Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Kitten ear infection: Can I buy prescription meds like Tresaderm OTC?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Snowshoe | Male | 2 months and 23 days old | 2.8 lbs

Hi i have a kitten whos 2 months. We came back from the doctor and he might be starting an ear infection. The prices in the office were triple compared to petsmart. Tresaderm and triz edta. Can i buy them and give them to the kitten? How many drops would've used?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 17th, 2017

The reason why the prices in the vet's office for treatment for the ear infection are more expensive is because those treatments contain the strong medication needed to treat NJ's ear infection. OTC treatments by law cannot contain these medications because they require a prescription from a vet to treat. While I know it seems expensive, it's best to only treat him with medication from the vet. It is the safest thing to do, and will give the best results. I hope this helps and NJ feels better soon!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
We've had my 17 year old deaf cat into the vet about 6 or 7 months ago, and he had an ear infection. The vet, at the time, suspected polyps but couldn't see well enough into the ear to be 100% sure. He prescribed antibiotics, treated him and It clear
Unfortunately there are no over the counter medications that I would recommend starting until you can see your vet. I also don't typically recommend cleaning a cat's ears with any washes or solutions unless your vet instructs you to - cats have very sensitive ears and can develop vertigo from vigorous ear cleaning. Your best bet is to see your vet as soon as you can.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Does my kitten have an ear infection? At first i suspected ear mites but ive treated him with Revolution for the past two months and he still has dark grains in his ears and excessive ear wax. He scratches his ears and one ear looks worse than the ot
It is difficult to diagnose an ear infection without examining the discharge under a microscope to see if there are any bacteria, yeast, or mites. Based on the pictures, it does not appear to be a large amount of discharge. There aren't any OTC ear medications for infections but you could clean the ear with just an ear cleaner labeled for cats and see if that helps. Clean three times a week for now and then once weekly and see if that gets rid of all the discharge. If not, he really needs to go to a vet for treatment.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Two of our 7 wk old cats have what appears to be an infection in the eye. The one has both eyes affected by watering and redness, the other has only her right eye. This eye is also red but the goo appears more yellow than the other. Can we buy anythi
Poor kitty. Kittens will often get eye infections due to viral and bacterial infections. Usually it will start off as a viral infection with just watery clear discharge and then a secondary bacterial infection will develop, causing yellow or green discharge. Therefore we recommend antiviral medication such as lysine powder which can be found at your local pet store over the counter. However the secondary bacterial infection will need to be treated with a topical antibiotic ointment prescribed by a veterinarian. They will need to be seen to treat the secondary eye infections unfortunately because there are no over-the-counter options for this . You can look for low-cost clinics in your area or the Humane society that may be able to get them in and seen for a reasonable price. Good luck with your kitties and I hope that their eye infections resolves soon. Take care.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My kitten of a few months has an ear infection/inflamed ear. Her mother unfortunately ignored her ears when she was a baby, I use polysporin drops to help with her pain and ear wax. This time it seems to really bug her/cause her some pain & her skin
Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. The ear, honestly, to me does not look that bad from the photo. Of course I cannot see down into the ear canal or the ear drum without examining her in person with an otoscope so there may be something down there causing the issue. There is no way for me to tell from a photo. If she is really scratching at the ear or starts to scratch it when you touch the ear then chances are she has ear mites. People often mistake an ear mite issue with a bacterial/fungal infection but the treatments are very different. Ear mites are very common in kittens. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ear-mites-otodectes-in-cats-and-dogs ) The best treatment for ear mites is Revolution topical solution that you would put on like a flea/tick drops on the back of the neck. DO NOT put it in the ear. Typically two doses 3-4 weeks apart is enough to kill all the mites and correct the issues. I would try that before attempting to put medication inside the ear canal
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How much does vet prescribed ear mite medication costs? What are some cheaper home remedies that are safe as well?
