3rd case of Earmites

Ok, my cat had earmites about a month and a half ago. I knew what it was and got her treated. The vet said one treatment usually does it. They apply it and I don't have to worry about meds at home. The vet said it would take full effect in 3-5 days. So I waited while my cat itched and shook her head. About a week and a half after first treatment, I checked sto see if she still had them. She DID! So I called the vet and took her back.
The vet checked (doubtful at what I said) and the vet was surprised to realize that I was right. She had them again. So my cat (Patches, by the way) got a second treatment. The vet said it is very unusual but that it can happen and that it would take a second dose to really finish the job. That was about 3 weeks ago. I have been watching her closely and have watched her scratch at her ear. She isn't doing it badly, but enough that she shouldn't. She isn't hurting herself (i.e. tearing up her skin) but she is still itching (only the one ear). I checked her gain for Earmites and I believe she has them AGAIN.
So, is there an alternate treatment? the one she was given was...ur...It started with an A and had an X in it. It was a little tube that they squeased this semi-liquid gel stuff in her ear and mushed her ear to get it down in the ear canal. Is there a different medicine that might work better? Or do I just keep taking her back.
Note: The vet told me that Earmites are contagious and that she picked them up from a different cat. But my cat wasn't in contact with any other cats. Unless it was indirectly where one cat touched something with the face spreading the mites there and then my cat rubbed against the same thing, it is doubtful that she picked them up from a cat. My cat is mainly inside but I used to let her out.

After she got her first treatment, I washed everything (including the yard) and kept her inside until I could confirm they were gone. She has stayed inside since her first treatment since they never went away. Now a second question, or third: is it really possible to transition a cat from inside/outside to be totally inside? She loves it out there and she knows its there. She is now 8 years old and has been in/out all her life. Can I keep her in or will she go nuts trying to go out. (She is now showing signs of really wanting out...she's been in for about a month.)

Sorry for the long post.
To recap after all that: Is there a different medicine that might work better? Or do I just keep taking her back? Is it really possible to transition a cat from inside/outside to be totally inside?

My first round of earmites took a full 18 months to get rid of in my then two cats and two dogs at the time.. persitance ...

Wow, really? The vet did tell me 3-5 days. Should I still get her medicated again? Or should I just wait? I mean the vet said if they aren't gone by the 5 days bring her back and thats what I did the first time, but I'm questioning it for the third time....

When I first got Patsy she came with earmites and even though she never came in direct contact with Princess she got them too. When I had them treated I had to clean their ears and apply medication twice a day for about 14 days. Princess had a very mild case but Patsy's was much worse. The mites cleared up after that and I've never had problems with earmites again. What did happen is that Princess has had problems with yeast infections in her ears since the mites. My vet said that sometimes after a cat has earmites it changes the chemical balance (I'm not sure if that was the exact words becasue it was several years ago) in the ears making them prone to yeast infections. When I looked in her ear it did look like mites but actually it was a yeast infection.

I was thinking the same thing, crazy4cats!

kittyqueen, I would go ahead and take your girl back in to see the vet and ask that he also give her a treatment for yeast - the combination may make the difference.

~gf~

When Grizzly was much younger she had a really bad case of ear mites that took months to get rid of. I treated here with whatever the vet gave me at the time. She was so bad when she scratched her ears and shook her head-they would be blood and gunky stuff on the walls!! She did recover but I was checking her eyes quite frequently after that and wiping them out if they looked dirty.
Ox had had problems with his ears for quite some time-but its really hard to treat him because he is older now and does not want his ears touched-I think it really stresses him out so I treat him when I can and will wipe out his ears. The other cats are just fine. He sees the vbet later this month I'll see what they say at that time.
They are inside outside too.

I don't know if this is weird but all three times that my cat has been treated only ONE ear will have the mites. She is my only cat so I don't worry about her spreading them to others, but still I want her well. Does anyone know the name of a specific medicine that I can ask for? And if I keep her inside for the rest of her life will she be ok like that? (having been in/out all her life?)

You can try the use of a topical ear product called Tresaderm (manufactured by Merial) which contains an antibiotic for any secondary bacterial infections, a cortisone derivative for the inflammation, and thiabendazole to kill yeasts and mites. This is an excellent ear product and is able to kill the developing mite eggs. Tresaderm cuts the treatment course down to 10-14 days and provides an excellent oily lubricant with which to clean the ears as well. This product has been favored by veterinarians for decades.

