How do you treat ear mites? Pyrethrins OK?

I've always avoided pyrethrins and permethrins in flea/tick medicine for my cats,

but it has been so long since I've had to treat a cat for ear mites, decades,

and I see now that one can get over-the-counter ear canal mite medicine- such as "Hartz":

http://www.walmart.com/ip/10312010?...41801272&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=54665624376&veh=sem

that contain pyrethrin as it's active ingredient.

I assume a cat will consume a portion of whatever you apply in her ear, as a self groomer, and some will absorb through the ear skin.

So, do you think it is dangerous?

We used to have to go to the vet, and be given overpriced Panalog, in which it was merely the mineral oil base, not the antibiotic property,

that drowned the mites and helped with any subsequent open sores from scratching.  Or so I was told.

I'd love to find Panalog without need for a Rx, but just to have on hand for other ear infections.  Anybody know a supplier?

But back to my point:

I'd like to find out if this Hartz (I know, I roll my eyes at their typical products too) or similar (Pet Armor makes a similar one) pack of 3 will work safely.

The reason I ask is my elderly folks living 8 hours away has a young cat that is otherwise healthy and happy, but his one ear itches and becomes dirty on 3 separate occasions, and now.  He doesn't dig at it like the dickens, but does scratch it more than "normal"; more than the other one.

I used a vet prescribed ear wash (from another pet's issue) and swabbed it 3 times in 3 months or so and last time also applied simply mineral oil. It cleared up all those times but comes back.

I smeared the dirty wax to look for moving mites, didn't see any, though I could easily have missed it. I should have used a magnifying glass.

I can't get to visiting soon, so want to give my Dad easy instructions on doing something more before I get there myself next.

I figure using something that has a toxin might the trick if it is mites, and when I get there next we will take the cat to the vet to consider yeast, or bacterial infection if it is not cleared up by then.  (He'll go anyway since he will be due for his yearly).

My stray cat had ear mites when I first took her in and was given lots of different spot-ons, ear washes and drops by the first vet, she did not swab her ears. She still had itchy waxy ears 4 months on, after seeing that vet 3-4 times, so I went to a different vet who actually took a swab and looked under the microscope- there were no mites at this point but an ear infection. With the correctly prescribed antibiotic drops here ears were fine after a week!

I had tried over the counter treatments prior to vet visit- useless!

So I would suggest getting the vet to swab and confirm mites prior to lots of possibly unnecessary treatments!

I would recommend a spot on like Advocate to prevent catching any other parasites though.

Good luck, ear mites are a nightmare!

I agree.  I never use over the counter stuff.  Doesn't work very well and it can be unsafe as well.  Best to get the meds directly from your vet office.

Thanks for the feedback -

unsafe, how?

By ingesting the pyrethrins?

What product does your vet give you, and what is the active ingredient(s)?

The ingredients in some of the over the counters are extremely toxic and can actually cause hearing loss.  I don't remember exactly what the vet used in my cat's ears, but one dose of it along with Revolution to prevent reoccurrence, cleared everything up within days.   

OK - so I am back to being wary of using a pyrethrin product, so researched what the vets' prescribe: Acarexx and MilbeMite,

and acerexx's active ingredient, Ivermectin

is found in over the counter Cattle and Swine parasitics.

There's plenty of anecdotal success stories and instruction on the net about proper dosing using either the pour on or the 1% injection (which you can dilute and use as a topical-preferred actually),

(make sure you use the straight, not the "plus" versions),

but to be sure I tracked down an actual study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of using the in my opinion easiest way - the "pour on" version:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1476370/

That is the abstract but you can click on the whole study too.

Make sure you convert correctly when looking at micrograms vs. milliliters...

It's safe and effective for mites for felines, and it's the RIGHT stuff, none of that old fashioned Hartz junk.

OK - now I'm off to Tractor Supply to buy a bottle:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/iver-on-250-ml-cattle-pour-on-medication

$19 bucks will last a lifetime. 

My dad has restarted the Frontline Plus, too. Hopefully that will keep the mites from cropping up again.

Revolution (which is more expensive and Rx required?)  is labeled for control of mites, but Frontline I don't think does, although I am seeing mention from individuals online that it does kills mites, as well as lice.  Hmmm.

Ivermectin products can be toxic to Collies, due to the chemical potentially crossing the blood brain barrier, and as cats are so sensitive to chemicals, I would never use any of the "ectins" on cats either.  But I do understand your hesitancy about using pyrethrins, which I had used for years in the past with no problem, but am now very cautious about.  Unfortunately there are not many good options out there.  Frontline does kill ticks, so would seem to be a good and safe alternative.  Advantage says it does not kill ticks, but it actually does, just takes awhile.  I always use the versions that include IGR or insect growth regulator. It does not get into the ears from applying it on the neck and back, you have to actually put some (maybe with a Q Tip) in the ear.  If it is an infection, as opposed to mites, some people use the NFZ (nitrofurazone) puffer, which also helps dry out the ear.  It is available at Tractor Supply and other feed stores.  There is a cautionary label that it potentially caused mammary tumors in rats, but people have used it on livestock (in their eyes, ears and for superficial wounds) for years.  I just would not use it for months at a time.

Revolution is the best & the easiest to apply since it goes on the cat's skin between its shoulder blades. Revolution is expensive & needs a script. Unless you buy it online in Canada (canadavet.com), who do not require a script. Cheaper there too, but still expensive.

My vet sold me on ivermectin, but make sure YOU READ UP ON IT ON THE INTERNET. It can be poisonous if not diluted properly. It is cheap and very effective. What I liked about it is you don't have to repeat it so much. 

It is a derivative of ivermectin, so if you are trying to avoid the "ectins"--as I am--don't use Revolution.