I typically use a product called Tresaderm for ear mite infestations. I see it listed on 1800petmeds.com for $35, but you will need a prescription for it, and you'll likely pay an exam fee, which will vary depending on your vet's pricing policies, and also for a test to confirm that ear mites are indeed the problem. I'm not aware of any home remedies that work for definitively treating and ear mite infestation.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I treated my cat's ear infection with Dexoryl for five days,it looked healed,but only for week,I tried other natural stuffs and now it's about two weeks since he's not treated with Dexoryl,is it safe to renew the treatment with Dexoryl,can I use them
Gentamycin is a common ingredient in ear medications. There is a small risk of damaging the hearing, especially if the ear drum is not intact. When I diagnose an ear infection in a pet, I recommend a two-part treatment. The first is with a cleaner to remove any debris; I like DECHRA DermaPet Malacetic Otic. This is important as ear medications need to contact the skin of the ear and if there is ear wax or other debris in the way, then the medications can't work. After the ears are dry, you can apply the medication. Ears typically need to be treated twice a day for 7-10 days. Cats can commonly get ear mites that may look like an ear infection. If you have not treated Melcho for ear mites, I recommend doing so now. If the ear infection does not resolve after using an ear cleaner and the Dexoryl within a week, then Melcho should see the vet as he could have a resistant bacteria growing, yeast infection, parasites, or even a polyp causing problems deep in his ear. I cannot find a list of
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my neighbors cat was out of town and found his cats ear this way. It looks like I can see the muscle just before his skull, we don't know what happened. But he is an outside cat and I'm starting to worry it is getting infected. He said he wants t
Poor Kitty! There really isn't an over the counter medication that you can use and the cat really needs to be seen by a vet for treatment. The wound should be cleaned and debrided so that it can heal properly. He will also need an antibiotic to treat infection.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Is there an over the counter medication or cream to help dogs ear infection caused by allergies? Pollen is making him super itchy.
If the cause behind the irritation is allergies, there are OTC medications such as Benadryl and Claritin that can help reduce allergy symptoms, however, if it's best to get the OK from your veterinarian first to make sure there aren't any medication interactions or health concerns. If the ear is actively infected, then it should be seen by your vet in person for antibiotics if there is a secondary bacterial or yeast infection that also needs to be treated while the allergies are brought under control. Using an Elizabethan (cone) collar and keeping the ear clean can also help reduce further irritation or rubbing of the ear.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, I took my cat to vet a few weeks ago and she was diagnosed with a bacteria and yeast ear infection. I could not afford the medicine he prescribed (Posatex) but the steriod shot she received seemed to fix her ear. Now the infection is back, what c
I am sorry to hear about Chy. Unfortunately, I suspect the steroid injection didn't actually fix her ear but just decreased the pain and inflammation temporarily, making it appear she was cured because her discomfort was temporarily relieved. If her infection was not treated with medication to kill the bacteria and yeast, it most likely is still present and will not go away with out the prescribed treatment from your vet. You could ask if they have another option for ear medication that is more affordable, or discuss any payment options they may have.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Can you prescribe meds for dog ear infection
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Hazel. Unfortunately it's illegal for us to prescribe medication without seeing her in person. You cannot get a prescription online. If she does have an ear infection, she will have to see a vet to get it treated. It's very important to take her into a vet as leaving this untreated can lead to hearing loss. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Antifungal Medication for Cats Prescription Dewormer for Cats Dog Ear & Eye Medicine Antifungal Medication for Dogs Cat Supplies Prescription Cat Allergy Medicine Prescription Flea & Tick Medicine for Cats Cat Antibiotics Cat Food Tobramycin Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Neo-Poly-Dex Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Neo-Predef Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Ketoconazole Antifungal Medication for Cats Ketoconazole Cat Medicine Neo-Poly-Dex Cat Medicine Tobramycin Dog Ear & Eye Medicine Dexamethasone Ophthalmic Solution Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Dorzolamide Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication Animax Cat Eyedrops & Ear Medication
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored