Ear mites, crusty eyes and worming!

JBalways2000 · 19-11-2006, 08:11 PM

I have been meaning to post about the boys eyes for quite a while now. ever since i got them they have had slightly crusty eyes-i have mentioned it to the 2 vets i have seen and both said its nothing to worry about and it could be because they had the flu as a baby? this doesnt sound right to me so thought id ask the experts! its not a huge worry-its just the corners of their eyes that get like it-AJ's worse then Ravens. it doesnt require cleaning or anything like that, and it is just a tiny bit of crustiness but still something that surely shouldnt be there? they were sneezing off and on when we first got them too but havnt heard them sneeze for quite a while now! is this something to worry about?

im also wondering if AJ has ear mites

when i checked his ears a few days ago i noticed they had some black wax in-which im sure i read was a sign of ear mites. he has been scratching around his ears a bit more lately, though not excessively. im at the vets on thursday so will get them to check then and will be treated accordingly, but wondered what you all thought?

and last but not least-worming! i was supposed to have wormed the boys with their panacur last week-i did start and done the first day. it wasnt until a couple of days later that i realised id completely forgotten to do the next 2 days of worming!

im wondering whether i should give them the 2 days worth now(over the next 2 days of course!) or whether i should wait until thursday and see if i can get a worming tablet for them instead? are they ok to have worming tablets now they are 3 months old? if so, is there any anyone would recommend?

sorry for such a long post-if i dont wirte it all down now il most likely end up forgetting it all

alexgirl73 · 19-11-2006, 08:35 PM

NO idea about the worming thing JB sorry, and it sounds like the eyes jst need a bit more cleaning than most. I have to do Teddies every day as she's an exotic but I think a lot of cats have a little weepy eyes. I guess it's like us of a morning, lol. As for the ear mites, it definitely sound like he has them, as that was what Teddie was like, but she had ringworm as well. My vet gave me advocate pipettes for her which clear ear mites, worm them and also give flea protection, might be worth asking about.

smudgley · 19-11-2006, 08:56 PM

I would get the eyes checked by the vet. Discharge from the eyes is not normal, they may have a little conjunctivitis.

At the same time get the vet to check their ears, ear mites are horrible & cause discomfort for cats. If they have mites, they will need ear treatment & ectoparasite control treatment. (ie stronghold)

You could at the same time chat to the vet about worming, however if they were mine, I would start the 3 day course again & give 3 days panacur paste. I find the paste easier to give than tablets.

JBalways2000 · 19-11-2006, 09:21 PM

Il definately get it all checked out on thursday then when they go for their second vaccination. to be honest i havnt been too impressed by this vets so far-they havnt really gave either of the boys a thorough check over yet

infact, this might sound silly, but neither vet even checked to make sure they were boys

i was wondering, would Raven also have ear mites if AJ does? Raven has been showing no signs of ear mites and his ears are completely clean. im guessing he should be treated to just incase?

i was told about advocate at the vets but it doesnt cover all worms so to be honest, i didnt really see the point in it. i done them with frontline the day i got them, and they are due to be done again on thursday. i will just see about treating the ear mites as a seperate thing if i can. should i be taking any precautions around the home if they have ear mites?

Smudgley: do you mean i should start the panacur again now, or wait until Thursday and ask for some paste? i have panacur powder here for them and only enough to do 2 days with

suppose i could start it tuesday and ask for another satchet on thursday to complete the course. as a fellow panacur user, i just wondered if you knew how often i should be worming the kittens with it? it has been a month since they were last done, as directed by my vet, but i didnt know if this was right

i think once the boys have been neutered(as i have paid for a "kitten package" which consists of vaccs, microchipping and neutering) i shall find a new better vets- there is nothing worse then having a vet you dont fully trust!

Fran · 19-11-2006, 11:09 PM

Frontline doesn't treat ear mites. Stronghold treats ear mites, fleas and round worms I think. There is a possibility if one has ear mites then the other may too but it doesn't always follow. Get your vet to put a light down and have a look. Dirty ears doesn't always indicate mites but is usually a good indication especially if there is scratching and head shaking too. Ear cleaners are available from your vet which help get rid of the 'dirt' and are useful alongside treatment for ear mites. Panacur is an excellant wormer and I would be inclined to agree with Smudgley and re-start the 3 day course again. The paste is definitely easier than the powder. I worm my kittens every month until they are 5/6 months of age after which I worm them and indeed my adult cats every 3 months. Your vet should be able to advise a suitable worming regieme for them...

smudgley · 19-11-2006, 11:20 PM

agree with everything Fran has said.

JBalways2000 · 20-11-2006, 12:54 AM

Thanks for that guys. so im guessing it would be better to get something like stronghold or advocate this time around for them then? i shall start worming them again on tuesday then and when i go the vets il get a satchet to finish this course and ask for the paste for next month.

one thing i was wondering is how on earth they could have gotten ear mites? they certainly didnt have them when they came here as i got the vet to check them for it the day after i got them, and then again when they went for their first vaccs.

so alongside advocate/stronghold to treat the ear mites/deflea, i should also get an ear cleaner from the vets? just want to be clear so i dont forget anything come thursday!

smudgley · 20-11-2006, 11:53 AM

Just ask the vet to give them a thorough check over.
If they have ear mites - the vet will give you the right TX. Which will probably be stronghold spot on & ear cleaner.

JBalways2000 · 20-11-2006, 12:11 PM

I'll definately be asking for a thorough check this time! i think they owe it me from the first time i went there anyway

oh, just to add that i had another look at Ravens ears last night under a good light and he too has a tiny bit of black wax in his ears-so looks like it may be mites afterall! do i need to wash any of their bedding after treatment or anything like that?(and by their bedding, i actually mean ours as they only sleep on our bed and sofa!!

)

Fran · 20-11-2006, 12:16 PM

Some cats can have waxy ears without them actually having mites. The only way to tell is for the vet to put a light down their ear canal. Ear mites tend to move away from the light so the vet will be able to see them moving. If it is ear mites then as with fleas it's always advisable to wash all their bedding (and yours of course if they sleep with you) I would wash everything on a minimum 60 degree wash cycle. Let us know how they get on

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