# Cats dirty eyes, ear mites?



## GregR (Oct 20, 2010)

I have heard that brown stuff in the corners of the eyes is a symptom of ear mites, which needs to be treated with ear mite medicine (pyrethrins) in the ears. Anybody know this>?


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

hiya ear mites are extremly easy for cats to catch so all cats in the household must be treated.

best thing is to pop to the vets, get a ear cleaner and clean the ears out and place Advocate (does mites/fleas/worms all in one) to the back of the neck, leave ears for about 3 weeks (or you will rub the advocate off), then re-clean them and redo the advocate, leave for 4 weeks then re clean and use advocate from then on as it does all 3 things we use it on our cats for worming/ear mites (as we use outside studs and you never know) and fleas

brill stuff 


just re-read your post you said symptom of EYES???? do you mean ears?? if not eyes do get a bit of dirt sometimes and it doesnt mean anything!


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

GregR said:


> I have heard that brown stuff in the corners of the eyes is a symptom of ear mites, which needs to be treated with ear mite medicine (pyrethrins) in the ears. Anybody know this>?


I foster shelter cats & kittens so have come across earmite quite a lot. Can't say though that I have ever noticed a realtionship between earmite and eye-gunk. I can't say categorically that this can't happen (I doubt any of us can, we are not vets) but it doesn't sound right either (if you see what I mean? Like I know the ears, nose and throat are all interconnected, in humans too, but I can't see where the ears and the eyes connect???)

if you are treating your cat for earmite and the cat seems to have any kind of abnormal eye-gunk then I would recommend a vet visit. Eyes aren't things you can take risks with.


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## Merenwenrago (Sep 5, 2010)

I think the eye dirt also depends if the cat is outside one or inside one.

So if its an inside cat with lots of eye dirt then it seems strange, but if its outside cat then its normal since they play in dirt and dust a lot.


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## Atlantys (Aug 24, 2010)

Tje said:


> Like I know the ears, nose and throat are all interconnected, in humans too, but I can't see where the ears and the eyes connect???)


They don't connect to each other, but they do both drain into the space in your head: your tear ducts drain into your nasal cavity and the Eustachian tubes go from your ears into your pharynx (which is the same 'hole' as your nasal cavity, just a bit lower - 'the back of your throat').

I know from unfortunate personal experience that it is possible to taste ear drops. :cryin:

On topic, I haven't seen a connection, but maybe it's because cats with ear-mites tend to be those that haven't been groomed or taken care of recently (I know how easy they are to catch; I'm not implying that everyone whose cat has ear-mites doesn't take care of them), so they'd also have tear-stains and crusty eyes?


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

If you do mean discharge from the eyes and not the dark specks in the ears, and if the discharge has increased recently and is a brownish colour then perhaps take a trip to the vet to rule out feline herpes conjunctivitis. But it could just be normal eye gunk.


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## pinkfluffyballs (Sep 7, 2010)

My Eric has just started getting more brown gunk in his eyes and dirtier ears, not sure whether this is related? Don't know what to do really as there are no mites, i've had a good check.


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## Atlantys (Aug 24, 2010)

pinkfluffyballs said:


> My Eric has just started getting more brown gunk in his eyes and dirtier ears, not sure whether this is related? Don't know what to do really as there are no mites, i've had a good check.


Some cats need more help with cleaning their faces (and therefore their eyes) than others - especially boys, in my experience - and, unless they've got a girl cat to hold them down and insist that their ears get cleaned *now* :lol:, their ears stay dirty. It must be hard to clean inside those ears with just the side of their paws.

I consider it maintenance along with claw-clipping: I remove sleep from the corners of eyes as necessary (sometimes daily, sometimes more or less often depending on the cat), and clean ears when they start to look grubby, probably about monthly, if that.

You can use a damp, warm-but-not-hot ball of cotton wool, or a special dog and cat ear-cleaner, as you choose.


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Atlantys said:


> They don't connect to each other, but they do both drain into the space in your head: your tear ducts drain into your nasal cavity and the Eustachian tubes go from your ears into your pharynx (which is the same 'hole' as your nasal cavity, just a bit lower - 'the back of your throat').
> 
> I know from unfortunate personal experience that it is possible to taste ear drops. :cryin:
> 
> On topic, I haven't seen a connection, but maybe it's because cats with ear-mites tend to be those that haven't been groomed or taken care of recently (I know how easy they are to catch; I'm not implying that everyone whose cat has ear-mites doesn't take care of them), so they'd also have tear-stains and crusty eyes?


I use blue eye drops in my eyes when I am flying... and if I blow my nose after using them, the snot is blue. (TMI? lol)

I have never noticed cats with earmites are more prone to dirty eyes. I must ask in the shleter if they see this.


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## Atlantys (Aug 24, 2010)

Tje said:


> I use blue eye drops in my eyes when I am flying... and if I blow my nose after using them, the snot is blue. (TMI? lol)


:lol: I have to ask: what blue eye-drops, and _why_?


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Atlantys said:


> :lol: I have to ask: what blue eye-drops, and _why_?


Theyre called Optrex Blue Eyedew and its because for some reason my eyes get ever so red and inflamed during long flights, that "road map of Great Britain" look. Without them I look like a sad old drunk, lol, and I dont even drink. (besides, my OH loves it when I share my blue snot stories with him  )


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## Atlantys (Aug 24, 2010)

:lol::lol:

Mine do the same, and I fly home (usually at least 20 hours of flights and waiting) at least once a year, as well as travel around, so maybe I should look into them,?

There's something about the idea that's making me squick slightly, though.  How blue is blue?


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

Atlantys said:


> :lol::lol:
> 
> Mine do the same, and I fly home (usually at least 20 hours of flights and waiting) at least once a year, as well as travel around, so maybe I should look into them,?
> 
> There's something about the idea that's making me squick slightly, though.  How blue is blue?


oh gawd @ 20 hours

the drops themselves are blue... but they don't make your eyes blue... they just make the white whiter, and remove the road-map look (and ok, cos I love hearing myself say it... they make your snot blue too )

I swear by them for flying.... it's feels good too when you put them in, that stingy dry-eye feeling goes away in about 30 seconds.

Here's the website for optrex blue eyedew (and honestly I don't work for them) 
Optrex Eye Care Advice: Eyedew information
if you look under the "range" tab... their "brightening" drops and "red eye" drops are good too... but I prefer the heavy-duty blue eyedew for long flights.


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## charleecat (Nov 26, 2009)

Are there any other signs for ear mites? Charlee keeps wanting me to scratch her ears, top of head and her cheeks all the time?


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

charleecat said:


> Are there any other signs for ear mites? Charlee keeps wanting me to scratch her ears, top of head and her cheeks all the time?


blackish dark brown (coffee ground like) substance in the inside of the ears.


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## Atlantys (Aug 24, 2010)

Tje said:


> oh gawd @ 20 hours
> 
> the drops themselves are blue... but they don't make your eyes blue... they just make the white whiter, and remove the road-map look (and ok, cos I love hearing myself say it... they make your snot blue too )
> 
> ...


Sorry I missed this the other day, Tje.  Thanks for the advice: sounds like a great idea. I hate that feeling. I'll go look at their website right now.


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