known to permanently lose their hearing as a result [4].
Overall, the main symptoms in both cats and dogs to look out for include intense irritation, scratching, thick and crusty ear discharge (black in color), an increase in earwax production, persistent ear scratching and shaking of the head. To make sure you are accurately treating your pet for ear mites, it is highly recommended to bring your companion to the veterinarian for a definite diagnosis. A pet doctor will use what is called a “lighted otoscope,” which magnifies the mites. The light attached to the otoscope brings mites to the forefront of their earwax surroundings, creating movement the veterinarian is able to detect. If mites are not readily visible using the otoscope, an examination of the earwax will take place under a microscope.
Negative Effects of Ear Mites
The accurate diagnosis and speedy treatment of ear mites is very important for pets, as a severe infection has the power to weaken or permanently rob animals of their sense of hearing. Rapid detection and remedies will also stop this highly contagious infection from spreading to other animals in a household (when applicable). In a few rare cases, some humans have experienced skin rashes as a result of coming in contact with their infected pet, but this is extremely rare.
As for the pet, the ear mites cause a range of inflammatory symptoms, which bring about the same kind of symptoms as bacterial and yeast infections. The itching and redness of the ears is quite irritating to pets, but when left untreated, more pressing infections may develop. The ear mites may cause skin diseases in animals, which have the capacity to affect the tail and neck of a cat or dog.
Home Remedies for Ear Mites
Oftentimes, remedies for some of your pet’s most pressing medical problems and issues can be found within the comfort of your household. Before considering one of the many treatments on the market for ear mites, check out the following list for ideas on how to use a home remedy for the eradication of this very common condition in pets (especially cats):
a) Corn Oil:
Using a few drops of corn oil (like Wesson) makes a decent home remedy for cat ear mites. First, massage the oil about the inside of the ear, using a cotton ball to clean the infected region. This treatment is repeated for three days. The oil serves three different purposes, as it soothes skin, smothers the ear mites, and speeds the healing process.
b) Mineral Oil:
You may temporarily combat ear mites by soaking a cotton ball with mineral oil and swabbing the inside of your pet’s ears.
c) Almond or Olive Oil:
Some pet owners have used almond and olive oil to treat ear mites. A mixture comprised of ½ ounce of almond (or olive) oil combined with 400 IU of vitamin E should be placed in a dropper bottle. The contents should be warmed to room temperature, where a ½ -full dropper is placed into the ear. It is natural to see your pet shake their head.
Using cotton swabs, gently clean out the opening of the ears. The oil works wonders when applied every other day for a period of six days. The ears should rest for three days, where the treatment steps are then repeated for six weeks to make sure all ear mite eggs are dealt with. This oil treatment not only smothers the majority of ear mites, but also facilitates the healing process.
d) Yellow Dock Root Extract:
A convenient ear mite remedy to make at home may include Yellow Dock root extract, where nine drops of the extract are diluted with one tablespoon of water. Fill half of a dropper with the mixture and place in the ears. It is important to continue this treatment for many weeks (every other day) because ear mite eggs are rather resistant to home treatments, but once they hatch – a continuous treatment will prevent new hatchlings from reproducing until no more eggs exist.
e) Frequent Shampoos:
It is not uncommon to see ear mites travel to other parts of your pet, including the head, outside of the ears, and the tip of the tail, as mites often reach the end of tails when they curl close to the head. A tea infusion using Yellow Dock is known to make an effective final rinse after shampooing.
f) White Vinegar:
Some veterinarians suggest the use of white vinegar for treating ear mites because the acidity helps remove dirt and debris, which also aims to revitalize a healthy equilibrium within the ears. Using a small amount of diluted vinegar is suggested, which is made when combining one part vinegar and two parts of water together. Gently pour the remedy into the ears, making sure to thoroughly massage the solution. This treatment is then followed by a gentle wipe of the inside of the ear using cotton ball.
It is important to note that this remedy is not good to use on pets that have sores or intense irritation located inside the ears. An uncomfortable stinging is the result.
Resources
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mite
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_mite
[3] http://psychology.utoledo.edu/default.asp?id=198
[4] http://purinaone.com/catcare_cond_atoz_article.asp?Seed=656&ArticleNumber=43
Related posts:
I posted under the “home remedies for mange” section, too. Just wanted to say that after trying lots of essential oil shampoos and ointments (neem, tea tree, lemon grass, etc.), I found that my dish detergent (Biokleen which actually says on the label is good as a pet shampoo), followed by a diluted apple cidar vinegar rinse and lots of warm water (see my other post for bathing directions), worked best. Olive oil drops in the ears, and alternately swabbing debris out with witch hazel also works well). Sometimes, I just swab with soapy water (the same dish deterg.). I think that soapy water on obvious bad spots (when bathing the whole animal is not possible) is better then heavy ointments that don’t seem to penetrate. After lots of expensive, sad and frustrating trial and error, I just want to share that the simple stuff worked best for me and my rabbits.
Any kind of oil seems to work just fine for ear mites in cats. Get a few drops in there and massage with your (cleaned) thumb. The oil won’t damage the ears if it gets in the ear canal, so no need to worry. In fact, sometimes it’s a good thing. Do this every day for a few weeks and there you go!
For my two severely infected (all over the body Bichons)- I shaved them down completely as there is no way to get at all the mites through the fur. I used “St.Gabriel Organic diatomaceous earth – pet approved” and put a thick coating all over their bodies morning and night- I did not use a cotton ball as recommended -I used my hand and they looked like they were covered in tan chalk when I was done.
For the head and ears I did not shave- I trimmed them very short and saturated them with olive oil with essential oils of eucalyptus, citronella, tea tree, peppermint and cinnamon. I put 1/2 dropperful of Actipet healthy ear oil, which contains x-tra vigin olive oil, garlic, echinacea, calendula, and mullein, inside the ears.
