A natural cure for cat’s ear infection can become an effective means to end the constant shaking of the head and scratching of the ear that accompanies this common ear problem. Or it may alleviate the condition. While your feline will most likely dislike any remedy that comes in contact with their ultra-sensitive ears, it is important to seek out the safest and least threatening approaches to combating an ear infection.
Caution, gentleness and working within your limits of knowledge are important when administering home treatments to your cat. When necessary, seek your veterinarian’s advice. Thanks.
Help please! — If you have personal experience of curing a cat’s ear infection using natural means please leave a comment to pass on your knowledge to others. Many thanks.
Note: Aug 2017 — there are 108 comments on this page. Please explore them. Some are insightful and others less so. First-hand experience is always useful.
Symptoms of Cat Ear Infection
A cat suffering an ear infection will often shake his head in an attempt to remove debris and fluid out of the ear, as well as scratch at their ears or the side of their face. The irritation in the ear may also drive a cat to rub their ears or head against carpeting or furniture. After a while, the ears appear red, irritated, and become painfully inflamed. An unpleasant odor develops, which is accompanied by ear discharge that is black, brown, or yellowish in color.
When a cat is battling a severe infection, they may lose their sense of balance or suffer “head tilt,” which is characterized by the persistent turn of the head that usually indicates an issue in with the middle or inner ear. Overall, ear infection in cats is quite uncomfortable because the ear canals are a very sensitive part of feline anatomy. When it comes to keeping an eye out for the symptoms associated with cat’s ear infection, keep in mind that the Persian breed seems more susceptible to ear infections than any other species of cat.
RELATED: Are cat ear mites contagious to humans?
Causes of Cat’s Ear Infection
When it comes to cat’s ear infection, there are two common diagnoses a veterinarian may conclude: otitis externa (infection of the ear canal) and otitis media (infection of the middle ear). Otitis externa is typically caused by bacteria or related to the overproduction of yeast. Sometimes, an accumulation of wax in the ear; debris; faulty drainage of the ear; and matted hair in the canal is also behind an infection of the ear canal.
Otitis media is typically the result of an ear canal infection that has spread to the middle ear. Sometimes, inappropriate cleansing of the ear causes a rupture in the eardrum that leads to infection. Additionally, the spread of debris and ulceration are also behind the progression of a middle ear infection in cats.
The presence of mites can also cause infection to develop in a cat’s ear. The minuscule parasites are behind the overproduction of wax in the ear because of the irritation they initiate. The excess wax begins to clog the ear, eventually worsening cat ear infection symptoms. Ear mites also cause secondary infections in the ear that involves bacteria and fungus (in the form of yeast). Although a veterinarian visit may not reveal the immediate presence of mites – a noticeable ear infection caused by the irritating parasite is left behind.
Cat’s ear infection is rarely a condition that threatens the life of a feline, but the ear can only tolerate a certain level of inflammation before permanent damage becomes a result. When left untreated, a persistent problem may develop, which can become quite hard to reverse. Sometimes the ear canal will actually close when the infection has become advanced and chronic. While there are some medications that can decrease swollen tissues that allows the canal to open in some cats – others may require surgery to correct this problem. In the worse cases, hearing loss is an unfortunate outcome.
Using a Natural Cure for Cat’s Ear Infection
Traditionally, a veterinarian will prescribe cat antibiotics, antifungal medicines, or another drug on the market. However, many cats undergo a disruption in the normal makeup of the inside ear when taking such remedies. Sometimes, the simplest of ear infections can become a long-term issue when an adverse reaction to antibiotics takes place. Over the years, pet owners have become more interested in the results associated with the use of natural pet cures. As you scan the many natural cures for cat’s ear infection, you will find remedies that come in liquid, as well as tablet form.
When a brownish-pink wax fills the ear canal of your cat, chances are they are suffering a yeast infection that requires a thorough cleaning. Diluted white vinegar helps revitalize the chemical balance in the ears by removing unwanted dirt and debris. It is suggested to pour a small amount into the ear canal, massaging the area before gently wiping the inside of the ear using a cotton ball. Using vinegar is a once-a-day treatment that continues until the ear becomes better.
An herb called pau d’ arco is an inner bark natural cure for cat’s ear infection that originates in South America. This organic antibiotic works fast to eliminate fungi and bacteria. At the first sign of cat ear infection, mix equal parts of pau d’ arco tincture with mineral oil and place several drops into the ears of your cat. For a couple of days, the treatment is given two to three times per day.
When ear mites are the source of a cat ear infection, consider putting a few drops of almond oil or olive oil in each ear, which kills mites and allows the infection to gradually heal. This particular regimen is necessary for three to four weeks – using three to seven drops of oil each day. Sulphur tablets are also considered a well-known anti-parasitic used to treat ear mites in cats.
The Holistic Kitty recommends the following for ear mites (see comment):
I used tea tree oil for my kitties ear mites with great success! We continue to use it for routine cleaning also.
Important note: Don’t use tree oil. Please read this article instead – link. I have kept the quote and put a line through it to remind visitors and myself that we must all be careful when considering home treatments. This article was written years ago by another author. It has been updated by me. It is useful but contains warnings. Cat owners are rightly interested in home remedies but sometimes this is borne out of a desire to avoid veterinary costs. That is not necessarily a good reason.
