Member

Posts: 97
From:usa
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 12-15-2003 11:29 AM         

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Hello everyone,
About 2 weeks ago i posted a question about my kitten charlies ear. After a couple responses i figured it was ear mites and i heard it would be ok to let them go until his next doctor visit. Well his ear is getting so much worse. The black stuff has been just falling out ofhis ear. I have been cleaning them every couple days(making sure ive been careful) and its still coming back just was fast. About 5 minutes ago i went over to him and noticed its now just running out of his ear. Does this sound like ear mites? My vet isnt going to be in his office for atleast another 2 weeks and because hes sick. I dont undertand why he never checked his ears in the first place. I was nervous about him since the beginning. Im contemplating just going to another vet but i dont wanna over react. Is this going to harm charlie by waiting? He still need his follow up destemper(the one after 3 weeks) and im also worried if i dont get it done soon it might have been redundent to get the 1st one anyways. I just want charlie to be healthy and i hate this.
If anyone has any idea what i should please help. His ear looks soo bad. Also what do ear mites do to cats? Can they kill them? Will they hurt him mantally? I wish i knew this stuff. Does anyone think i should just go to another vet.
Im sorry this was so long, any input would be great. Thanks so much

http://www.phpmonkey.org/~tasha/cats/charlie/100_0434.JPG

~tasha~

[This message has been edited by beepbeep (edited 12-15-2003).]

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Member

Posts: 201
From:Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 12-15-2003 12:05 PM         

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I'm sorry I won't be of too much help since I never actually had an ear mite problem.

What I do want to say is, sometimes it's best to follow your instincts. Two weeks is a long time to wait, especially given that you're so worried.

Personally, I would consider a different vet. It would ease your fears, help your kitty get better, and hopefully make everyone happier in the process.

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Member

Posts: 80
From:Vancouver,WA. USA
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 12-15-2003 01:08 PM         

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I would go to a different vet before the 2 weeks is up. Ear mites are a very uncomfortable problem for cats and I don't know for sure but I would think there is defiantly a chance of infection, and even damagng the kitties hearing. I've rescued kittens whose ears sounded the same. When you say stuff running out do you mean like liquidy stuff oozing out? What color stuff, black like the ear mite stuff? Does the ear smell? An odor can indicate an infection which needs rapid treatment. Anyway I'd take the kitty in asap.
Jenny

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Member

Posts: 15
From:Baltimore. MD
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-15-2003 01:13 PM         

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Hey there,

My kitten had serious ear mite issues - they came back three times. Hers were quite serious the first time they got cleaned out and then they came back which isn't always common but does happen.

If you let ear mites go too long they get do get worse and worse as it sounds your kitty's is. Remember this is an ear issue and it can throw off their depth and equaliberlim. Though nina's ears have been clean for months now she stil has balance problems that I notice - my sister told me about how some cats can end up like that with severe ear mites. I asked the vet and she said it can happen and with how bad nina's were that might be the reason for her missing when she jumps on things from time to time.

If the mites are coming out of the ear on their own - I would take your baby to vet. What they will do is flush out the ears and then give you some cleaning solution to take home. For the next few days you'll see the dead mites coming out of the ears but they are dead and just loosing and coming up. So vacum a lot! If they are that bad you don't want to wait two weeks - it isn't fun for you to pick up bugs and it certainly isn't comfy for your kitty.

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Member

Posts: 996
From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-15-2003 02:07 PM         

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It actually sound more like a bacteria or a yeast infection to me. They look like ear mites, but the black gunk is squishier. Call a vet and see if you can take an ear swab to him to look at under the microscope, then he can prescibe the treatment.

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Member

Posts: 12
From:NO, LA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-15-2003 09:31 PM         

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I would definitely see a vet before 2 weeks. Do you notice him scratching his ears a lot. My kittie has ear mites right now and he is not having a good time. He had scratched his ears until they are raw inside and that can't be a good feeling. Even if it isn't ear mites it doesn't sound good..

Keep us posted!

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Member

Posts: 152
From:Ottawa, Ontario
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 12-17-2003 12:45 AM         

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Does your vet actually close for 2 weeks while the doc is gone? Is there no one else u could bring him too.
Sounds serious.
My kitty was on Revolution (just a solution applied to the back of the neck) and they cleared up in one month.

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Member

Posts: 97
From:usa
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 12-17-2003 06:41 AM         

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His office is ran by him and his assistant. Its a real small place, he has been a vet since 1963. Im looking for a vet at the moment because im seriously worried about him, if i go near his ear he trys to scratch it. I put my hand in front of it, i figure its better for me to get cut up then his ear. I have tryed to see if his ear smells odd but i cant tell.. its a faint smell and it reminds me of a kinda sour smell. I dont know though.. i dont know how to explain it. I will keep everyone posted on how hes doing up until and after hes taken to the vet.

I also have another question, are the mites actually visible bugs? What to the live off of? How big are they? Are they putting him through pain? Ive heard it can hurt the cats ability to jump from place to place, because they start to miss. Hes always been really clumsy so now im wondering if its been bad since i found him. Also is it possible he got it from his mother when he was just born? She was also in horrible shape. If anyone has anymore info please feel free to post it. thank you all very much
~tasha~

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Posts: 107
From:sherman oaks,california,USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-17-2003 06:46 AM         

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hey, my kitten got ear mites too. My friend works at a vet and told me that brown stuff is actually ear mite poop. So the more poop the worse the ear mite problem is. when she told me that i freaked. I thought it was so gross, but i guess even ear mites need to poop! i would get it checked asap!

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Member

Posts: 996
From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-17-2003 09:25 AM         

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My vet told me that you can see ear mites, especially if they are really bad. He could have gotten mites from his mother or another cat. Like I said before though it sounds like he might have a bacteria or yeast infection rather than mites. Ears have a structure that helps the body with balance. Anything that affects the ears can throw off your balance. The mites or whatever would have to be pretty bad before they would actually interfer with his balance. Some cats are just more clumsy than others.

Just call a vet out of the phone book. He needs to get in to see one ASAP.

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Member

Posts: 260
From:MO, USA
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 12-17-2003 09:52 AM         

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Take him to a vet as soon as possible. If it is an infection it can spread further down his ear canal and cause deafness. Plus this has got to be completely uncomfortable for him. I would hate for him to be miserable for 2 weeks just because his doc wasnt in.
It could be a combination of ear mites and bacteria or yeast. Or all 3. Definately take your baby to a vet, ask your doc who he recommends while he is away. Sounds like your kitties ears are miserable. I know I would be if the tables were turned.

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