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Hartz ear mite treatment made my cat's ears worse. Is it safe?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 11 lbs

My cat, a stray we adopted 6 months ago as a kitten, was showing signs of ear mites. I just gave her Hartz ultraguard, followed directions expecting her to get relief from itchy ears.. Instead... now, she's holding ears flat, shaking head, trying to bathe, and scratching. She acts like ears are sensitive. I just noticed the med contained .05% pyrethrins. It's specifically for cats, but I thought pyrethrins (in flea meds) were marketed exclusively to dogs. Have I just poisoned her?!?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 16th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Ms Lovett. I never recommend Hartz products, they are absolutely terrible and can cause serious problems in cats. Large amounts of pyrethrins are toxic to cats, but this is not a large amount. It's just simply a horrible product. I would wash the product off of her now in a warm bath with Dawn dish soap. Have her seen by a vet in the morning to get a better treatment for ear mites. I hope this helps!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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