RELATED: Veterinarian puts ear mites in his ear
To treat severe cases with a natural cure for cat’s ear infection when a loss of balance or head tilt surfaces, administer one tablet of gelsemium for three to four days (three times daily). Additional natural remedies for cat’s ear infection includes vitamin C (reduces inflammation), an all-natural diet (reduces wax and boosts immune system), and hepar sulph or graphites to treat discharges of pus and foul smells. These are both herbal, homeopathic medical remedies
Safe Administering of a Natural Cure for Cat’s Ear Infection
When using a natural cure for an infection in the ear, it is important to administer the remedy into the horizontal part of the ear canal. First, gently pull the ear flap straight up, holding it with one hand. Apply a small amount of the remedy into the vertical portion of the ear canal – making sure the ear flap is kept elevated. This position should be held long enough to allow the medication to run down the rest of the canal.
Place one finger in front of the ear flap at the base, as your thumb rests behind and at the base of the ear flap. Massage the ear canal between your finger and thumb until you hear a “squishing” sound, which indicates that the medication has reached the horizontal canal. After releasing the ear, your cat will probably shake his or her head. It is normal to see dissolved wax fall out of the ear when applicable.
Last, clean the outer part of the ear canal and the inside of the ear flap using a cotton ball (not a Q-Tip) that has been soaked in a bit of rubbing alcohol.
Two Homeopathic remedies mentioned
Hepar sulphuris calcareum (Hepar Sulph) is a mineral compound. It is prepared from the inner layer of calcium-rich oyster shells. This is mixed with flowers of sulphur and heated. It’s a combination of two homeopathic medicines: sulphur and calcarea carbonica. It means “liver of sulphur”. In humans it is used for several ailments. The video below may be helpful.
The homeopathic remedy graphites are used for long-term skin disorders in people.
Complementary Treatments
This is an addendum and not necessarily to do with infections. Naturopathic veterinarians believe that many ear problems are caused by immune disorders. Diet is important. Vets might check for food intolerance. Some vets will recommend vitamin D supplement for a cat going deaf. Vitamin A is said to help the cochlea function efficiently; a vet may recommend it with vitamin E.
Mild acidic herbal remedies may kill yeast. They may be useful for loosening ear wax. A vinegar/water mixture is sometimes recommended. Olive oil or almond oil may assist in clearing residual wax after an ear infection/infestation.
Marigold can be used for cleaning inflamed ear canals. Ginger is said to help reduce deafness by improving circulation to the ear. Warning: over use of topical herbal solutions can increase the possibility of an inflammatory sensitivity response.
Note: this article was written about 12 years ago by a guest writer who was very good and it has been updated several times since and republished. At least one of the changes was due to suggestions by visitors in the comments. Thank you.
Please remember that it is always advisable to consult with your veterinarian if for no other reason to seek another opinion. Some vets will be against ‘natural treatments’ while others may be more open-minded.
Conventional treatments
It is useful to briefly mention conventional treatments which includes veterinarians using antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and antiparasitic ear drops. They might also use lotions to control external ear infections. Middle ear infections are normally treated with oral antibiotics and sometimes decongestants. Sometimes the cat’s balance is affected which indicates anti-emetic drugs as a treatment. Severe external ear disease may require syringing of the cat’s ears under deep sedation or even a general anaesthetic.
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I need help I am 18. my cat name is Oreo he is 13, I think he has An ear infection it brown and got black stuff in it I don’t have money for a vet I am trying my best what can I do??? And another question he is throwing up and he cant keep nothing down what can I do
Lizzie, you are a concerned cat caretaker. I am afraid the only answer I can give you is to find some money to allow you to take him to a vet asap. Ask your vet to give you credit (pay later) or something like that. A kind vet may make an except and allow it. Your cat clearly needs veterinary attention and there is no substitute for it. Sorry. Please don’t delay.
My cat has a polyp in his ear, it has brown discharge and really smelly, the only option is to have surgery to remove it, is this correct? I was quoted $2100.00 cdn, I don’t have that kind of money, is there an alternative?
Hi Lorraine. I don’t believe there is an alternative but I am not a vet. The high expense of the operation may be a result of the need to remove both the polyp and the base area which creates the polyp. This requires a specialist surgeon I believe. It is a delicate operation. Sorry I can’t provide a hopeful response. Some people raise money using crowd-funding. The best of luck to you both.
Hi there-I’m working on this same issue with my little fluff. I have noticed higher doses of vitamin C works wonders with a raw food diet. Also try the homeopathics: thuja and calcaria carbonica(sp.?).
Thank you very much for sharing your experience, Liz. It is very important to this page that visitors add to it when possible.
Hi! I have 2 Maine Coon mixed breed cats that are almost 4 years old. My mom has several Maine Coon mixed cats and my 2 are kittens from one of her cats. One of her cats has a yeast infection in his ear. (Mom took him into her vet; none of the medications the vet has prescribed has helped at all with this issue.) He just shakes his head a lot, spraying a clear fluid all over. My male does the same thing. Every now and then he’ll scratch his ear, but not very often. I was wondering if you knew of any natural treatments for this problem. I love my boy, but it’s gross when he shakes his head and sprays everything with that fluid from his ears!!
