Cats can develop yeast infections of the ears, anal sacs, rectum and vagina, as well as on the skin of their bodies, according to Vetinfo. This infection causes your cat's skin to become red, inflamed, itchy, flaky, and smell foul, causing it discomfort. It can lead to hair loss, acne or dandruff. After taking your cat to the vet to correctly diagnose your cat's ailment as a yeast infection, you can treat your cat's infection with certain medications, shampoos or natural cures to provide relief for it.
Things You'll Need
- Antifungal shampoo
- White vinegar
- Water
- Acetic acid wipes
- Olive oil
- Dropper
- Cotton balls
- Cotton swabs
- Antifungal cream
- Antifungal or antibiotic ear drops
Instructions
Wash your cat using a shampoo containing an antifungal ingredient, such as miconazole, chlorhexidine or ketoconazole. Shampoos like Nizoral, Selsun Blue or Malaseb contain anti-yeast ingredients. Bathe your cat twice per week with the shampoo, leaving it sit on their skin for at least 15 minutes before you rinse it off, according to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center.
Wipe the yeast infected area of your cat's skin if the yeast is located only on a small portion of your cat's skin. You do not have to bathe your entire cat to treat a small area; simply wipe the area with an acetic acid wipe, or spray the area with a product such as Douxo. To treat the area naturally, you can also use a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. Place the solution on a cotton ball, and wipe your cat with it.
Clean your cat's ears with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water if they have a yeast infection of the ear, according to Earth Clinic Folk Remedies. Fold back your cat's ear and use a cotton ball soaked in the solution to gently lift the wax and other debris away. You can also use the dropper to insert a few drops of the vinegar solution into the ear canal, gently massage the base of the ear so the solution goes in, and then wipe away any wax that may come out with a cotton ball. Do this once per day until the infection clears up (the vinegar kills the yeast).
Add three to seven drops of almond or olive oil to your cat's ears daily, in addition to cleaning them with vinegar, if your cat suffers from ear mites, according to Pictures of Cats. The ear mites can cause a yeast infection in the ear and you must kill the mites to prevent the yeast infection from worsening. The oil will kill the mites. Follow this procedure for three to four weeks to completely eliminate the mites.
Administer any antibiotic ear drops your veterinarian gives you after cleaning out your cat's ears. Follow the dosing instructions of the medication, fold your cat's ear back and drop the medication into the ear canal, massaging the drops into the ear.
Give your cat an oral medication, such as ketoconazole or itraconazole, if prescribed by your veterinarian to kill the yeast. Mash the medication and add to your cat's canned cat food. If your cat will not eat the medication, hold it with one arm and open its mouth, while using your other hand to administer the pill. Close your cats mouth and massage its chin to encourage it to swallow the medication.
Rub an antifungal cream on your cat's coat if it will not allow bathing or bathing becomes difficult. You may need to use an e-collar to prevent your cat from licking the medication off of its skin after application if the infection covers a large portion of your cat's body.