 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / January 2006Meds for earmite follow up
On the advice of this group I decided to order some medicine for my cats earmites since the stuff I got at the pet store seemed to burn them and mineral oil wasnt working. I found a site that will ship to Canada, so I looked at the three options mentioned here, but none of the write ups fro them say anything about treating earmites in cats and I just wanted to make sure I understood correctly before ordering. I have 3 cats to treat, so I will need enough for all of them (and I understand it would be done twice, for the mites now, then in a few weeks when the eggs hatch). The options are frontline, revolution and heartguard. I think they are all topical things, not eardrops, right? The website I will be using is petdrug.com Oh, and here are the links to those meds on the site http://www.petdrug.com/cats/product/Revolution+Blue+for+Cats+5-15+lbs+%282.6+-7. 5+kg%29/142/ http://www.petdrug.com/dogs/product/Heartgard+Blue+Tablets+-+Small+Dog+Under+25+ lbs+%28%26lt%3B11kg%29/112/ http://www.petdrug.com/cats/product/Frontline+Plus+for+Cats+%28Green+Box%29/98/ > On the advice of this group I decided to order some medicine for my cats > earmites since the stuff I got at the pet store seemed to burn them and [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > The options are frontline, revolution and heartguard. I think they are all > topical things, not eardrops, right? Frontline and Revolution are are topical, Heartguard is oral and none of them will put a dent in earmites. You want Acarexx (eardrops), which is available by prescription only. -L. I have to disagree with you on the Frontline not working on earmites. I work at a spay/neuter clinic and we clean all the cats ears when they are under. If there are mites present, they get 2 drops of Frontline in each ear. This is followed by dry cleaning every 2-3 days. Two additional drops of Frontline are applied. I've been doing this routine for 3 years, and I have never seen it ot work, unless the pet partent did not follow directions ie: cleaning and retreating. >> On the advice of this group I decided to order some medicine for my cats >> earmites since the stuff I got at the pet store seemed to burn them and [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > -L. Every problem is differnent I have had OTC work better than the prescribtion. It all pertains to the cat and the infestiation > Every problem is differnent I have had OTC work better than the > prescribtion. It all pertains to the cat and the infestiation Well I have tried an ear mite drop I got at a petstore, and it did not work, and it really irritated the cats. I cannot afford the vet bills right now unless it is a real emergency. I live in a small town and dont drive, so it would cost a lot just to get them to a vet, and I would probably have to pay for all of them to be seen. > I have to disagree with you on the Frontline not working on earmites. I > work at a spay/neuter clinic and we clean all the cats ears when they are [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > have never seen it ot work, unless the pet partent did not follow directions > ie: cleaning and retreating. This is an off-label use and the side effects of using Frontline in this way have not been studied. I would be hesitant to do so without a vet's approval, unless I was desperate. The reproductive cycle of the mite is about 3 weeks, so the dosage should probably be repeated every 2-3 weeks. Ear mites can live up to two months. -L. Like I said we have used it this way for 3 years at the clinic, with vet's approval, and never had any problems. Yes, it does need to be reapplied at 20 days. Normally, 2 treatments is all that is required, unless they are extremely severe or the pet parents didn't follow directions. >> I have to disagree with you on the Frontline not working on earmites. I >> work at a spay/neuter clinic and we clean all the cats ears when they are [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > -L. > Like I said we have used it this way for 3 years at the clinic, with vet's > approval, and never had any problems. Yes, it does need to be reapplied at > 20 days. Normally, 2 treatments is all that is required, unless they are > extremely severe or the pet parents didn't follow directions. Cool. Thanks for the info. That's great to know since Frontline is OTC. -L. > > On the advice of this group I decided to order some medicine for my cats > > earmites since the stuff I got at the pet store seemed to burn them and [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > -L. Seeing a vet is a last resort only. When I asked about this before, a few people mentioned that those brands would stop earmites, but maybe they thought I meant something else? I suggest that you find new homes for your cats if you can't afford to take proper care of them. I know this sounds harsh but when vet care is needed it is the responsibility of the "slave" to provide it. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') I suggest that you find new homes for your cats if you can't afford to take proper care of them. I know this sounds harsh but when vet care is needed it is the responsibility of the "slave" to provide it. I dont think that is very logical at all. I love my cats, they love me. I take good care of them. They love living together. I worry about myself becoming very sick one day or dying and thus needing to find homes for them, because it would be very hard to find someone willing and able to take all three and they are miserable without each other. I give them food, litter, toys, attention, love, and all the necessary vet treatment. If they were in danger, injured, etc, I would borrow the money to get them seen. I am on a low income, but I am not one of those people who think only those that are well off should have the pleasure of owning a cat, and I think it is sad that anyone does. AS long as someone is willing and able to care for their pet, anything extra is just that extra. Earmites are not life threatening. Well they can be, but my cats are not that far gone. If I