Mites In Cats’ Ears, An Easy-to-solve Annoyance
There are many diseases and problems that can make your pet suffer day after day, but there is one that is as common as it is easy to eliminate: mites in cats’ ears.
Eliminating them is a very simple task that will significantly improve your pet’s quality of life.
No cat breed is exempt from ear mites, but long-haired animals are even more prone, as they are a haven for these parasites.
Puppies are a little more susceptible to these pesky organisms because they don’t have a fully developed immune system yet, so the mites are more likely to lodge.
Symptoms of the presence of mites in cats’ ears
Like any other illness, knowing how to detect it in time is very important to your cat’s health. For this, we must observe the animal and be aware of changes in behavior, or if it scratches more than normal in some area of the body.
Severe itching, strange body movements, discouragement, or unusual behavior are often unmistakable signs that something is up. It’s a shame that they can’t communicate in any other way… In the face of these signs, we should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.
When a cat has ear mites, it usually reacts in several ways, but these symptoms are common to all of them:
- Sudden movements or regular tilt of the head: when feeling itchy in an area to which it does not have access, the animal reacts by shaking or changing the position of the head to try to get rid of the discomfort.
- Itching: If you notice that your cat is scratching the ear area with his hind legs too much, something is bothering him. If it’s not a tick, it’s more common for them to be mites.
- Appearance of blackened secretions: if the proliferation of mites is not stopped, the animal will develop areas with a dark appearance inside the ear. As a general rule, the inside of a cat’s ear is pink, and the appearance of dark secretions should immediately alarm us. This is due to secondary contamination with fungi or bacteria that make it look like our cat has dark ear wax.
What to do when I experience these symptoms?
The symptoms exhibited by cats that have ear mites are so noticeable that they are usually detected quickly. The first step is to take your pet to the vet, who will make a primary observation with the otoscope.
If the veterinarian is in doubt as to whether they are mites or another possible infection, he will analyze a small sample under the microscope, thus removing the doubt and proceeding to eliminate them as soon as possible.
If the eardrum has not been affected, which is the most common, just administer a few drops to the animal directly into the ears to eliminate them. Depending on each case, the veterinarian will indicate the number of days and how often we should administer the drops.
On the other hand, avoiding the problem is always the main objective, and this is done by keeping the areas where the animal spends most of its time clean. It is also necessary to visit the vet regularly for a checkup on your cat.
Anti-mite products are quite effective, but don’t go overboard because their scent will make your pet reject the blanket or toys you spent time with.
Certainly, a good antiparasitic will keep away mites, ticks, fleas, worms and other parasites that can be harmful to your cat. They are sold in a variety of formats, such as a collar or pill, and all are effective, although there are discrepancies between some professionals and others.
Either way, any solution your veterinarian proposes will be the right one to improve your cat’s life and avoid the bothersome itching caused by these small microorganisms.
