Kitten with tiny worms in ears?

gmm80 · May 16, 2015

I got a couple new fosters today, a couple of female kittens around 10 weeks old. The area they came from is notorious for producing kittens with worms, fleas, ear mites and whatever else you can think of. I was expecting them to have ear mites, which I'm familiar with and know what the residue in the ears normally looks like. Well, one kitten had some pretty big clumps of brown gunk that looked a little different than what I've seen before, and I took a closer look at it and there were actually tiny, tiny little worms moving around. The shelter director of the organization I've fostered for has seen hundreds of cats, and had no idea what they were. Are ear mites visible to the naked eye? Does anyone know what these creepy crawlies are? I used some regular ear wash, but I will probably pick up some medicated ear wash tomorrow.

Columbine · May 16, 2015

That looks like ear mites to me. Those kittens are so lucky to have you to look after them.

StefanZ · May 17, 2015

gmm80 said:
I got a couple new fosters today, a couple of female kittens around 10 weeks old. The area they came from is notorious for producing kittens with worms, fleas, ear mites and whatever else you can think of. I was expecting them to have ear mites, which I'm familiar with and know what the residue in the ears normally looks like. Well, one kitten had some pretty big clumps of brown gunk that looked a little different than what I've seen before, and I took a closer look at it and there were actually tiny, tiny little worms moving around. The shelter director of the organization I've fostered for has seen hundreds of cats, and had no idea what they were. Are ear mites visible to the naked eye? Does anyone know what these creepy crawlies are? I used some regular ear wash, but I will probably pick up some medicated ear wash tomorrow.

If you dont have regular medicines at home, you know of the trick of having a drop or two of food oil into the ear? Harmless to the kitten, but the mites etc, tends to suffocate and drown.

Wont help much against heavy mite infections, but will prob help against milder such.

Minerale oil can surely be used too, but with food oil you are sure its totally harmless. For example, coldpressed virgin oil, or coldpressed rapeseed /canold oil. The same you can use if the get constipated. And the same a health minded human will use herself.

gmm80 · May 17, 2015

Stefan - do you also think these are ear mites? I didn't know they could be seen with the naked eye.

This is the ingredient list for the ear wash I used: Deionized Water, Isopropyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin USP, Propylene Glycol USP, Salicylic Acid, Benzoic Acid, FD&C Blue #1, Fragrance

Only one ear appeared to have mites, or whatever they are. When I put the solution in that ear, the kitten didn't even seem to notice. Usually they started trying to shake the solution out as soon as it drops in. So I squished it around in her ear a bit, then used a cotton swab to clean out the brown gunk. The second time I put solution in, she definitely felt it., so I think her ear was pretty packed with the stuff. I did treat both her and her sister with Revolution, which is what we usually use for ear mites.

These are the two girls, she is the one on the right, tabby striped with some calico coloring, a "tabico" I've been told.