Overnight- the next day 98% of mites on the body had been completely dehydrated and were dead – I removed the live ones and squished them. Repeat- next morning ALL mites are completely dehydrated and dead. Shampoo – use flea comb and fingernails to scrape out dead mites especially around the rim of ear flaps. Repeat DE and saturating ears with oil- next morning more dead mites on ears flaps- turned to gummy type consistency and dead.
I had to give both dogs Pet L-Tryptophan (from Jo Mar labs) repeatedly throughout all procedures which calmed them down tremedously- I could not have done without the L-tryptophan.
Anyway- it was amazing to see that the diatomaceous earth does what it says- day one when I first discovered the mites I shampooed and spent 7 solid hours removing them one by one with a tweezers and magnifying glasses- squishing each one with the back of my nail- with the DE they are nolonger round and nolonger squish- they become flat and dry/crumbly. I will be continuing treatment for 6 wks to make sure all eggs are gone- but just wanted to let you know in case anyone else was in the total crisis mode I was in and desperate for something right away to kill them- that would not harm my pets.
Btw my dogs sleep on the bed with me and I had been getting many bites as well-I rubbed DE all over my sheets and duvet cover and all floor rugs- all bites have finally stopped now. DE has a very dry feeling and it is uncomfortable to the touch (for me)as well as being quite messy- but the fact that it is completely non-toxic (food grade only of course- do NOT use the pool stuff) makes it well worth the trouble for your beloved pets.
I am so thankful to others who posted about DE- it was a real life saver in this case. Also the oil absolutely does wonders in suffocating them.
Hey Everyone!
Both of my girls (cats) now have pretty substantial ear mite infestations in theiir ears. I have no idea how they got ear mites as neither goes outside nor do we have any new or strange animals other than them in the apartment nor I have I come in contact with any cats that have been infested. Very strange but they both have the telltale symptoms, coffee ground residue and debris, “Gremlin Ears” – flattened ears, especially when patted on the head and shaking and scratching.
So I have decided to use olive oil to treat them and have been doing so every other day for the past four days and things seem to be getting better in one but not the other cat. Then I had an idea. A friend of mine has given me some D. Earth, and I thought, since one of my cat’s mite situation is not getting a whole lot better, I would place a small amount of the D.Earth into the olive oil and vitamine e solution and mix it well. I’ve treated both cats with this new mixture and one cat’s ears look amazing while the other one is beginning to improve, slow but sure. I wonder if the D. Earth is going to help by dehydrating the mites and eggs that manage to escape the oil treatments… time will tell and I will keep you posted with my results.
The following mixture I am using is: 1/2 oz. of Olive Oil, the contents of 1 400iu vitamine e capsule and then 1/8th teaspoon (roughly) of D. Earth. The D. Earth will seperate out a bit and might not remix well but no worries, there seems to be enough suspended in the mixture to be effective. Time will tell. I am also planning on taking some D.Earth (food grade) and rubbing a small amount through the fur around their heads (avoiding the eyes and nose – not good for anything to breath in) and their tails and necks/ paws that they wash their faces and ears with.
Again, will keep you all posted and see how this mixture works. Note, you want to go easy on the D.Earth as it is ground fossils of diatoms, microscopic animals that inhabit the oceans of the world – they still exist. Anyway, these little diatoms are made of small skeletal type structures that are made up of Silica, the same stuff that glass and beach sand are made of. The reason why D. Earth is so effective is because the super fine ground up diatoms are essentially microscopic shards of glass that actually cut into the waxy coatings and external skeleton of invertebrate animals – this is what dessicates them (dehydrates them) and ultimately kills them. So just a little FYI, make sure you are careful in how you use the D. Earth and know that it is highly effective in warding off any and all invertebrate animals… even keeps ants from coming into your house or invading your pantry and cabinet areas in your kitchen – spread a thin line of the D. Earth along the seam where the wall meets your countertop and also along seam where the floor meets the cabinetry. This ought to be enough to deter ants and all without toxins!
Best of luck with all your mite issues and make sure you all get some Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade) and have it on hand at home for things like Flea infestations to ant issues.
~ Kris
Vinegar worked very well for my cat, who was infected by ear mites. Shaking his head and scratching frequently was a common, that I thought that it was normal for any cat to do so. Then I came up with white vinegar solution ( pure vinegar ), no water diluted, for 3 to 4 days. The scratching has reduced consideably, and her ears are clean !
Thought my cat had ear mites because of classic black gunk in his ears. Searched online for answers for days… read that it was really the best to seek vet’s counsel because it could be several things.
So I did, $75 later I found out it wasn’t ear mites at all, but a yeast infection in his ears. Probably best to seek vet opinion to get to true root of problem.
Just my opionion.
Best to try a home remedy first. I spent $580 and 2 weeks of vet visits, trying to help my cat with a uninary problem. No vet could tell me what the problem was or a cure. X-rays, RX (and cat meds also have side effects), office visits…nothing.
I researched online and found it was the food the vet was selling me. Science Diet! Changed cats to low carb, high protein, wet canned food(FRISKIES AND 9-LIVES!)and never had a problem since. Problem solved immediately!! My cats are so much healthier and even lost a couple pounds. Take the initiative to help your pet YOURSELF!, before you let a vet GUESS and your expense.
Thank you
I read that baby oil suffocates the ear mites, I have tried a few drops in each ear, however, my cocker is still scratching but not as much. May it is working? I will let you know. for sure, but I kind of like the vinegar treatment I can see that working,’
Thanks for your rememdies
This is not so much a tip, rather, a question.
My daughter has dropped her cat with me and he shows all signs of the ear mites. However, he also shows possible fever, unbelievable sensitivity to ears, in fact screams when they are touched. Over all weakness, fur appears oily and he has licked most of the fur off of his paw, just one.
Obviously, he will be going to a vet today, but wondered if his recent uprooting and traveling in a cat carrier has caused depression, and in turn, make him sick?