Thanks!
Hi Christie, all I can do it recite what my books tell me. Firstly, are you absolutely sure that it is a yeast infection? How did you diagnose that, may I ask? I presume the vet diagnosed it. If it is the books say this: a yeast/fungus infection (yeast otitis) may develop as a secondary infection in an ear with a long-standing bacterial or ear mite infection. Prolonged use of topical antibiotics alters the bacteria in the ear canal. The discharge is dark and waxy. There is a rancid odor. Treatment: antifungal agent (nystatin, thiabendazole).
You say a clear fluid is thrown from ear. I would get a second opinion on the infection because the vet seems to be nonplussed by the infection and is unable to cure when it should be curable. Ear problems like this can be uncomfortable for the cat or very uncomfortable so I think it needs dealing with.
Hope this helps a bit. Good luck.
Obviously you didn’t clearly read what I wrote, because I told you that my mom took her cat to the vet. She’s had him to two different vets and gotten the same answer. The cat hasn’t been on antibiotics for a prolonged period of time, either. And she has tried ear mite treatment just to cover all the bases. Other than the clear fluid, there is no discharge and no smell. I will continue to research this issue on my own since it’s painfully obvious that you don’t accurately read the questions sent to you, and then just recite back things others have written. My apologies for taking up your time.
Christie, have you considered the possibility of food allergies causing the fluid in the ears? I know it sounds unlikely, but I myself suffer from food allergies, and one of my symptoms is fluid and “wet” ear wax in my ears. No ongoing disease present, just the wet mess.
The other thing that comes to mind is the new info coming out about the “gut microbiome” in humans and how it influences health/disease and the ability to recover from illness. Look it up. Undoubtedly the same concept applies to other mammals.
I’m currently giving my cat a teensy dose of a probiotic made for human children. She was put on an antibiotic for a vet-caused ear infection and I noticed she then developed loose stool and a subsequent yeast infection around her anus. The probiotic seems to be helping and at least it can’t hurt. For reference, the product I’m using is made by Nature’s Way and it is formulated for human kids. I give about 1/8 teaspoon, or slightly less, each day, in a dab of butter. My cat weighs about 12 – 13 pounds, and the probiotic seems to agree with her. Still no real progress on the ear infection though.
Why can’t Vets see the difference between a mite problem and a yeast/bacterial problem? Or are they supposed to see the difference with all the training they got?
Hi, What makes you believe vets can’t tell the difference between the two? The symptoms are different so a decent vet should be able to tell the difference.
The operative word there seems to be “decent.” Decent vets are scarce these days. I bet many people out there know what I’m talking about.
I sure do!I took my Gizmo to the vet, she said he had ear mites because he had what looks like to me black plaque in his ears. $189 for that visit (tresaderm and an ear wash). He still had that black plaque. I went out to walmart brought everything under the sun for earmites,nothing worked, d8d hone remedies nothing worked. Black plaque started going up Gizmos ear walls and on his eyes. I was so scared for him I had to call out of work take him to the vet asap, long story short and $300 later? the tech said it was a fungal yeast infection and gave me another ear wash prednisone and an antibiotic and told me to change his food. I went from fancy feast to Iams to hills to zd(cat,food) I s5opped giving meds to see if it’s the food and low and behold it came back with a vengeance. I cant keep paying $300 for inaccurate info. Meanwhile my Gizmo is suffering and so are my pockets! Any suggestions someone please help. The vets are rippi g people off and my kitty is suffering. Im still giving him the meds until they run out.
Thank you for commenting. I will do some work on this tomorrow to see whether I can dig around the Internet to find an answer or at least some sort of clue as to why your cat is suffering like this.
Hi Ms Kay. I want to help because you ask and you and your cat are desperate. Has your vet suggested Panalog? Or Miconazole? Prolonged use of topical antibiotics alters the natural bacterial flora in the ear canal which improves the conditions for yeast and fungi growth. Topical (applying the med the ear) may be supplemented by oral medications.
“It is important to treat the entire cat with topical insecticide medication as recommended by a vet as ear mites escape from the ear canal and take up residence elsewhere.”
Ask you vet about extending the topical treatment to beyond the ear. Good luck and sorry that this is rather feeble.
Do you give Pay D’arco orally or put directly in the ear??
Hi Dee. As I understand it this natural product should be used carefully because it can be toxic. I’ll do a page on it today so if you wait 20 hours you can see the end result of my research.
Sarah Hartwell (a person we can trust) states:
So apply directly but ensure the amounts are correct because the skin in the ears is very fine and chemicals can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Dear Michael
We have been to our vet as our Cat has been having ear fungus problem. He has been weekly for about 6 weeks. After trying several medicines we are ready to try something natural. The vinegar solution sounds like it may work. However not sure what the ratio of water to vinegar should be. The infection is gone but the brownish discharge keeps coming back. They say it is not ear mites but possibly an allergy but really no answer. We went one week with no treatment and it looked better but now is back. How should we mix the vinegar solution? Thank you.
