cat's ear infections -- suggestions for home remedies?

[Deleted]

Our cat has had an ear infection for a while. Vet has given him two different antibiotics that don't seem to work very well, nor do the ear drops. It's giving him fits -- there is a lot of black stuff in his ears which the vet says is yeast. 

The poor cat scratches and shakes his head and we know he is uncomfortable. Since the medication isn't working, we want advice on what we can do for a home/natural remedy?

Suggestions?

[mamahen]

Did they culture it? My basset hound has 2 drug resistant bacteria in one ear. Only smz will touch it. We do not use liquid cleaners, just the pill and liquid antibiotic drops.

What food do you feed? I noticed switching to mostly canned grain free and quality grain free kibble, my cats are much less itchy. Before that, they were always shaking their head and scratching their ears.

[Deleted]

I'm blanking on "smz" ??

We use the best food we can find ($2.10/can!!), but he is indoor/outdoor and rolls in everything so his ears are always dirty.

The pills aren't working and the liquid drops (Otomax) aren't doing much either.  After using the warm olive oil last night, his scratching is a bit better. Also, we had a front come through and his ears always act up when a front approaches.

Thanks for the info.

[paquebot]

SMZ TMP is sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim is a cure-all for just about every cat-related infection. See if that is one of the antibiotics which was used before. If it is, needs something different. That would take care of bacterial infections. If caused by yeasts or similar, then an antifungal treatment would be required.

Martin

[mamahen]

My vet had me quit the ottoman, it just aggravated the condition.

I would get it cultured and go from there. What about ear mites? If he's in & out, he could pick them up.

[manygoatsnmore]

Black stuff in the ears sounds like ear mites. Deep cleaning of every crevice of the ear with saliva on a Q-tip (do NOT forget which end of the q-tip you already used!) will get rid of the hiding places for mites, yeast and bacteria. I'd coat the inside of the ear with a mix of topical creams (cortisone, Nystatin and triple antibiotic) each day, cleaning it back out before applying the next dose.

[hobbitlady]

@sunflowers, Since the vet said yeast and not mites;Were any of the ear drops the kind with Enzymes?
I tried Zymox bought from Amazon and it helped my cat a lot,but it Is a chronic condition. My cat is 17 and I'd never experienced it before (it does look exactly like ear mite goo manygoatsnmore, but it isn't).
With enzyme drops you do Not clean the ear first. You get a couple of drops in deep as you can and gently rub(so the cat can't shake it all out) then let it break down the goo. It causes my cat to shake his head a bit at first but the next day or 2 the gummy dark crud comes out in dried chunks that can be wiped out easy with a moist towel. I used it 3 or 4 times at first right after the chunks came out,got it deeper each time,and now my cat is OK for a week or so.

[manygoatsnmore]

I think that's why the saliva on a q-tip trick works so well - there are enzymes in the saliva. My girls showed cats and rabbits in 4-H for years and that is the method for cleaning up ear mites and other ear conditions recommended by the vets that worked with the kids.

 When the kids showed, the ears had to be scrupulously clean and free of any infection or inflammation. The combination of ointments worked on yeast, bacteria, mites (smothered in the oily ointments) and inflammation. Getting the ears totally cleaned out prior to the ointments allowed the meds to totally coat the skin inside the ears. Give it a week of treatment and those ears were in top shape!

[Deleted]

Thanks for the tips with a couple of follow ups:

Manygoatsmore: I'm assuming I use my saliva on the Q tip? I don't use Q tips, but rather cotton balls.


hobbitlady,

You are right -- vet knows the difference between yeast and mites. This is yeast from the infection. And it is chronic. Sounds like the enzymes might be helpful, but the Otomax is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I can't understand why it doesn't work.

[hobbitlady]

@sunflowers, I think yeast is just "different" and the meds arn't made for it specifically. manygoatsnmore is "onto" something as well,especially if dog saliva helps like human's and my zymox enzymes (it has cortisone too) do! One of our two dogs has gotten to sniffing my old cat's ear and licking it now when it starts to build up, before it even bothers the cat again. The dog is keeping the ear so darn clean and I saw right away it wasn't doing any harm,so I just let him keep doing it.The cat was Never that tolerant of a dog in his face Before,but allows it. Anyhow now I'm only using the drops if the cat starts shaking his head again and a lot more days keep going by now.....

[manygoatsnmore]

Oct 28, 2015 22:55:01 GMT @sunflowers said:

Thanks for the tips with a couple of follow ups:

Manygoatsmore: I'm assuming I use my saliva on the Q tip? I don't use Q tips, but rather cotton balls.


hobbitlady ,

You are right -- vet knows the difference between yeast and mites. This is yeast from the infection. And it is chronic. Sounds like the enzymes might be helpful, but the Otomax is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I can't understand why it doesn't work.

Yeah, human saliva unless you can get the cat (or a helpful dog ) to soak the q-tip for you.  I use the q-tips to get into all the tiny crevices in the inside of a cat's ear, and also to apply the ointment combo.  Using the triple antibiotic and antifugal (anti-yeast) and cortisone combination hits all of what goes into a chronic infection.  A chronic yeast infection in the ear often is compounded by a secondary bacterial infection.

As an RN, I also used a similar regimen with supermorbidly obese patients who developed chronic yeast infections in their skin folds.  The MDs would often prescribe the combo, and it did help.

eta:  I just happened to read my response again today, and thought I should point out that the regimen used for obese patients DID NOT include spit on a Q-tip, lol! 

[hobbitlady]

@sunflowers, how have your new fixes worked out for you and your cat? My kitty is no longer frantic with his ear but I do have to re apply the enzyme oil every week or so and all the hair at the bottom of his ear has been "cleaned " off by the dog. In my case it's easy to stay on top of the infection now and not a problem just another thing I keep my eye on. I hope your situation is easier now too!!!

[Deleted]

The vet prescribed Otomax but it isn't helping very much.

Question re: Zymox -- do you use the cleanser or the Otic?
The reviews on line show that if it is a chronic infection, then I should use the Otic.

What I typically do is clean out his ears with a dry cotton ball, then squirt the liquid in his ear and rub the base. What is your method?

I need something to work. I feel bad for him and he scratches to the point of scabs.

[Maura]

You might try changing his food, even just a different flavor of what he normally eats. Since he is a cat, I would mix old and new. They are such creatures of habit.