To me, the answer is yes! Just wondered if any other people have seen this in their own cat.
Thank you.
One of my cats has signs of ear mites.He has been to the vet three times the vet saidd he had ear mites. After to bottles of drops he still has them he does not shake is head or scratch his ears I just read some of your home treatments.I will let you know what happens. thank you mary s I have a lot of cats no one else has mites
Many people will highly disagree with this tip, but I took in a ferral kitten who was SEVERLY infected with ear mites. I tried EVERYTHING under the sun, suggested on sites just like this one, and NOTHING worked. This poor baby was in EXTREME pain and discomfort. After two weeks of swabbing at his sore ears, I grew desperate. All I wanted was a quick end to his pain and suffering and a one time application…..mind you, I DID the two week regimen…using everything from dish detergent (straight up), pure almond extract (he screamed unmercifully in pain), vinegar (both white and cider), oils (everything under the sun)…all to no avail. In desperation, I decided to take extreme measures, but only under STRICT supervision. I used straight up MALATHION liquid that I would use on my fruit trees. I used only one drop per ear, careful to keep it away from his eyes and mouth area. It didn’t cause him NEARLY as much pain as all those other suggested remedies, and LO AND BEHOLD….it did the trick! Mites DEAD in one application. I didn’t bother to rinse his ears out, because the residue left behind acted as a defense barrier for any external mites looking to make their way back into a clean ear canal. My thought was that if MALATHION could be used on my fruits and vegetables, with one application lasting through to the next rain, what did I have to lose by trying a few drops on this poor kitten? Again, many will disagree with my decision, but I would do it again, in a heartbeat, versus spending two weeks of pain inducing treatments that yield no results. In closing, I must add that not ONLY did I treat his ears for two weeks, but also bathed him after each and every other suggested treatment that didn’t work. Try it and YOU be the judge.
Wow. This is a great tip. Even if my cat doesn’t have Ear Mites, per se, the oil will probably be soothing and will keep her from scratching — which is a very good thing. Meanwhile any Ear Mites will bite the dust. So to speak.
HELP MY BUNNYS HAVE REALLY BAD EAR MITES. I’VE TRIED VET MEDS. O.T.C MEDS AND EVEN SOME OF THE HOME ONES. CAN ANYON PLEASE TELL ME WHAT WORKS BEST? I DON’T WANT TO SEE MY BUNNIES SUFFER. HELP ASAP THANKS
I don’t have a tip.but I have a question.
Do you put the oil in ear canal or do you put it on sides of ears and let it run down?
Someone who has cured rabbits ears from mites, i would like to hear from you. I just noticed in one of my rabbits ears the crusty flaky material. Under the flakes its red. I once had another rabbit and I brought it to the vet cuz it had the same thing but much worse.
The vet was suppose to clean the rabbits ear and give it what it needed to get rid of the mites but they killed my rabbit by putting it under while doing the cleaning.
So I would like to try some things at home first before going to the vet. I Just started putting some olive oil in the ear so just wondering if I put the drops in and let it sit? Or do I have to swab the ear also with a cotton ball?
I have three beautiful Pitbulls Akili, Doesha, and Pepper. My question is they all lick and chew on each others ears while cleaning each other. Akili has been getting ear mites bad, Doesha has a slight case of them. Can they be getting them from licking each others ears. In the past hand sanitizer has worked to rid the ears of mites however, this time there is dried and new blood, when we clean his ears and we noticed more reddness and swelling. We can see he is in pain and running a fever. We will try the oil in his ears next but any suggestions for his fever. If I have to take him to the vet. I will but vets cost me a forture and I want to try home remedies first. Help Nora S.
We’ve had some luck using liquid honey (on a clean finger then massaged in) in the ears of rabbits (Flemish Giants). Not cured yet but the response is great (ears clean up, redness reduced, bad behavior reduced). Been using DE around the head and the rest of the body to ensure no mange or further infection occurs.
ever try vasiline in the ear
For those who want to use diatomaceous earth as a home remedy for anything. Please be aware that (even though it is effective,)if this very chalky substance is inhaled, whether by you or your pets, it can and will cause lung cancer. So please be careful, maybe wearing a face mask or a handkerchief tied around your mouth and nose, protect your animals as well!!!
I would like to know if the kitten is still alive that the man used malathion on This is the cruelest thing, most dangerous to that poor
animal, I have ever heard. And pure almond extract….IT IS ALMOND OIL NOT EXTRACT THAT HAS PURE ALCOHOL IN IT no wonder the kitten screamed in pain.
Next time you have an animal with a problem please take it to the vet
instead of torturing it.
I hope and pray know one else tried this torture treatment.
I agree with Cindi. I was horrified to read that Paulette Charlesworth used so many terrible things on that poor feral kitten’s ears! She poured pure ethyl alcohol (almond “extract”) into the kitty’s ears rather than using almond OIL. Can you imagine pouring alcohol over a cut on your finger, rather than soothing oil? The malathion is a nerve poison in even VERY small doses — damaging kidneys, eyes, lungs, nerves, etc. And using undiluted dish detergent?? Wow! Good intentions don’t match the damage you’re doing.
Ivermectin, just a drop is safe for cats and dogs and rabbits, in their ears. If you have access to this due to other livestock, etc., it is great. Be extremely careful using tea tree with cats. You really shouldn’t do it. Tea tree oil is very toxic to cats.
I don’t have any of that right now, so I am going to try baby oil and vinegar. (white)
vet vs self help?