Hi Kathy, thanks for visiting. To be honest I don’t know the answer to your question. There probably isn’t a clear answer anyway. I’d dilute it at least 50/50 or one part vinegar and 3 parts water and gently explore that moving forward. I presume that your vet has done a swab of the ear to check whether the exact cause. Good luck though.
My 15 year old cat had a hematoma from ear mites 4 years ago and almost 2 months ago got a very smelly ear infection. I took him to my vet and he gave me Triz Ultra flush plus Tri Otic Ointment. He seemed to be getting better but he has relapsed even worse. What natural remedy can I use to clear him up for good.
Grace, thank you for visiting and sharing. I’m sorry to hear about your cat’s problem. This is a serious problem and is distressing for a cat. I have decided to write a page about treating cat ear mites because this is a very typical and common health problem. I will publish the page today so please return to the website to read it. In short, in this instance I would not rely on a natural cure but treat the condition more completely and I will explain what I mean in the page that I am about to write.
Ear infections and ear mites in cats can definitely be handled with natural treatment. Ear mites do cause infections and so does ear yeast buildup. We found that Dr Dogs Ear Oil works great to resolve these cat ear problems and it’s one natural remedy that is safe to use on cats and dogs. This is important because if you have issues with ear mites and you have both a cat and dog then they both need treatment. We use it as a regular treatment to keep the ears clear of the ear infections and ear mites – find it online from drdogs247.com
Hi Frieda. Thanks for visiting.
Oh, by the way. I have been giving her lysine for a month now because I thought maybe she had herpes too, the vet mentioned once that she may.
Hi, thanks for the feed back. In the past year she was treated with antibiotics and ear wash. She hated it and hid from me all the time. The vet has taken a conservative approach due to her age and high anxiety when I bring her to vet office (typically we need to sedate her for examination) and she has a great appetite. She had a blood panel done in June and all is well.
By the way, She has allergies causing her bad teeth and skin issues but has had most of her teeth removed over the years and her skin has been very good for years.
I will opt to take her to the vet again and have the ear looked at. Just want her to be comfortable and happy at this point!
Thanks again
Thanks Tammy for the feedback. As you imply she is very elderly at 17. At that age, as you say, you have to weigh up treatments against benefits. You don’t treat an old cat the same way as a young cat.
It seems you are doing pretty much all you can to make her as comfortable as possible. Well done.
My 17 yr old cat has a deformed ear ( a result of untreated ear mites resulting in a hematoma before she was rescued and the ear was never removed). She has struggled with yeast infections for years. Recently I can hear the fluid in her bad ear and she keeps opening her mouth wide to try to drain it. Do you think the pau d’ arco would help her.
I might mention that during her last exam they noted her ear canal was necrotic and she had polyps.
Thank you,
Hi Tammy, it is distressing for me to read about your 17 old cat. She must have been in a lot discomfort for a long time. Personally, I think her ear condition is too serious to self-treat. You’ll need a vet’s input on that. I presume the fluid is in her middle ear. If that is the case I don’t think it will do good and may make things worse. I don’t know. If one does know it is best to not do it. Sorry if that sounds negative and unhelpful but it has to be that way. I understand, though, that you are desperate to alleviate the discomfort. What has your vet said?
Out of interest, yeast infections can also affect the skin. Is her skin OK?
My mother’s cat for about a month now has been shaking her head like her ears are bothering her. When you pet her ears she starts scratching them. They don’t smell they have brown in them though. Would cleaning them with a q-tip and hydrogen peroxide be alright?
Hi Sarah. I wouldn’t try and clean them. It is too tricky and it can make matters worse or do no good at all. I know the expense is off-putting but the only solution is to see a vet. It is probably ear mites. They are very uncomfortable and treating a cat for ear mites needs a vet, I am afraid despite what some other people might say. Please do it asap because your mother’s cat is in discomfort.
Once the condition has been treated the ears should not need cleaning. I have never seen a need to clean my cat’s ears. Your vet will provide some advice on this and how to keep ear mites away. Here are some pages related to “ear mites” on PoC.
Thanks for visiting and asking and good luck to your mother’s cat.
My 8-1/2 week old Russian Blue, female kitten has a clear, sticky discharge running from one ear. I took her to the Vet 3 weeks ago and he said that she doesn’t have ear mites (just dirty ears, at that time). Since then, I’ve been cleaning her ears with vinegar. Last week, I took her in for her shots and this week I’ve begun noticing the discharge. It’s running outside her ear and onto her fur. I’ve used the hydrogen peroxide and that’ll foam up and clear her ear temporarily. About 3-4 hours later, same buildup, again only in one ear.
Otherwise she’s eating, sleeping and walking around about the same. I’ve made an appointment for the vet this week.
A discharge from the ear indicates to me a bacterial infection in the outer ear. If that is correct, antibiotics should clear it up. It may be a yeast infection. These are guesses and common causes. Even a perforated eardrum could be the cause but that seems very unlikely. I would wait for the vet to diagnose. Perhaps he can analyze the discharge. Good luck to you both.
my cat is only 2 years old and he has orange liquid coming from his ear. he always wonders outside and I’ve seen him lose his balance. he is not as energetic as always and he always sits in a corner and rests. i’m a new pet owner and I don’t know what to do! please help me!!!
I am wondering about the use of tea tree oil in my cat? For ear mines and any other ear problems?
