Natural Pet Health

A soothing oil for the ears bothered by mites or when foxtails have been removed is Mullein Oil.

Soak 4 oz Mullein flowers in just enough olive oil to cover for 10 days in a glass jar in the dark. Shake or stir the contents at least once a day.

Strain and apply to the ear.

1 cup of spring water,
1 rounded teaspoon of yellow dock (dried)

Steep 15 minutes and then strain thru a sieve. Cool to lukewarm and wash out cats ears once every three days for up to three to four weeks.

A healthy ear cleaning program should begin with regular cleaning with cotton balls and cotton swabs. Remember that cats and dogs have an L shaped ear canal so you will not hurt the ear drum.

To clean your pet’s ear, you can moisten the ear with green tea or use an acidic ear cleanser that does not contain alcohol. There are many natural herbal ear cleaners and wash on the market.

Place several drops of cleaner in the ears and thoroughly massage the base of the ear. You can use cotton balls or cotton swabs to remove all the debris and wax in the ear.

For cleaning mites or infections.

Lavender 5 drops
Tea Tree 5 drops
Roman Chamomile 1 drop

Blend with 30 ml of chamomile floral water, Use a cottong swab with solution to gently clean the ear and mist the outside of the ear as well.

Although an uncommon occurrence, ear polyps can severely damage the ear drum of your cat if they are not treated in time. Ear polyps are neither breed nor sex specific but they usually occur in cats between the ages of 1 to 4 years. Ear polyps in cats produce symptoms that are almost similar to those caused by parasites like cat ear mites or other ear infections.

In addition to the normal symptoms associated with the ear mites infection like scratching and pain on palpating the ear, some of the symptoms specific to or indicative of ear polyps include:

* Inability to walk in a straight line.
* A tilted head.
* Droopy eyelid/s.
* Partial covering of the eye by the third eyelid.

Apart from the difference in frequency, cats and dogs are susceptible to practically the same types of infections of the external ear. For example, cat ear mites maybe a less common occurrence than dog ear mites but when infested, can lead to similar symptoms and develop into serious conditions in both, if not attended to in time.

Minor Irritations – The first sign of discomfort in cats is scratching due to irritation caused by an infestation of parasites or infection due to injury or an allergic reaction. Some of the conditions are a direct cause of excessive scratching and itching when an initial sign of ear discomfort is ignored by cat owners.

Ear mites are a constant problem for all pets. The presence of ear mites can cause considerable anguish to the pet and the owner alike. Cat ear mites are contagious and pass on to other pets in the household. They can spread to other cats, dogs or other animals too.

The manner in which a cat reacts to ear mites can vary among cats. Some cats do not react or exhibit external symptoms even when they are infected with a large number of mites.

But some cats may show extreme symptoms at the presence of a small number of ear mites. It is therefore, hypothesized that different breeds of cats show different levels of sensitivity towards this condition.

Of all the organs in the body of a cat, skin and ears are the most vulnerable. While skin conditions are more visible, an infection in the ear requires keen observation and can be detected only if you are regular and observant while grooming your pet cat or dog.

Ear mites live by tunneling into the ear canal of cats. The automatic response of the cat’s body is to produce more wax to combat the invasion by cat ear mites. Severe infections give rise to an offensive smell. If not attended to in time ear mites can lead to secondary infections in cats.

For ear mites, or infections of bacterial or fungal origin.

Mix Equal Parts:

* Mullien Oil
* Oregon Grape Root Oil
* Garlic Oil
* Marshmallow Oil
* A couple capsules of Vitamin E to act as a preservative and to aid in skin healing.

To use:

Apply 6 -12 drops to the effected area of the earflap or ear canal.

Flooding the ear canal is not necessary

Otitis externa or inflammation of the external ear (including auricle and ear canal) is more common in dogs than cats. The Persian cat breed and kittens however, are more prone to ear infections than other cats breeds or older cats.

The main symptoms of feline ear infections include:

* Shaking head from side to side as the tries to push out the debris or fluids that accumulate in the ears.
* Excessive scratching of ears.
* Red and inflamed ears with an offensive odor.
* A black or yellowish discharge.