OMG – if I could make those letters 10 feet tall, I would. I have been losing my mind ITCHING severely for almost a year (2 months shy of a year). By the symptoms, I thought it was scabies. $4000.00 to the doctor and drug store and still itching. It took 8 months to figure out the rental house we lived in was infested with some microscopic mite – at which point it no longer mattered what kind of mite it was nor who/what they preferred to feed on. We packed our stuff, left our furniture $$$$ and moved. Problem solved for the humans. Animals still suffering. Vets say: Allergy (that apparently has the ability to make other pets and people itch too. yeah.) fleas even though there are no fleas, stress, poor grooming (I groom them myself better than the pet groomers), I tell vet – “Look, whatever it is, it’s alive. It could be mange or the worst case of earmites Ive ever seen. Vet does hit or miss skin test and disagrees but gives me meds to “humor me.” Revolution for 3 cats and 1 dog plus a oat load of allergy meds to humor HIM. $2500 later all animals still infested. Came close to curing and did cure in one or two and even 3 of them but the one holdout reinfested them all b/c the meds are EXPENSIVE and who can afford to buy a whole case of it? Not me!
So I started paying close attention to my one cat that was the hold out to being cured by Revolution. The itching seemed to stem from his ears. I am EXTREMELY allergic to ALL mites so this has been the most miserable experience of my life. And considering all the chemicals I have been exposed to in attempts to get rid of the apparently impossible to diagnose problem, I just hope it does not end up shortening my life. Unfortunately I listened to the VET who said ear mites NEVER spread outside of the ear. Idiot. After reading this page and several others like it, I think it is ear mites out of control. Revolution is supposed to kill earmites as well as other mites but it didn’t work on this one cat.
Vets are almost useless, except for surgeries. Don’t waste your money. It’s sad I had to be physically tortured this way, though, because out of all the 7 doctors and 4 vets I saw, not one of them had a clue and because there is so much garbage on the internet, if you don’t know the name of what you are experiencing, you might not ever find the answer.
Malathion in low doses (0.5% preparations) is used as a treatment for:
head lice and body lice. Malathion and lindane are the only two agents approved by the FDA for treatment of pediculosis.[8] It is claimed to effectively kill both the eggs and the adult lice, but in fact has been shown in UK studies to be only 36% effective on head lice, and less so on their eggs.[9] This low efficiency was found when malathion was applied to lice found on schoolchildren in the Bristol area in the UK and it is assumed to be caused by the lice having developed resistance against malathion.
scabies.[10]
Preparations include Derbac-M, Prioderm, and Quellada-M.[11
Not sayin I agree with usage of malathion, but I looked it up and it’s not like she poured acid in the cat’s ears. Read for yourself. Me: I’ll try the olive oil and Vitamin E mix lol
I’m using almond oil warmed up and then taking a little up in a dropper (about 0.5ml) to use on my pet rat who has been shaking her head a lot. I’ll keep this up every other day for a week and then use an apple cider vinegar rinse or pau d’arco tea as a rinse. Also, homoepath treatment of sulphur internally and adding fresh garlic to dinner every night. Hope it works. There are so many natural things to try, better than the drugs.
THE BEST THING YOU CAN EVER USE IS THE STUFF I FOUND!! DR.DOGS EAR OIL!! THIS STUFF WORKED GREAT FOR MY CATS AND MY SISTER IN-LAWS RABBIT. NEXT TIME WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OUR HORSES WE ARE GOING TO TRY IT ON THEM ALSO. YOU CAN FIND IT HERE AT HTTP://WWW.DRDOGS247.COM
GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS I HOPE THIS STUFF GETS RID OF YOUR MESS =-)
adopted verdi, a tabby from a greenville shelter. i flew him to seattle. he brought fleas and earmites with him. terrible. i have been battling the earmites for ages now. so, what has worked? you MUST clean the ears daily for a couple weeks…then you can clean every few days. solution which is SAFE for cats is 1:3 ratio of white vinegar. so, if you don’t understand that, here goes. i got a jar out, and i put 1/3 cup of white vinegar. i then put 1/3 filtered water in the jar with the vinegar, and once more of 1/3 filtered water. so, 1/3 white vinegar, and 2/3 cup or 1/3 cup x 2 of water. cover jar. shake. get a syringe that shoots liquid from a vet, or wherever. make sure it is clean. i suck up 1.5 mL of the liquid from the jar, shoot it into the cat’s ear, rub around and around, in my gloved hand i take a cotton ball after about a minute of rubbing ear and i tilt ear back and clean from inside to out, trying not to push any gunk back in. do it in both ears. do it and do it and do it. about an hour after, i take diatomaceous earth in my finger tips, i rub it around and put a bit in his ears. i am now doing the diatomaceous earth in all four of my cats’ ears. this has been going on for about two weeks with this process, and his ears look soooooooo much better. it is like night and day. cleaning is a must… i am hoping that in a few weeks, the bugs will all be dead and gone. oh, don’t forget to spread the diatomaceous earth around any place the cats lie around and where they sleep or hang out and play; such as a cat climber, or a cushion on the floor, or wherever. wash your bedding often at first; especially if you let them sleep in your bed (which i don’t) they have the living room and office at their disposal during the night. anyhow, good luck folks! and remember, for cats anyhow, their bodies cannot process essential oils, so putting them in the ears is NOT safe. Also, i read that somebody above used 100% vinegar, without diluting. again, that is NOT a good idea. good luck people! spread that Diatomaceous earth round the neck of your cats instead of flea treatment that is poisonous, and do it once a week, and put it in your carpet or around corners of your hardwood, and the bugs will go away. why use poison on your cats or dogs that was tested on other cats and dogs..many whom were tortured and died in the process, when you can use diatomaceous earth and not be causing neurotoxicity in your pet!!!! here is a link about it: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient/701922/DIATOMACEOUS_EARTH/ now, after you look that up, check out the ingredients in the cosmetics, shampoos, creams, foods, etc that you have. it’s time for a change folks! good luck.
oh my goodness…. forgot to mention: someone above discussed taking to vet because they thought pet had ear mites, but turned out to be yeast. well, guess what?!!! my concoction above of the vinegar works to return the natural flora balance to the animal’s ears! yay!