My personal preference is not to use it. Ear mites are bloody awful things and cause great discomfort for a cat. You can’t mess around with ear mites. There has to be certainty and the only option is a good vet. For me the thought of my cat in discomfort from this nasty parasite makes me want to fix the problem fast.
Also ears are delicate structures. Cat owners can screw up and make things worse unless they are expert.
Here are two selected posts (there are others):
https://pictures-of-cats.org/Cat-Mites.html
https://pictures-of-cats.org/cleaning-cat-ears.html
I used tea tree oil for my kitties ear mites with great success! We continue to use it for routine cleaning also.
Thanks a lot Holistic Kitty. If that is not listed on this page, I’ll add it.
I have a feral cat with a constant, extreme head tilt. He does have a little presence of ear mites, but I’ve seen much worse in other ferals in the past without this effect. I recently lost my job, so I have no money for the vet, but would really like to help him. I haven’t really noticed any other symptoms except he lays around alot and is slow to run from me like the others because of his condition. Any suggestions? It’s either try out an educated home remedy or watch him suffer, which is killing me. Please respond soon. Thanks.
Hi Gina, I can understand how you feel. It is quite possibly feline vestibular disorder. This is the page:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/feline-vestibular-disorder.html
I have seen this in a breeding cat in a high class cattery. He was OK. He looked odd etc but some causes are painless such as Idiopathic Vestibular Syndrome – unknown cause. I think the key is whether he shows signs of discomfort or pain. If that is the case a vet is the only solution. If he seems comfortable but has this extreme head tilt it may well be Idiopathic Vestibular Syndrome and he will be OK.
The obvious solution is a vet. But I understand your predicament very well. We can’t cure the world’s cat illnesses.
Ear mites are distressing for a cat so they need dealing with too. Head tile can also be caused by an inner ear infection. I don’t know but there might be a link. Good luck to you both and to your feral cat a big kiss.
My cat recently had an ear infection and it was a very worrying time for me! I had to get a couple of different medications and afterwards things got better for him but it was a scary couple of days!
I noticed for the past couple of days that my cat lost coordination and could not for the life of me figure out what was wrong..I came across this site and looked at the info and others comments..all i can say is thank you! Because her ears had so much wax built up and had to take a pair of tweezers(i know not good to use but) i could not see her ear canal and took the tweezers and got what was at the top i did not damage her ear or even touch it afterwards we put a couple of drops of h2o2 in her ears and massaged it when she shook her ears more wax came out and she is doing better but will take a few days to get her bearings back to normal. thanks!!!!! 🙂
I am pleased, Mercy, that you seem to have fixed the problem. The inner ear controls balance so perhaps your cat’s problem was balance rather than coordination. I would, however, advise that you take your cat to the vet because it impossible for a cat owner to clean a cat’s ears properly and safely. There may other issues that need looking at.
Thanks for visiting and sharing.
I simply MUST respond to your statement that it is impossible for an owner to clean a cat’s ears safely. I don’t know if that is true, but I take exception to the implication that it IS safe for a vet to clean the cat’s ears.
Something has happened to veterinary practice in recent years and it isn’t good. I see more incompetence every year, more reliance on a one size fits all approach (usually defined by sales of pharmaceuticals) and less of any attempt to think critically about my cat’s health issues; and now my cat has suffered what appears to be permanent damage due to that incompetence. I hope you can take the time to read this comment because I would really like to hear your thoughts about what happened to my cat at that “safe’ vet visit.
Two weeks ago yesterday I took my cat in for a nail trim and rabies booster. While there I mentioned that she tends to press her ear hard against the brush on one side every time I brush her. Upon exam, the vet said she has a build up of wax in that ear and it should be cleaned. No microscopic exam of the dark waxy material was done. Until that time my cat was apparently perfectly healthy. There were no bad odors around her ear, she wasn’t scratching there or shaking her head; there was nothing running out of the ear, and her personality, temperature and appetite were completely normal.
The ear cleaning was done by the tech and involved some sort of solution in a white squeeze bottle, gauze pads and non-sterile cotton swabs. For at least 8 -10 minutes, VERY vigorous — so much so that I heard my cat cry out twice and she lost control of her bowels. After the ear cleaning she immediately had unequal pupil dilation, with the pupil of the eye on the “cleaned” side of her head quite constricted compared to the other eye. Her head was tilted to that side too and she was extremely subdued.
Upon arrival at home she could not walk, kept falling over and staggering. She hid immediately in a 5 inch wide space behind a cabinet and stayed there. Later we discovered she couldn’t eat or drink, or blink or even close her eye. We returned to the vet the next day and were told it was probably a result of the ear cleaning and not to worry that it would “resolve” itself quickly. We were reassured that none of the symptoms were related to her rabies booster (Purevax, 1 yr, the one with the distemper, and URI vaccines included). She received sub cutaneous fluids and we went home.
She continued to hide and was clearly unable to eat or drink despite an obvious interest in doing so. She began to raise her head and snap at the air involuntarily, followed by involuntary and excessive licking of her lips and sort of smacking them, and started walking with a “list” or inclination to the right, not quite in circles, but definitely tending that way.
