Cat ear mites :Symptoms and effective treatment

What are Ear Mites?

As the name suggests, ear mites are a tiny spider like parasitic mite that infect the ears of dogs and cats. They usually live in the ear canals but can live on other parts of the dog or cat's body. Ear mites are the most common cause of ear infections seen by vets. They are more commonly found in cats than dogs but are a considerable cause of ear infection in dogs too.
Ear mites thrive in the warm moist area where the air flow is restricted. They feed on epidermal debris & ear wax. They burrow into the ear, causing inflammation and irritation which the body responds to by producing more wax.

What are the Symptoms of Ear Mites in cats?
Ear mites are terribly uncomfortable for your cat. Imagine how it would feel having thousands of little bugs running around in one of your most sensitive areas. Usually the first symptom you notice will be your cat scratching his ears or shaking his head due to the extreme itchiness that the mites cause. You may notice a flattening of the ears. His ears may be painful to touch and he may cry in pain when you touch them or while he is scratching them. You may also notice a foul odor coming from the ears.
Cats may cause damage by scratching causing the ears to bleed. They may also shake their ears with such intensity that small blood vessels are broken and hematomas form.
If you have a look inside the ear of an infected cat you will see dark reddish brown or black debris throughout the ear canal which has been described as looking like coffee grounds. This debris comprises of ear wax, blood and Ear mites are visible to the naked eye and can be seen as white dots among the dark debris. You may even see them moving around.
Your vet will look in your cat's ear with a magnifying instrument called an otoscope and may inspect the debris from the ear under a microscope for a more definite diagnosis. Ear mite infections can be serious if left untreated resulting in damage to the ear canals and eardrums and leaving deformity of the ears and possible deafness.
Secondary bacterial or yeast infections are also common so it is important to consult your veterinarian.

Treatment of Ear Mites. How Do I Get Rid Of Ear Mites?
You can purchase ear mite treatments from your usual pet supply store or your vet will prescribe an oily insecticide to clean the ear canals. All ear exudate has to be cleaned from the ear canal daily. The medication should massaged deeply into the cat's ear taking care to get into all the nooks and crannies of the ear canal. It is important to follow your vets instructions for the application of the treatment as you need to beat the ear mite's life cycle.
Revolution is another option. It is a Parasiticide that is applied to the skin of cats six weeks of age and older. Revolution is used to prevent heartworm disease, kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching and treats and prevents ear mite infestation.
Your cat might also require antibiotics for secondary infections.

Are Ear Mites Contagious?
Ear mites are very contagious and can be passed on from cat to cat or cat to dog and visa versa so it is important to treat all of your pets at the same time.

Can Humans Catch Ear Mites?
No, humans are not affected by ear mites.

Frontline Plus - Cat vomiting causes

There can many varied reasons why a cat vomits, from a serious illness to eating something disagreeable. An occasional, isolated episode of vomiting is usually normal.

As a rule of thumb, if your cat vomits once or twice or infrequently and then goes on to eat normally, play normally, pee and poop normally and shows no signs of ill health then there probably is no reason for concern.

If your cat has chronic vomiting. (Chronic means persistent and lasting. Continuing for a long time; lingering; habitual.) then medical advice should be sought. Always check with your vet if vomiting is severe or persistent. You should also take into consideration other factors. How is your cat's general health? Is he well? Is he lethargic? Does he have other symptoms for example diarrhea or no appetite? Because vomiting in cats could signal a serious underlying disorder your vet will ask you many questions and may run tests in relation to the vomiting to determine the cause.

Below are some of the reasons why cats vomit. Some are temporary and minor and others indicate an underlying serious illness. 

Hairballs may cause vomiting

One of the most common reasons for vomiting in cats is hairballs. Keep in mind that when a cat vomits all the contents of it's stomach are expelled including hair. Because you see hair in the vomit don't always assume that hairballs are the reason the cat is vomiting as there could be other causes.

Eating Problems

The cat eats too quickly or overeats.

A change in diet. Food intolerance
Eating grass or plants
Eating food that has gone off
Eating rodents or lizards or other foreign material.

Parasite problems
An infestation of worms and other intestinal parasites can cause your cat to vomit
Your cat may also vomit after giving him worming medication.

Poisons
Toxic plants, anti-freeze, lead paints, cleaning agents, human medications, coffee, weed killer, fertilizers and many other poisonous substances found around the home.
Accidental over dosage of medications.

Gastric and Intestinal Problems
Colitis, Cancer, Constipation, Enteritis, Fungal Disease, Gastritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Obstruction, Tumours, Ulcers.

Metabolic diseases
Acidosis, Diabetes, Feline Hyperthyroidism, Hormone Imbalance, Kidney disease, Liver disease,  Pancreatitis, Sepsis

Infections
Salmonella,  pyometra (infection of the uterus), abscess 

Other Causes
Feline Urinary Syndrome, Heat Stroke, Motion Sickness.

Vomiting can be caused by many feline disorders and it must be stressed that this article is for information purposes only and is in no way intended to replace veterinary advice.

Cats Kidney disease : Chronic Renal Failure

Signs of Renal failure in cats. Increased thirst is often the first symptom

Kidney disease, in the form of chronic renal failure (CRF), is a common problem in older cats. I have seen kidney failure in cats as young as 4 years, but far more frequently in much older cats. The most noticeable symptom is an increase in water consumption and urination ("drink-a-lot, pee-a-lot syndrome"). A blood test should be done if you notice these symptoms, as there are several conditions that can cause this. The increase in drinking and urinating in CRF is due to loss of the kidney's ability to concentrate the urine. The kidneys have a very large reserve capacity, and symptoms of kidney failure are not seen until approximately 75% of kidney tissue is non-functional. In my experience, kidney failure is the most common cause of death in older cats.

Causes of Chronic Renal Failure

Recent research suggests a link between vaccination for feline distemper and immune-mediated inflammation of the kidneys, which is thought to be the cause of CRF. Annual boosters for distemper are completely unnecessary. Be sure to discuss all recommended vaccines with your veterinarian. A cat with kidney disease or kidney failure should not be vaccinated at all.

Long-term feeding of an all-dry-food diet is also suspected as a factor in Chronic Renal Failure. Cats' kidneys are highly efficient and adapted to life in the desert, where they would get most or all of their water from eating their prey. Cats eating dry cat food take in only half the water that cats on a canned or homemade diet get; this chronic dehydration can cause stress on the kidneys over time. Dry diets also predispose cats to lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD, LUTD, FUS, crystals, stones, cystitis) because they force such a high degree of urine concentration. Chronic or recurrent bladder disease may also be a factor in the development of CRF.

Treatment of Chronic Renal Failure

Chronic kidney failure is progressive and incurable. No conventional or alternative medical treatment can reverse its course, since the disease involves the loss of kidney cells and replacement by scar tissue. The rate of progression in any individual cat probably cannot be slowed to any significant degree. When the process is advanced, the kidneys become small and lumpy, and the amount of functional tissue is greatly limited. The most significant problems caused by the loss of function are build-up of blood toxins, and anemia. These can cause weight loss, lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, and other signs of illness.

Some cats are able to maintain their body weight and live relatively comfortable lives for months to years, while others succumb to the disease more quickly. In conventional medicine, there are drugs that can minimize anemia, and phosphate binders to prevent phosphorus precipitates from further damaging the kidneys. However, these may not be palatable, and may cause adverse reactions. They are also of little or no value unless the cat is eating a restricted protein/low phosphorus diet exclusively. It may also be important to supplement potassium in the food.

Reference :catsofaustralia.com