P.P.S. shi shi….please do what i recommend. the revolution i used 2 times did NOT work. and then verdi’s ears got worse and worse, and i was finding brown gunk EVERYWHERE around the sofa, etc. read my post above about the cleaning solution (SAFE) and the d. earth. you will be amazed.
Revolution is a joke. cats stop scratching for 4 or 5 days at most, then it’s back with a vengeance!!
at person who discusses ivermectin…i used it 3 different times in verdi’s ears. that will be a pointless effort if people don’t clean the animals’ ears as well. get the gunk out folks! 1/3 white vinegar to 2/3 water in a jar. shake. suck up 1.5 mL and shoot into cat’s ear. one at a time. rub and rub and rub for a minute. use several cotton balls per ear. get that nasty stuff out! then add the diatomaceous earth afterward. you will be amazed!
Food grade D. Earth will NOT cause cancer. You can buy it at most garden stores and even on Amazon. It is used by organic farmers everywhere.
My dog hate mites which we cured through coconut oil/vitamin E mix in ears as well as apple cider vinegar (2T) and yogurt mixture (1/2 cup) eaten twice a day. (to combat yeast)
I also sprinkle FOOD GRADE D.Earth and baking soda around my house and then vacuum it up. I highly recommend it to make sure you kill and mites/fleas/etc that live in and around the house.
Hey thanks I tried your Dr.Dogs Ear Oil tip and it worked fantastic. I was worried about using vinegar and stuff because I didnt want to take the risk of stinging my dogs ears. The oil from the dr dogs soothed my dogs ear and got rid of the mites quickly. thanks friends. Anybody new should try this stuff http://www.drdogs247.com
I don’t have a tip, but a question?? My dog has never been botherd with her ears, but i starting going over to a friends house, and they take in cats, and I mean alot of cats!! Strays!! Since then my dog has been botherd with scratching hers ears, rubbing up against furniture, and her ears started smelling. Could she have got this from there house? I think she might have. Being alot of cats and all??Now I have this problem!! damn !
Teresa, every time I have a cut, I drown it in alcohol. It is really effective, but I wouldn’t put Mathalion. Heck, if you think alcohol stings, wait till you try liquid skin! Tat stuff stings worse then a bee!
the Chavo Man
P.S. I love cheese!
QUESTION;
HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO CLEAN BEDDING IF THE MITES LIVE 2 MONTHS? MY RABBIT IS IN THE HOUSE AND THE SITUATION IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.
THANKS, DENISE
guys theres lots of good ways to rid yourself of the mite infestation
paulette, you obviously have no brains when it comes to animals . that is constituted as animal cruelty and is punishable by law. think. OUR ears HURT when they get infected this is no different . they can feel pain as much as we can ( yes the screaming is a classic sign) so if you used all that on that poor kitten then that cat will grow up with severe health problems which in turn coat more in the long run PLUS you deal with an animal that can’t hear you at all because through the infection as well as the treatment you have effectively destroyed that poor cats ears and greatly decreased that poor cats chance at life.
remember guys mites and other various critters that infect our furry friends CAN be treated WITHOUT destroying your poor furry friends ears. DO NOT use chemicals unless you have tried EVERYTHING else.
and should you need pesticide for them then that is a mark of how clean you keep your pets.
claenliness is also a good contributor ( or lack of one) for infestations ( or lack of)
how often do you vacuum? how often do you wash your bedding , your pets bedding. etc. those chemicals you see nowadays can’t be trusted to not do more than what they say. usually bad side effects are the end result. if i DID have a pet that was THAT bad i would certainly have made sure she was comfortable and stuck with the oil and D.earth treatment for however long as it takes to be rid of the buggers. YES my dog has ear mites ( a beautiful brindle girl of 8 months) but shes not given then to anyone else in our house and is currently undergoing treatment for however long it takes to deal with the problem. sometimes things like this can’t be cured in a day or even week
and btw. mites are mites be they plant or animal based for food source they are damn hard to get rid of and you HAVE to MAINTAIN the PREVENTION to be truly rid of them
extracts are an absolute NO.
almond EXTRACT is not and never will be the same as almond OIL
alcohol CAN be used to CLEAN the affected area .but its generally advised to have a lubricating substance handy too. as soon as i’m able to buy some D Earth myself then i’ll add it to the basic Mazola corn oil i’m currently using. but until then i’ll not get funky with the odd ways of treating mites ( that most are completely a waste of time and only hurts the animal)
so time perseverance the Willingness to be diligent on the treatment ( both for the problem AND AFTER) will eventually help you lick your mite issues.
btw. if you want to know how hard it really is to be rid of mites .. try looking at the life cycle of a spider-mite and ask any gardener that had been afflicted with them. THEY can tell you there IS no easy way to be rid of the pests.. but that through hard work diligence and preventative measures you can at least live reiatively mite free
NO GARDENER WORTH THEIR SALT WILL EVER TELL YOU A MITE INFESTATION IS EASY TO DEAL WITH!!!!!!!
in fact my sweetie ( who DOES garden) JUST RECENTLY won a war against spider mites that had infected his amaryllis and orchid collection. that had started a couple YEARS ago. and only NOW were getting on top of THOSE damn things . so think on my words and someone send Animal Control against paulette. she should be banned from having animals for that stupid act.
only time ,application of the RIGHT tools ( if you use extracts or pesticides meant for plants youre an extreme fool), patience, and DILIGENCE will be your key to ridding yourself of these uncomfortable buggers that affect our poor friends ears.
and if you can’t deal with my words or find them harsh .. then think this as well. ive been around long enough to see people do really really stupid crap like what paulette did and the end result is not worth the pain of the poor animals (eg. that cat thanks to paulettes ministrations just had his life expectancy shortened by that move.)
so up to you if you want to ruin your animals life using harsh chemicals that destroy their sensitive ears
or put up with daily application of the solution of OIL ( i use corn) and either NEEM OIL or D EARTH ( whichever you’ve got access to. although neem is a better idea as you don’t have to worry about dust being breathed in)if you have a garden as well as animals ( which is my case here 2 dogs 3 cats and gardens in the yard) then neem oil may be easy for you to access . however picking some up wouldn’t hurt to have . BUT D-Earth is LESS EXPENSIVE than neem oil and works just as well (its just dustier and harder for people and animals with breathing problems)
so AVOID THE PESTICIDES UNLESS THEY SPECIFICALLY HAVE THE PROPER USE LISTED FOR ANIMALS!!