The cleaning happened on a Monday. By Thursday she was hiding less but still had the head tilt, the pupil constriction etc, but regained the ability to eat, so we were encouraged. Then came Friday night when we noticed a foul smelling rusty looking goo coming from her ear. We took her to the ER at the local vet school where they confirmed her neuro deficits and prescribed marbofloxacin and drops called Keto-Tris(?). The vet refused to look in her ear, saying it would be too traumatic. She took swabs, found bacteria, sent specimens off to determine which antibiotic would be best, but said to use the marbofloxacin and the Keto wash in the mean time. We looked up marbofloxacin online and discovered that it might be dangerous for our cat, so just applied the ear wash until we could see another vet on Tuesday. The odor in the ear improved and the cat could eat and drink, showed more interest in being petted etc, but still had the head tilt, stagger, constricted pupil etc. The vet we saw on Tuesday is a dermatologist and she explained that probably the tech ruptured the ear drum during cleaning and that now my cat has a raging infection in her middle ear. She offered a video otoscopy (?)procedure and said that she would re-rupture the ear drum in order to clean out the infection that probably had spread to the middle ear. We declined, choosing instead to try an antibiotic approach first. She prescribed an antibiotic made for cats, called Veraflox to use while we waited for the results of the culture done at the vet school. Two days later the results came in and confirmed two different kinds of staph, one of which is slightly resistant, but she said the Veraflox was appropriate. We’ve been giving the Veraflox for a week and the cat is much improved, but still has no blink reflex on that side, still cannot close her eye all the way, still has uneven pupils with the affected pupil still often quite a bit smaller, still has a slight but noticeable head tilt. She’s eating and drinking well, and playing some, but gives out easily and sleeps for hours — unusual for her at age 4 yrs. I’ve also been giving her a probiotic made for children by Nature’s Way, about an eighth of a teaspoon or less in a dab of butter, once a day. However, she is shaking her head more now and I can still detect an odor from that ear, and occasionally when petting her my hand gets wet from whatever is running out of the ear. It doesn’t smell as bad, more like mildly dirty socks instead of that dead tissue smell she had before, but it still smells like something is wrong in there. I had to discontinue the Keto-Tris because she feels enough better that I can no longer restrain her by myself, so she is getting just the Veraflox in her food and no topical treatment at all. I’m almost afraid to say it, but I think I notice her flattening her opposite ear now, as if something is bothering her in that ear as well. I have no idea if that means anything.
I will talk to the dermatology vet again tomorrow about how to proceed. I probably will opt for a CT scan first, rather than subject my cat to the video otoscopy and ear drum rupturing procedure, in the hope that the CT scan will reveal enough so that we can avoid the surgery and eliminate some of the uncertainty about what needs to be done to heal her. While my cat’s health, safety and comfort are my primary concern, I admit that the financial aspects of the consequences of the “safe” ear cleaning are just brutal. I have now spent upwards of $900.00, and apparently, we are just getting started. The CT scan is quoted at “roughly” $2000.00, and the video otoscopy is a definite $800.00 barring complications. The disruption to my cat’s life and mine, the pain she has suffered, and the stress I have experienced, not to mention the vacation that was scheduled but had to be abandoned when this happened, have all taken a terrible toll on my cat, on me, and on my husband, who gave up his only vacation time to help with this. And we are still tied in knots with uncertainty about our cat’s condition. Meanwhile, the original vet just keeps chirping about how we “shouldn’t worry”, how she had another cat this happened to just last week, and a dog too, and how they are getting all better. I wonder what it will take for her to realize that they may be doing something wrong if so many of their patients experience this after ear cleaning.
Online searches reveal that this is a rather common side effect of ear cleaning in dogs and cats, yet we were not warned of what could happen. I now trust NO VET at all and look forward to the time when my cat will be well enough that I never have to see a vet again. That was definitely the last ear cleaning and vaccine I will ever subject any animal to for the rest of my life, legal consequences be damned.
As I said at the beginning of this post, something is VERY wrong with veterinary medicine, as evidenced by the fact that most vets seem to know about this problem, and are apparently comfortable with the neurological impairment which they risk visiting upon these animals for the sake of ear cleaning. It’s as if these people have lost their humanity, as if they see every animal as a lab animal and so what if the animal is permanently damaged or killed? And for the record, I am irrevocably opposed to seeing ANY animal that way, with that cavalier attitude. I respect all animal life and feel a reverence and respect for the sacred order of their bodies just as I do for human bodies. Until recently I believed that most vets felt the same way. Now I know better. And I know that the vet’s office is not necessarily a “safe” place. I’ve begun telling everyone I know about what happened lest their animal be damaged in a similar fashion. My finances are such that, with a struggle, I can at least buy more so-called “care” for my cat to try to see her through this. But, without exception, those I’ve told about this have all said that in their circumstances they would’ve had to euthanize their pets due to a lack of ability to pay for further treatment. Like I keep saying, something is VERY wrong with veterinary medicine nowadays.
