Ear mites in kittens: if the brown discharge is still appearing each day are they still there?

Question

Kitten with what seems like recurrent ear mites. He's had three doses of stronghold (which I think is the UK equivalent of frontline) and I have eardrops -all from the vet. The last dose of stronghold was 2 weeks ago and I'm still applying the eardrops because each day there are still dark brown flecky /crusty specs in his ears.

Although these are getting less each day they are still there. When are those little mites going to be gone? Does the presence of the brown flecks mean the mites are still there and breeding? Why are the stronghold and the ear drops necessary?

Answer 1

I believe that your stronghold is the equivalent of our Revolution.  I've never found the Revolution to be that good in getting rid of really bad cases of ear mites.  It can take a good three weeks of treatment before a really stubborn case is gone.  The mites have I think a 10 day life cycle - you treat the live mites, but new ones keep hatching out.  Repeated doses of a miticide will keep killing the new mites.  

Does the ear residue resemble coffee grounds?  If so, you've got live mites in there and breeding.  Keep after them, they can be stubborn things but you'll get them all eventually.

Answer 2

With my kittens it took me over a month to get rid of them completely. As long as there is brown stuff in their ears, that means there are still ear mites! It was a frustrating and long process but its defintiely well worth it. Just keep applying the ear drops and maybe talk to you vet again if they are not gone in another week or so. I had to give my kittens two treatments to get rid of them completely.