PLANT stuff is PLANT STUFF and Animals are ANIMALS and don’t NEED PLANT food or care. so don’t treat them as such
best of all is NATURAL treatments that allow for cmfort for both you and your animal. and besides if the mites are THAT bad then the poor animal may very well have lost their hearing already due to the untreated problem. if they don’t seem to listen to you whereas once they did then its probably that you have effectively curtailed your animals hearing and endangered their lives as a result.
an animal in the wild that can NOT hear is dead within two days if they’re lucky. or longer if they’re not
we have the means people lets use them and give our furry friends the comfort they need and deserve
nuff said.
i saw this wild rabbit it has crusty ears what do i do?
To Sunny, Your dogs didn’t have ear mites, they had fleas. You can’t really see ear mites; they’re too small and you won’t be able to “squish” them. I’m glad you could get rid of the fleas, but if you went to a vet, you’d know what you were dealing with in the first place.
And to P. Charlesworth: You should be arrested for cruelty to animals. MALATHION is illegal now for a reason. Your cat will probably be deaf now and will very likely get cancer. Also, almond extract?? It’s almond OIL that can work. No wonder the poor cat screamed in pain. Ask an expert, like a qualified veterinarian and NEVER, EVER use industrial pesticides like MALATHION on your pets!!!!
I have 4 rescue cats. The last cat I brought in had earmites and now each of the 4 cats has been treated at least 3 times by the vet. I’ve been suffering from a skin rash for about 8 months and I just put it all together that maybe the two are related. Somewhere I read that maybe I could be passing the mites back to the cats after they are treated. I hope I can get rid of them on the cats and then get the skin rash to go away!
Hi there,
I don’t have a tip, but rather a question. I have decided to get into showing and breeding rabbits. I show at my local county fair and last year acquired two beautiful Holland Lop rabbits. They recently had two babies and they are doing great! However, I found a couple more rabbits online that I decided to purchase. The woman seemed nice and told me she used to raise rabbits but didn’t want to anymore. The rabbits I was looking at were a Broken Black Buck and a Broken Tortoise Doe. When we met the people the woman got out of them van and it smelt horrible! The van was full of garbage, but what could I do just leave the poor babies and let them die with those disgusting people?! So the woman handed me the black and white one. I noticed that he was skinny, and his whole underneath was yellow, from sitting in his own urine. He was soaking wet with water (it was raining that day) and the woman said, and I quote: “He’s all wet because he’s to stupid to go in his house.” I kept my mouth shut not wanting to contradict. Then she handed me the doe, she felt normal weight and looked just fine. Though I’m assuming she is only normal weight because she is pregnant. When I got them home I put them in the hutch, It is a three spaced one with separate homes. I put the doe and the buck on either end so that if either had a disease they would not spread it to one another. Then my mother and I were looking them over and the buck has a few mats and one extremely sore testicle. The doe has a minor ear mite infection, mats, and some crusty gunk that has hardened in the fur around her eyes. I am assuming this is weepy eye, because my other doe (Lola) gets it every summer, and we put a vet recomended paste in her eyes which seems to help. However, I only have one tube of this and do not want to use it on the other doe at risk she might have something different and spread it to Lola and her babies. I don’t regret buying them even though they are in such bad condition I shouldn’t have spent so much money on them but I already love them and only want to get them better. I know your not supposed to bathe rabbits so that is completely out of the question but I have to do something soon, or I am risking a very large vet bill. I have not cut the mats out yet because both rabbits are not used to being held and are terrified of people. Please give me some advice!
Thanks,
Lexie
I used a vacuum hose on my cat.
I trimmed nails down first.
My cat knows the sound,because I held her; it was on a few days.
I saw it on you tube,a video.
My cat sat in my patio and I saw Dust Mites.
I had some throw carpets AND news papers and moving boxes;just laying around.
I don’t see any mites in the ears,but there is lots of build up.
It has been a week,and still cleaning.
Tried the peppermint from a tea bag and some cloves mixed in some water. it was still making bad wax.
using corn oil and skin so soft dry oil to clean ear.
Don’t see mites,going to keep out of enclosed patio
my cats ears do not see bugs.
I keep cleaning a little wax out.
She shook her head and a big wax piece flew out.
looked black like skin.
A family member had a bald cat at my house.
Said it was checked by vet,and not mange.
A FEW DAYS LATER,my dog had been chewing on inside of legs and lost hair on his tail.
Dog is o.k not in pain,hmm.Used Desitin for rash,from chewing.
I had a plastic cone collar,so that worked.
Folks you have all gone thru elaborate efforts and your vets also know how to get rid of these once and for all ….PARAMITE DIP….if you have the premixed formula like some vets carry and charge too much for then you use it exactly like it comes from the bottle. Just take a dropper of it and squirt it into the ear canal (BE SURE TO CLEAN IT OUT FIRST) If you get the PARAMITE dip that needs to be mixed with water ( I use this one) for cats you use 1tsp to a gallon of water and squirt in ears and bath. Rabbits I take a small bottle (dropper bottle) and put 3 to 4 drops in ears and rub in (clean ears as best you can before) every 3 days for 9 days on all pets in ears.