So glad you posted this. I have been my own kitty’s “vet” for a long time due to a lack of Holistic resources near me. As soon as I moved to the west coast with other options I made the mistake of trusting someone. All it took was one dose of antibiotics for him to get a seizure despite my verbal confirmation of his weaker immune system that I had been constantly trying to strengthen. Poor baby has had so much go wrong since then and I am working with homeopathy/diet to bring him back to good health. The first thing I can say is never vaccinate!! Never ever ever. And trace their bloodline back to what their diet should be: lions/tigers. That’s right raw food only! Ugh- all the medical professionals are vastly full of the wrong knowledge. Do your own research and I’ll be praying for your little fluff. 🙁
Thanks for commenting Liz.
Sue, I want to thank you for taking the time to write such a long and comprehensive comment.
I see this post is a few yrs old, so hoping you will find my reply. Your story is exactly my story! I am dealing with a very sick cat after the vet tech flushed and cleaned his ears. She was so rough and vigorous with the cleaning, I thought she’d kill him. And 4 weeks later, my cat is still suffering from what I KNOW is a ruptured eardrum. Can’t eat, leaking ear, etc. I have seen 2 different vets since. No one will acknowledge the damage done. I am desperate.
I have a rescue ragamuffin cat about 10 years old….he constantly scratches his ears and cries…then shakes his head….There is some creamy colored stuff here and there in his ears….but they are not red…can you advise what this might be?
Well, ear mites cause a dark brown crumbly waxy discharge like coffee grounds. Do the ears smell foul? There may be a secondary bacterial infection that has cause puss, which is creamy colored. Also ear mites are white specks. If there are lots of them this may cause the wax to look creamy. I am just guessing.
Mary Ann, the thing is this: if it is ear mites they cause intense irritation and knowing that I think you have to take your cat to a vet to get it looked at and fixed asap. Sorry, I realise you’d like a cheaper and easier fix but there rarely is one.
Thank you for your advice….I am making an appointment for today to have him looked at.
Well done Mary Ann. It is the right thing to do. Ear infections and infestations are very distressing for a cat. It may be something that is easy to fix but when cats shake their heads and cry out it is not good.
Just thought you might like to know…the vet says it is a very bad yeast infection….poor baby. He’s on Tresaderm for 14 days…hope that helps him.
I have two cats and I used the vinger treatment and both are suffring real red and swolen and hot ears and scrathing their hair away.! They do not have ear mites. very concerned.:(
Regina, how do you know they don’t have ear mites? I would love it if the information on this page helped but if it does not then it has to be a trip to the vet asap. Ear mites or an irritation on or in the ear is highly uncomfortable. Please take them to the vet.
Please note that vinegar in the ears is probably causing the red inflammation and making things worse. Vinegar is highly acidic and it would need to be diluted down so much that it might be rendered ineffective. I have used diluted Apple cider vinegar on ring worm for my cat and caused chemical burns on the skin that could have been worse if I had continued. I do not trust this article because it also suggest Tea tree oil which can kill a cat in twenty minutes.
Thanks Mallred for your input. I will review it myself and amend it if necessary.
Thank you for your help, Michael. I came back to this page to help my kitten with his ear issues and was happy to see all the new updates. I am still working on his ear problems. I use Halo cloud 9 for ear mites but I am starting to suspect he might have an inner ear infection instead. SO a trip back to the vet will be next. He is a feral kitten and had some other health issues when we rescued him that required antibiotics 2 months ago. He has had two of his three boosters and two rounds of Dewormer. He is set to be neutered this month and get rabies vax too. I will knock it all out at one time. I am glad to have come across this web page though as there is good information.
Thanks for returning Mallred. I am very sensitive to the fact that there is a lot of home treatment info out there on the internet which is at least potentially dubious. This page was written around 7 years ago (the date on the post is incorrect because the site was moved) by an author other than me. It needed updating and I thank you for prompting me to work on it. That was good of you.
I too have a cat companion who was a little feral kitten. I am proud that I domesticated him. He is “tame” now but retains his wildness. Fortunately he is healthy. I wish you the best of luck with your cat’s health and a happy New Year.
I have 2 cats that have been “sharing” an ear mite infection back and forth for years. We’ve tried the vet’s medicine of amoxycillin without success and I have recently started the herbal remedy suggested above (Pau de Arco) and cleaning with apple cider vinegar. However, both cats’ ears seem worse after about 3 days of this treatment. Ears are extremely sensitive to touch and are very warm in comparison to the rest of their bodies. Otherwise, the cats seem to be doing fine other than being a bit more isolative and grumpy because they don’t feel well.
Any other suggestions?? I hate seeing my babies hurting!
Much thanks.
Carmel
Hi Carmel
I will presume that a vet has diagnosed ear mites. It is important that a vet does this because there are other ear conditions and if you treat for ear mites it may make another condition worse if it is not ear mites.
I would have say that if my cat had ear mites I would ask the vet to treat them. You can treat them but ears are delicate structures and you can make things worse. Also ear mites are very irritating for a cat so you need to fix the problem conclusively once and for all.
It seems like this problem has been going on for too long (no criticism intended).
The conventional treatment is to clean the ears, ideally with a special solution that your vet will have such as Oti-Clens. Please ask your vet and ask them how you use it! It should be done with some skill and great care.
Then medicate the ear to kill the mites. Your vet will advise. Medications are Nolvamite, Mitaclear and Tresaderm. Follow your vet’s instructions.
