Cats are no different from other pet species in that they each have specific health requirements and challenges. Even though you may not be familiar with cat ear mite infestations, it is important to treat your pet carefully because it may be a painful experience for them.
While not exclusive to cats, ear mite infestations are one of the most prevalent health issues that cats may experience in their ears. Even though ear mites in cats usually don’t constitute a major health danger, they can impair your cats’ ability to hear in the long run if left untreated.
Here is a description of ear mites, how to recognize infestation warning symptoms, and how to eliminate these parasites and put an end to your cats’ misery.
What are Ear Mites?
As their name suggests, ear mites are a tiny type of mite that lives in the ears of small animals including dogs, rabbits, and cats. Once they lay eggs, ear mites reproduce swiftly and become adults in only three weeks. Ear mites are spread by other animals. Even though they get their name from the fact that they are most frequently seen in the ears, ear mites can also be discovered in other parts of your cat’s body.
What Leads to Cat Ear Mites?
Your cat can only get ear mites through direct transmission from another animal. The mite frequently lands on another area of your cat’s body before moving toward the ear canal in order to lay eggs.
Only when a mite is successful in travelling to the ear and breeding, creating a colony that begins to expand and continue multiplying in your cat’s ear and causing excruciating discomfort, mite infestations start to happen.
What Are The Ear Mite Symptoms And Signs In Cats?
The signs your cat displays are the best approach to diagnosing ear mites. Frequent ear scratching and/or shaking from the heat are common ear mite signs, as well as dark discharge from the ear, burst blood vessels from your cat’s ear-scratching, high sensitivity when you try to touch your cats’ ears, as well as open wounds, and hair loss around the ear.
How to Examine Cat’s Ears for Ear Mites?
The easiest technique to check for ear mites is to recognize the signs of an ear mite infestation because of the size of these parasites. After that, you can take your cat to the clinic to have their ears professionally checked for mites. An otoscope, a specialist diagnostic tool with a flashlight at the end to examine the interior of your cat’s ear, can be used at your neighborhood vet clinic to find any ear mites.
By swabbing your cat’s ear with a cotton swab and sending the sample away to be examined under a microscope, your veterinarian can also screen for mites and mite eggs.
How to Treat Cats for Ear Mites?
You’ll need your veterinarian’s assistance if your cat has ear mites if you want to solve the issue. There is no efficient home remedy for ear mites in cats that can eliminate mites rapidly and with complete assurance that these parasites won’t reappear in the upcoming weeks, unlike other conditions your cat may have.
Ear mite eggs cannot be eliminated by treatment, unlike fleas and other parasites that may attach to your pets. The goal of therapeutic interventions is to eliminate adult mites and their larvae once they have developed. One of many treatments of ear mites in cats include, Bravecto Plus, Troy Ear Canker Drops, Advocate, Aristopet Ear Canker Drops, Ilium Ear Drops, etc. Depending on the extent of the infestation and your personal preferences as the cat parent, the recommended course of action may vary.
Your veterinarian may also suggest treatments to relieve itching and pain while the mites are killed and your cat’s ears gradually heal if your cat has damaged its ears or is in excruciating discomfort.
Bottom line
It’s vital to take your cat to the vet to have the issue identified and swiftly treated when you observe your cat scratching its ears or you have any other cause to suspect your cat may be suffering from ear mites. A prompt approach will lessen your cat’s misery and may even lessen any health issues brought on by this bothersome infestation.
