What's wrong with Tiny's ears?

[Mosey]

My daughter's cat is losing hair on the ends of her ears. Both ears are doing it. Any idea why? See attached picture.

[GaryM]

Mites? Take her to the vet!

[Mosey]

Mites? Thanks. What are mites and what can I do besides taking her to the vet? I'm not in a financial position to run to the vet for everything. Heck, I can go to the doctor for less because I only pay a co-pay, but the vet bill is outrageous!

[Boondox]

I concur. Looks like mites to me. Little arthropod parasites that infect the skin and follicles. It might be only because I live in a VERY rural area, but our local aggie stores have topical preparations that kill mites, so a vet visit might not be needed. Check your local Agway or pet store for miticides before you panic.

Pete

[Mosey]

Thanks. I just called the local farm supply place and they have a product called "Forepaw" which is a powder that is supposed to kill the mites. I'll give it a try!

[kokopelli]

you really need to keep on eye on that kitty...if not she will scratch herself to death.

the best luck we had was with special mange soap ment for horses when our dog had a really bad case of mange as a kid.

good luck!

[GaryM]

Please ensure that the product is approved for cats! many products that are safe for daogs or other animals may not be safe for cats.

[Mosey]

I got some stuff called "Four Paws Ear Mite Remedy for Cats". We put some in both cats' ears starting yesterday so we'll see how it goes!

[Stoneheartfarm]

Our cat never got ear mites, but the dog has. We used mineral oil and swabbed them out. The oil coats the mites and suffocates them.

Steve

[Mosey]

It's hard to tell yet if it's helping. So far, her ears haven't gotten worse and we haven't seen her scratching them, so that's a good sign. She is getting to where she doesn't like having the stuff put in her ears and puts up quite a fight!