thought they were in great pain or danger, I would find a way to pay the huge vet bills. And they would be huge, as would the cost just to get the cats to a vet. I will not bankrupt myself for earmites. You can make all the judgements you want on that, but frankly, I dont care. I am not going to give up my family, and separate my cats from their family because people like you think poor people shouldn't have pets. > Earmites are > not life threatening. Well they can be, but my cats are not that far gone. > If I thought they were in great pain or danger, I would find a way to pay > the huge vet bills. And they would be huge, as would the cost just to get > the cats to a vet. I will not bankrupt myself for earmites. Bugs crawling in your ears has got to be as annoying as hell- uncomfortable to the max. Even water in your ear for more than 10 minutes will drive you insane. I agree that they should be treated aggressively and get rid of this once and for all instead of dragging it out trying to do it on a dime. That said- look into Ivomec for treating earmites. It can be used topically and is available at any feed store. This is an off label use but is very common and quite safe *if* you do your homework (Google is your friend). You have to measure it accurately with a syringe, and make sure you know what % solution you are using, but it is cheap *and* effective. -- Toni http://www.irish-wolfhounds.com > Even water in your ear for more than 10 minutes will drive you > insane. I have hearing loss that causes a full feeling in my right ear, and I can't even describe how bad it feels (think of the stuffy feeling on a plane, but no way to "pop" it). Also, I thought a few people who'd adopted deaf kittens/cats mentioned hearing loss caused by mites or infections?  SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ > I have hearing loss that causes a full feeling in my right ear, and I > can't even describe how bad it feels (think of the stuffy feeling on a > plane, but no way to "pop" it). Wouch! that sounds very distracting to say the least. I hope it gets better. > > I have hearing loss that causes a full feeling in my right ear, and I > > can't even describe how bad it feels (think of the stuffy feeling on a > > plane, but no way to "pop" it). > > Wouch! that sounds very distracting to say the least. > I hope it gets better. Nope, sensorineural hearing loss is permanent. I have tinnitus, too (related to hearing loss). SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ >> Earmites are >> not life threatening. Well they can be, but my cats are not that far gone. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >You have to measure it accurately with a syringe, and make sure you know >what % solution you are using, but it is cheap *and* effective. The feed store is a good idea. If you can get some kind of Ivermectin liquid, that is what the vet gave me for my cat's ear mites. It worked immediately with one dose. As I recall, I am the one who suggested the heartguard -- with the caveat that you confirm it with someone who actually knows if it is safe and effective and what the proper dose is for cats, which I don't. I just know it contains ivermectin, the same drug. Charlie > As I recall, I am the one who suggested the heartguard -- with the > caveat that you confirm it with someone who actually knows if it is > safe and effective and what the proper dose is for cats, which I > don't. I just know it contains ivermectin, the same drug. > > Charlie Heartgard (oral Ivermectin) is generally not effective in the control of ear mites, especially if the infestation is severe. Acarexx is topical Ivermectin and is much more effective. IOW, yes, you *can* treat systemically for ear mites using ivermectin, but not all mites will respond to systemic treatment, so you may be wasting your money. One good side-effect of systemic treatment is that round worms and hook worms will be killed, if the cat has any (IIRC it does not kill tapes, though). Oral dosage is 165ug (micrograms) for a cat 5-12 lbs. OTOH, Acarexx is an ear spot treatment that is nearly always effective in one dose. You need to buy the Acarexx formulation of Ivermectin, though, as the carrier is important in topical treatments. -L. >I suggest that you find new homes for your cats if you can't afford to >take proper care of them. I know this sounds harsh but when vet care is [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >>>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire > >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') This kind of self-serving crap is not helpful. The lady is doing her best to take good care of her pets, but she's got a limited budget. Charlie L wrote: >>Frontline and Revolution are are >> topical, Heartguard is oral and none of >> them will put a dent in earmites. This is incorrect. Revolution WILL get rid of earmites. Using eardrops is very stressful for the cat (I treated Amber with eardrops over ten years ago. To this day she will not sit on my lap). ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') > On the advice of this group I decided to order some medicine for my cats > earmites since the stuff I got at the pet store seemed to burn them and [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > The website I will be using is petdrug.com Call Petscriptions 1-877-977-3879 and ask them about their policy on shipping prescription medications to Canada. Most places just require a copy of a prescription. Call your vet, explain your situation and transportation problem and ask him to send/fax/email a prescription for Acarexx - that's the best stuff for earmites. I use Acarexx on young kittens (4 weeks old) and our shelter and feral cats-- works great. It usually only requires one treatment and the ears don't have to be cleaned first. After the mites are killed, the ears will clean themselves. Tell your vet you need to treat 4 cats so you can get a little extra to treat the cats' tails, too. Sounds crazy but when cats curl up, the mites can migrate to the tail and later migrate back to the ears and reinfect them. Phil
|
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.