Hope this helps,

~gf~

Thanks so much. I wrote down the name of that med. I'll take it in when I take her in. I will have to take her in again because I assume these things don't just leave on their own. I only have 2 questions left. Is there anyways to temproarily aleve stress? My cat gets SO stressed on the way/at the vet that that vet thought she had asthma. the was gasping for breath, but she doesn't do that at home. I'm afraid here breathing will get worse and she will suffocate out of stress. Can I calm her down? She also makes messes on the car ride there. I always have to bring newspaper in her box. She is so frightened and rips up everyone within her reach. (I would too if I were her...she has seriously scratched the vet for BOTH of the last 2 treatments..I'm thinking about bringing a towel just to restrain her claws..but I'd rather not have to do that. Is there anything I can do to calm her down before the vet ride. And Q2: Can I take an in/out cat and make her totally inside?

Originally Posted by kitty queen

Is there anyways to temproarily aleve stress? My cat gets SO stressed on the way/at the vet that that vet thought she had asthma. the was gasping for breath, but she doesn't do that at home. I'm afraid here breathing will get worse and she will suffocate out of stress. Can I calm her down?

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Call your vet and ask one of the vet techs what they suggest - they may not want you to give kitty anything that could skew any blood or urine testing they may have to do.

A lot of people I know swear by Bach's Rescue Remedy or other such flower-based essences. I am certain someone will come along with a link to such a product, but as I am not in need of this, I do not have any personal experience with it.

Originally Posted by kitty queen

She also makes messes on the car ride there. I always have to bring newspaper in her box. She is so frightened and rips up everyone within her reach. (I would too if I were her...she has seriously scratched the vet for BOTH of the last 2 treatments .. I'm thinking about bringing a towel just to restrain her claws..but I'd rather not have to do that. Is there anything I can do to calm her down before the vet ride.

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Can you handle this cat easily at home while she isn't stressed? If you can, try to clip her claws the night before a vet visit. If you cannot handle her easily, ask the vet techs to clip them for you before the vet comes in to see her. Even if she is stressed, they normally know to have enough people handy to get the job done. I cannot clip my stud's claws at all and he goes in to the vet's office to have it done. He is very aggressive so they have 4 girls take care of it - he is pinned down so tightly by those girls and it is almost comical to watch him give up fighting them. He just sort of snorts and deflates. Then he just gets mushy and lovey. He is a trip.

Again, having some of the Rescue Remedy or other such product and giving it to your kitty for the night before and morning of the car trip might help. Also, placing the carrier in plain, open view of the cat is another way to keep her from fearing the carrier itself. Just leave it open and let her explore it at will for a couple of weeks before a scheduled visit - it may help.

Originally Posted by kitty queen

And Q2: Can I take an in/out cat and make her totally inside?

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Yes. But you ~must~ be totally committed to doing so. You cannot back down. Once you make the decision, there is no saying, "Awww, she looks so miserable, I'll just let her out this once ..." don't fall into that trap. If you want her to stay inside, do not open the door for her. Period. Ever. Unless of course, she is properly contained in a secure carrier and escorted by a responsible adult.

Hope this helps,

~gf~

I called the vet today and I asked about the medicine you recomended (Tresaderm) and the vet was out but a vet tech answered my questions. I told her the name and what it was and aske if they have it. She had never heard of it and didn't know what it was or how good it is. They only use the one product (Anix..or something like that...really called Ivermectin Otic suspension) I told the vet tech that this is the THIRD time that she will be treated and I asked if they had ANYThing else as an alternate treatment...she said no they only use the one medicine. So I said she has already been treated with it twice and I haven't really seen it work. I asked if I should just take her back in and she said yes. I'm going to be a walk in tomorrow (she said I could) and I'm going to bring a towel to try to wrap up my girl and hope the her claws will be pinned. Since it is already the night before...I've never trimmed my cat's claws before (never had a need with her outside and taking care of it herself) I'll look into the herbal treatment if anyone has a link, I'd appreciate it) I've never heard of it, but I will try to calm her down. I've tried leaving out the crate before a few years ago and it didn't do anything. Plus, now that I'm going in tomorrow I dont have a few weeks for her to start to be ok with it. Thanks for everything and I will update telling what the vet said. I like this vet a LOT better than out last (he was mean to my poor kitty) and I WISH she could solve this problem....

Vet today said she didn't see evidence of an active infection. Whew! She could see that my cat was irritated and I asked about the tresaderm. They DO have it and the vet said it would be worth a try. So I got Tresaderm and I have a re-check in a week. I've decided that after this next week I hope to be able to let her outside again. I know its better to keep cats inside...all my future cats will be, but she's 8 and loves it outside. I can't keep her in...she won't like it. Thanks everyone.