Dogs Mix PARAMITE DIP: 1TABLESPOON TO GALLON OF WATER and bathe and put in ears. PARAMITE DIP IS THE ONLY DIP THAT GETS RID OF THE MITES THAT CAUSES HAIR LOSS IN DOGS AND IS CATCHABLE TO HUMANS.
FOR MITES OF THIS KIND ON HUMANS AND HEAD LICE ON HUMANS I USE KEROSENE……INSTANT FIX….PUT THE KEROSENE ON MIXED WITH 1/4CUP TO GALLON OF WATER….PUT A LITTLE LIQUID SOAP NOT MUCH TO MIX IT AND START AT THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD AND GO TO YOUR FEET. Leave on about 5 minutes and shower well usually don’t need another dose.. If the mite is from the dog this is the only thing that will work.
I spent a lot of money to find that this simple fix that cost pennies fixes: body lice in humans,mites from dogs that humans get,
and head lice.
No I wasn’t dirty…..the kid asigned to the bus seat next to mine and my neighbors child was.
DON’T FORGET ON THE PETS EARS: after you get the ears cleaned of ear mites use olive oil regularly to prevent re-infestating your pets.
for the people all ranting about the using of malathion saying it will cause cancer
Malathion is classified by US EPA as having “suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity but not sufficient to assess human carcinogenic potential.”[21] This rating implies that insufficient evidence is available to either rule out malathion as a carcinogen, or to state that it is a carcinogen. No studies on carcinogenicity have been performed in humans; however, studies in rats and mice have yielded conflicting results. Liver tumours were found to be induced in rats, but only at excessive doses. On the other hand, malaoxon, a structurally related chemical, was found not to induce tumour formation in rats. A review of the classification of malathion as ‘suggestive’ was carried out in 2000, by the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel. The conclusion of this panel was that there was still insufficient evidence to either declare malathion as non-carcinogenic, or to declare it a carcinogen.
These remedies work well for yeast infections also (particularly the vinegar) so just make sure you clean with a swab first and don’t just pour a bunch of liquid into the cats ear (it will end up going down the throat which can be very uncomfortable)
I NEED HELP!!!!! I HAVE TWO BISHONS AND ONE HAS VERY BAD EAR MITES AND THE OTHER IS JUST STARTING TO GET THEM I DONT KNOW WHAT REMEDIE TO USE CAUSE THERE ARE SOOO MANY!?
I have some information on Diatomaceous Earth for everyone out there. Diatomaceous earth is not a miracle chemical or anything of the sort. Diatomaceous earth comes from fossilized rock where it was hard packed with diatoms. Diatoms are are a common type of algae made of silica that have two sides, kind of like a a bowl with a lid on it. Anyways, once they have died and dried up into the dirt the diatoms are able to cut up small organisms.As the previous post suggest they do dehydrate these pests by cutting their outer waxy layer. However, because diatoms are microscopic they pose no threat to pets. They not only can be applied topically, but also ingested to kill parasites such as hook worms or coccidia without harming the animal. Which makes them very useful if you have a pregnant animal.
Help!! The feed store gave me a product called SWAT used for horses and dogs which heals the sores in the ears. She told me flies lay eggs in the wounds in the ears, my rabbits ears are mangled and bloody. Has anyone tried this? It is so sad to see the little guy with this suffering. His hair is even coming off his outer ear!!1
To Beth and all the vinegar & D Earth users,
how many times daily, should I apply 1.5ml of diluted vinegar to my cat’s ears?
Do you think it’s a good Idea to mix the D Earth with the vinegar? or it is a NO NO?
I’d appreciate a reply
Thank you, my rabbit has ear mites and we are treating it with vegetable oil. But my rabbit has a white pus coming from her ears as well, is this normal for ear mites? Do you know what this could be? Please help!
Just read through all your questions and answers, great input but surprised no one mentioned Hydrogen peroxide, it’s great for all this, (infections, parasites, bacteria etc.) Half cap full in each ear, drain wait to dry with one of the oils to follow would be good too. It may bother animal because of noise in ear, but it is a great safe remedy. It really is a cure all for a lot of things….good luck to you all.
Gee Monica,
Read the remedies, evaluate the comments written about each one and make a decision. Cleaning and using oil for a long period will work no matter what safe product you use to clean and what safe oil you use to smother the mites. Clean and smother with oil is the real key. Daily attention is the most important thing.
So… My cat (Simba) has some pretty bad mites…. he left the house for a while because he thought he killed his dad….
Well… turns out it was his UNCLE that did it.
He ran away and survived for a super duper long time with a warthog and a MEERKAT!
Somehow, he made his way back home, but I do believe he got ear mites because he did run into a baboon on his journey as well…
He almost got killed by a wildebeest stampede, hyenas…..
I mean…. JEEZ!!! This cat has been through the RINGER!!!
So.. I guess my question is.. Can you feel the Love Tonight?
After trying vinegar, oils, and Excel Ear solution, nothing worked. I used vinegar and oil everyday for about a month (my poor cats smelled like a salad the whole time) there was no difference. I’m very skeptical of those who say that an oil actually worked to rid ear mites completely. Unless you can keep a thick coat of sludge on the ear at all times (which would irritate your pet) I don’t see how it could smother them. Just as women slather on lotion for their skin to absorb, your pet’s skin will naturally absorb the oil.
Next I used Excel for about 2 months, it helped a little but I had to stop using it because my cats hated it! They were in pain every time I applied it. I think it burned them. My one kittiy’s pink ears became bright red for 2 days everytime I used Excel. It wasn’t worth it to me to put them through extra pain when very little was being accomplished.
Finally I decided to try boric acid. For those who are alarmed, I’d just like to tell you to do your own research on Boric acid. Yes, it’s used as an insecticide but it is virtually harmless to mammals. It’s about as harmful as salt. Also, I learned that boric acid is commonly used for medicinal purposes (wiki it!).
