My cat got too much ear mite medicine and is shaking her head. Is she okay?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
I put too much ear mite medicine into my cat's ear. She's shaking her head a lot, but isn't acting different. Could it hurt her?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 12th, 2016
Most likely this won't hurt her because there is very limited absorption to the system from medications applied into the ear. Just wipe out the excess with a cotton ball or paper towel and flush the eyes with sterile eye wash if you suspect any could have gotten in there. She should be fine.
77Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 6th, 2019
Hi, if the medication is authorise for usage in cats, there normally are pretty safe margins and there should be no need for you to be worried. The only case would be if you decided to purchase and use some ear drops from a pet shop for example, you overdosed your cat by putting a larger amount in her ear and her ear drum was perforated. However if she does seem her usual self this is unlikely to have happened. Hope this helps. Thank you. For using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
I accidentally put ear mite medicine to my cat in her skin I drop a lot, she's going to be ok? I'm very concerned.
Hi, if the medication is authorise for usage in cats, there normally are pretty safe margins and there should be no need for you to be worried. The only case would be if you decided to purchase and use some ear drops from a pet shop for example, you overdosed your cat by putting a larger amount in her ear and her ear drum was perforated. However if she does seem her usual self this is unlikely to have happened. Hope this helps. Thank you. For using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My kitten has no black residue in her ears, and no visible wax etc..but was told she has a mild case of ear mites. I used mineral oil in her ears, she keeps shaking her head..could this be due to her trying to shake out the excess oil? Her ears are c
Hello. Use a cotton ball to gently remove any excess oil. I would guess that she is shaking her head because she has all these desperate dying ear mites in her ears. Once the ear mites have all died in a few days, she will be fine. But right now her ears are itching & this will get better pretty soon. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
So I put cat ear mite drops in my kitten and I didn't read that it was for adult cats and my cat is going crazy. She is shaking her head and running around the room jumping on things and won't stop itching her ear I don't know if that is normal. Al
Hi there. Poor Chloe! Even adult cats with a high ear mite load often respond similarly-there is intense itch with the mite die off as well as the ear itself often have some open wounds from them-the medication will burn. If Chloe is having any true neurological signs like seizures, intense shaking, strange looking pupils, etc-best to get her to an emergency room right away for treatment. If you see nothing of this matter the side effects should subside soon. Hope this helps, my best to you and Chloe.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I put about 10 drops of olive oil in my cats left ear. I tried wiping it out after 5 minutes but didn't get much out. She is shaking her head when she plays. I used the olive oil in the first place because she kept shaking her head and digging at the
Olive oil isn’t recommended to put in your pets ears unfortunately. It shouldn’t cause any major issues unless Callie has a ruptured ear drum, which your vet can check for with a proper ear exam. If it looks dirty and she is shaking, then she could still have mites (true are quite small and often cause black crusty debris in the ears) or even a yeast or bacterial infection. It’s best to take her in to your vet soon for a proper ear exam, testing to determine what kind of infection is there and pet friendly ear medication and cleaner. If you can’t get her in today, then it’s best to purchase a dewaxing pet ear cleaner from your local pet store right now to help remove some of the residue olive oil from her ear. She likely doesn’t like the feel of having this in her ear so it’s also a good idea to place an e-collar on her to prevent her from scratching at her ears and causing further irritation. I hope Callie’s ear infection clears up soon. Best wishes and take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat got some of her ear mite medicine in her ear. We flushed it out some what with water. Should we be concerned?
This would depend on the medication. Many treatments for ear mites are topical medications that should be given in the ear. If she is on a topical flea and tick medication like Revolution for ear mites you could contact the company to see if there are any concerns about accidental exposure to the ear. Most topical medications shouldn't be too much of a concern either.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Can cats shake their heads so that their ears flap for other reasons besides ear mites? And scratch behind their ears? All 4 of my cats displayed these symptoms at the same time but only one had brown crumbly discharge in the ear. Cleaned the ears. U
Because all of them are affected, ear mites would still be my first suspicion, even though your vet did not find any under the microscope (the fact that you just cleaned the ear before that might have something to do with that indeed). it can take 4-7 days for the cats to stop scratching their ears after the treatment has been started. other reasons for these symptoms include fungal or bacterial ear infections.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
my indoor male cat is shaking head rubbing ear and is uncomfortable. we put ear mite med in ears thinking this might be it. could it be serious?
Ear mites is possible but in an indoor only kitty it is less likely and the more likely cause would be a bacterial or yeast infection of the ear, or a foreign body stuck in the ear. I would recommend a vet visit. The vet can look in the ear with an otoscope and can take a swab from the ear to check under the microscope for mites, bacteria or yeast and prescribe medications to treat this.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I pet ear mite drops in mu cats ears now hes acting strange i tried washing it out with warm water on a rag. Why would he do this?
It is possible the ear mite medication caused some irritation or a reaction if there are mites present that are now dying off. Cleaning the ears prior to giving the drops can help it be more effective and may reduce irritation. I would not put water in the ear as that can lead to infection. If you are unsure Little bit has mites, a vet visit to confirm them is best.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 rabbits had ear mites.I put them both on ivermectin injections for 30 days, an injection every 10 days. Cleaned their place as well. But now, 2 weeks after treatment, they have gone back to acting strangely, such as, shaking their heads and spin
Thanks for reaching out about your rabbits. Rabbits can acquire ear mites from other rabbits or even cats. Isolation is important to prevent re-infestation. If you still have ear mites, then they should get another round, but the dose needs to calculated based upon the rabbits weight. Too little won't be effective, too much could be toxic. Other things can cause shaking of heads, including ear infections. Those animals need antibiotics. Rabbits are very sensitive to which antibiotic used so a veterinarian should be consulted. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
So I have given my cats Johnsons ear drops (3 drops on each ear), initially there was a lot of itching and headshaking after I put the ear drops. It has been about 20 minutes and they are still shaking their ears a bit and itching it directly. Is thi
No, this isn't normal behavior. When you initially put drops in the ears of a cat, it is normal to see some head shaking and itching for a short period of time, but it should not continue for 20 minutes. This suggests that the Johnsons ear drops are irritating their ears, and I would not use it again. I would take them both into the vet. Cats naturally produce a little bit of ear wax, but a build up of it indicates an ear infection. Ear infections in cats are caused by ear mites, bacteria, or yeast, so the cause needs to be diagnosed in order for the cat to be treated correctly. I would take both of them into the vet on Monday. Good luck, I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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