Another complication is that on treatment the mites may escape the ear and go onto the body. Therefore you do have to treat the cat’s body too with an insecticide. This must also be done with great care because insecticides are poisonous substances. Perhaps a Flea-control shampoo might be the answer.
In conclusion, I have a strong feeling that the whole process should be done professionally to ensure it is fixes the problem once and for all. I am sorry if that is not the suggestion you were looking for.
nice info, thx for the effort, my little Stuart is Persian cat, last days i noticed that he scratch hard behind his ears, i tried to clean it by cotton balls,
i want to know how to get or to make the Diluted white vinegar, how much vinegar to water, thx a lot
Askar, I think you need fist of all to make sure that your cat has an ear infection. He may have ear mites (a parasite) or some other parasite. I would honestly have him checked out by a vet first and then if he has an ear infection you can decide to use a natural remedy or the treatment suggested by your vet.
It is too dangerous to presume that he has an ear infection just because he is scratching behind his ears. Please make sure he does not damage his ears by scratching because that will cause a bacterial infection to take hold.
Thanks for visiting.
you did not give us the ratio amount of white vinigar to water, that was asked. Even if we get a diagnosis, we still need the ratio amounts. most cats range from 8 to 10 pounds. thank you.
Hi cris. Sorry about that. It was written by a guest writer. I’ll check it up and try and add some more detail.
where can you purchase: pau d arco
“Pau D’Arco is an immune stimulant and is effective against bacteria, fungal, viral, parasitic and yeast infections.” Amazon. Amazon.co.uk sell this. I suspect the US version does too.
The Tabebuia impetiginosa tree is now on the endangered species list. There is concern, and some evidence, that bark from other types of trees (e.g. Brazilian mahogany sawmill shavings) is sometimes sold as pau d’arco.
Bear in mind that topically applied preparations can be absorbed through the skin and accumulate in the tissues; in cats these especially accumulate in the liver. Some studies in rodents have also shown that higher doses of lapachol (the active ingredient) can promote cancer metastasis, as well as cause changes in DNA that can lead to cancerous tissue changes.
It’s also toxic to foetuses
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12413627?dopt=AbstractPlus
Pau D’arco contains hydroquinone. Oral LD50 values for several animal species range between 300 and 1300 mg/kg body weight. However, LD50 values for the cat range from 42 to 86 mg/kg body weight because the cat’s liver is poor at metabolising it. Acute high-level exposure to hydroquinone causes severe effects on the central nervous system (CNS) including hyperexcitability, tremor, convulsions, coma, and death. At sublethal doses, these effects are reversible.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/hsg/hsg/hsg101.htm
As with tea tree, even when “used carefully”, natural does not mean “safe” and “safe for humans” does not mean “safe for cats”.
You may know this. The reason why this particular comment of yours was held for moderation by the website software is because it contained two links. Of course, I totally trust you but the software sees potential spam in 2 links and PoC gets a mass of spam (hundreds of thousands of spam comments) which is all filtered out. I am sorry if this inconvenienced you.
The article was written by a paid contributor about 5 years ago or more. It ranks highly in Google search results! However, I love your comment and scholarship. It is unique in the internet cat world, which is very special. Thanks Sarah.
No need to apologise for your anti-spam measures; an unmoderated comment box is a spam magnet.
Sarah Hartwell, Thank you for the comment. I am replying a few years late, I do not know that you will see this, but someone might who can help me. I have a tincture from Amber Technology. It is for normalizing BMs in animals. It is called Kochi Free. I had two cats with diarrhea the other day. My 12-week old kitten had bright red blood in his stool. Because he is feral I suspected worms or coccidiosis. He has had two rounds of vaccines and dewormed already, and will get his last booster and dewormed later this month when he is neutered. (Along with rabies vax) SO, I am not totally homeopathic or natural in nature. I do defer to western medicine too. The Kochi Free has Pau D’arco Bark at 68mg along with Black Seed and Grapeseed extract. The dosage for my two older cats is 5 drops or 0.15ml/cc the dosage for the baby is 2 drops or 0.06 ml/cc. I did not give full recommend daily dose which was four time a day. I only did once per day for 5 days and not the recommended 10 days. They had normal stools after only three days though. When I saw your comment, I naturally became concerned. The company I bought this from is a known company that makes natural medicines for all kinds of pets. I have used them in the past too without incident. But I will be contacting them now with a copy and paste of your comment to get verification that they are not adulterating this product. Thank you for the information.
Thanks for your further comment Mallred.
My cat has a very foul smell and whitish puss in his ear. How can I help him?
This sounds like a bad bacterial ear infection. Antibiotics are probably required but a vet has to decide and as quickly as possible please.
Do you remember what your vet gave you or how you got rid of the problem? My cat has the exact same thing with brown crust, white goo, and blood around/inside his ear. This is the 3rd time he got it and now it’s in both ears. I used what the vet told me and did it right, with no luck.
Hi Sam. I’d be pleased if you would tell me your vet’s diagnosis of your cat’s ear problem.
I was very impressed by all the FREE info on your website!!! Thanks to you,the white vinegar treatment worked!!! My little girl is all BETTER!!!! Her ears are cleaner than they EVER been.Thank you:)
I am very pleased that you are happy and that your little girl has cleaner ears 🙂