I mixed a cup of water to about 1 teaspoon of boric acid, shook it up really well and used a cotton ball to apply it. I kept it in a lidded plastic container so I wouldnt have to keep making it over again. For the first week I applied the solution every other day. For the second week i applied it every 2-3 days. By week 3 there is barely any signs of the trademark “coffee grounds” specks but i will continue to apply it 1-2 times a week for another month.
Yeah that sounds just like somethin I want to do lets use a earmite treatment that can and will give us lung cancer ” hey Poe ima treat u for ear mites but ur gonna die from lung cancer” yep ima jump rite on that how is that even legal to use, diatomeose or however u spell it !
I tried Hyro Cortizone and it cleared up a
Diatomaticous earth killed all the parasites in my dog’s ear I even did a science fair project on it. It was really cool.
I have a concern about my parents dog. She has ear mites and they have gotten so bad that her ears stink really bad and they are extremely infected. Only one ear is less extreme. I have tried to clean it with some peroxide to help with the infection and works for a short time then it worsens again. I put ear mite medicine in the other one so it so it doesn’t get as bad as the other one. What would be the best thing to do with her ears to make them better without bringing her into the vet? Will bring into vet if nothing else works! Really need to figure out something fast before it causes her to go deaf or anything more dangerous. Please give me some suggestions! Thankyou..
I GOT THEM OUT OF MY CATS EAR BY USEING
EAR RITE MITICIDE THAT I HAD LAYING AROUND MY HOUSE ,,,
000
THANKYOU KATLYNN
Hi. I am a 13 your old with 3 pet rabbits. I love them to death, and my favorite one is recently showing signs of ear mites, (they all live outside) and I dont know what to do! I’m really worried, will this turn into something big? Please help me!!
can i put pure vegetable oil in my cat ears for ear mite
what the f**ck are you talking about? what remedy do you find to be cancerous.
Wooow this helped alot!!! Ear mites have been bugging my cat for a long time now. She was a stray we found and rescued. But do you know if ear mites can bit humans? I’ve been bothered by bug bites and went to the doctors and they could on’t tell me it’s not bed bugs or spider bites. CAN EAR MITES BITE HUMANS??! ( i have found out flee’s and lady bugs can).
Thanks for the help
Dear All,
My Rabbit has ear mites, and he has really bad reactions to the Oral Veterinary Medicine, last time he nearly died. My first advice, that any odd therapy any of us try to conduct, try it on yourself first as if it hurts us the chances are it hurts them a million times more. Anywho, in my desperation this is what I tried, get a spray on Anti-Mite and spray from a distance a small amount on a cu-tip for babies and slowly massage it around the rim of the ear and just ever so slightly inside (be very careful, less is more) just one spray from a distance on the cu-tip is enough).
Next, spray outside of ear and massage all of ear from the outside onto the inside. Do not apply inside the ear in this way. Then, leave for 5 minutes. Then, pour cold water around the ears and inside to wash out. Dab with tissue and the apply witch hazel or any anti-itch cream for children. To calm the skin, again only a tiny amount on a cu-tip if you wish to do the inside of the ear. (I also found that whilst the rabbits ear is still damp, using a dry baby cu-tip to swab out the flakes works very well but be ever ever so careful! Try to get a light to shine into the ear to see properly.)
Don’t ever try to go deep into the ear as the rabbit could loose it’s hearing. Then, give the rabbit lots of cuddles and love… and a treat. Do this a few times a week and I think it really helps. The Witch Hazel is a natural calm and anti-septic and so will help to cleanse any of the pooh and bacteria left from the rotting mites, the water pouring into the ear will also help with this. Allow the ears to try completely for about 6 hours before even considering putting olive oil etc, as a damp environment may be prone to infection and oil will hinder drying.. I hope this helps. As I said, it’s only my experience.
I HAVE MITES< MY CATS<MY COUCH<MY CLOTHES>>>>>>>GOIN NSANE!!!
The vet here charges an arm and a leg for just walking through the door, so if hes not dying hes not going. Is a completely indoor cat.
I tried the usual home remedies online and nothing worked. So I came up with an even better home remedy that worked.
Soak the tobacco from 2 cigarettes in about 100 ml of water for half an hour, strain out tobacco with a coffee filter. Use eye dropper to squirt in the cats ear and massage ear afterwards.
Worked extremely well. the cat just asked to be notified next time he needed them so he could have sex first.
Ok so my pup who’s almost a year old has been having problems w/ her ears for about 6mos… It started when some girl my ex roomie brought around… Since then, she’s flapped her ears about and up to now I’ve tried all kinds of medicine for her ears… Yesterday she was rubbing her head everywhere… Idk what it is.mm I think its mites, or it could b a yeast infection… I dunno… Her ears barely have any fur around them and they are bright red and ocnstantly sore and bloody… She also has a small rash that comes and goes… And she’s constantly licking, biting and cleaning her paws til they’re raw… Her paws are bright red… She’s a full bred pitbull whose all white… I really wanna cure her of whatever she has and soon… Can anyone tell me what she has and how to get rid or at least cure her of it?
This isn’t really a tip, but desperate need for help! I’m only 14, and m RABBIT has ear mites all in his ear, and now a patch of fur on his cheek seems to be coming off, because i lifted it up, and saw those patchy scales on his cheek. i’m very worried, i took him to the vet a couple of weeks ago, but my parents really don’t have the money to take him for another visit. Can somebody please tell me how to get rid of them(safely) because i don’t want my rabbit to be in pain or die. (email-kurosakichiakya@yahoo.com) please email me if you have any ideas! I’m begging you please
baking soda and water on the ear it will burn it out kill the ear mite in 2 days 2 times a day let it dry on the ear…
I don’t know what to say other than that I am more skeptical than ever because so many of you say so many different ways to cure the mites and yet don’t have the same outcome. Going to the vet is the best bet!
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