Treated my cat for ear mites but she still has them?

krs000a

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I have given her three doses of Advantage Multi Feline (Purple) but when I looked in her ears she still had the ear mites. Will the medicine not dissolve the mites entirely or are those dead mites that I have to remove with q-tips or swabs?
 

DreamerRose

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Only a vet can answer your question. He or she will swab the ear and look at the scraping under a microscope. The medicine in any case will only kill the mites, not dissolve them. You might also want to ask about flea preventatives that also prevent ear mites, heartworms, and other kinds of worms.

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krs000a

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Thank you!

Actually, it was the vet who gave me the medicine after I asked him to treat the cat for ear mites but he just gave her the medicine without even checking inside the ears first, I thought it seemed a little odd but he said I must give the medicine one more time for all the mites to die. That is why I was shocked when I checked her ears this morning and the mites were still there. I removed them this evening with a q-tip cause I can't afford another vet visit right now (had her spayed last week too). :-/
 

catlover73

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Thank you!

Actually, it was the vet who gave me the medicine after I asked him to treat the cat for ear mites but he just gave her the medicine without even checking inside the ears first, I thought it seemed a little odd but he said I must give the medicine one more time for all the mites to die. That is why I was shocked when I checked her ears this morning and the mites were still there. I removed them this evening with a q-tip cause I can't afford another vet visit right now (had her spayed last week too). :-/
My cat Starbuck had a stubborn case of Ear Mites when she was a kitten.  I am really surprised your vet did not swab her ears and look at the mites under a microscope.  It is possible the mites you are finding are dead now though.  My vet gave me antibiotic ear drops and an ear wash to use on Starbuck. 

I know you said you can not afford another vet visit right now but I would call and talk to your vet.  Some vet's will do a follow-up appointment without charging you more money. I would ask about this.  The worst they can do is tell you no for the no cost follow-up.  Another thing you could try is to find a new vet that does free first time exams for new clients.  Also perhaps the vet would be willing to give you the ear wash without charging you for another appointment.  You could also call and ask the vet if there are any over the counter ear wash products that you could use.  Please do not use human medicine on your cat without vet approval and vet aided dosing instructions.  I have no idea if it is possible to use human ear wash safely on your cat.

Ear mites can require more than one round of treatment unfortunately.  It took multiple treatments for my baby but once they were gone completely she never had another issue. Starbuck is now nine years old and is very healthy.
 
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