Ear Infections: a Painful Reality #BayerExpertCare #ad

Many of you have heard this story, but it bears repeating.
When we adopted Maxwell five years ago, we didn't know that he was profoundly deaf.

Our first photo of Maxwell, sitting on my lap during the adoption process.

We also quickly discovered he was one sick kitty. The very evening we adopted him, we ended up at the emergency vet.

Diagnosis: Kennel Cough. Wow, really?

At the time, I thought that was a disease associated with dogs. Kennel Cough is the common name for respiratory infections often found in shelter animals, specifically in the windpipe and lungs ("tracheobronchitis"). And - though rare - it can infect cats as well as dogs.

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This post is sponsored by Bayer^® ExpertCare^™ and the BlogPaws Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Bayer ExpertCare products but A Tonk's Tail only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer ExpertCare is not responsible for the content of this article.                          ____________________

[While this is a sponsored post, it also has important educational information for volunteers who work with shelter animals. It's something I've been hoping to share with you for a while now, and I'm glad Bayer has provided the opportunity to do so.] 

Kennel Cough got its nickname because it's commonly found in companion animals being kenneled in a shelter. Being kenneled is stressful on any animal, more so with cats than dogs. And numerous studies have found that stress plays a key role in immune suppression. Animals with suppressed immunity are more susceptible to diseases like Kennel Cough.

They're also susceptible to another, equally painful condition, an opportunistic disease also found in immune-suppressed animals.  

And the emergency vet failed to find it, despite a question we asked that I believe should have led to its discovery.

Is Maxwell deaf?

The emergency vet snapped her fingers behind Maxie's head, clapped a few times, then looked up and told us, "Looks like he might be, but it's hard to tell." And then she sent us home.

That night, I noticed an awful smell emanating from this new kitty cuddled up next to me in bed. The next morning, Maxie got a bath, much to his chagrin. Yet still, he smelled.

"Momma, let's talk about me and bath time. I think you might be a teensy bit obsessed with that.
My FUR didn't smell. My EARS did."

Maxie's regular vet diagnosed it early Monday morning after I took him in "to be groomed" (because obviously the bath I gave him was inadequate). Our vet leaned down, took one sniff and told me he didn't need a bath. He needed medication.

Maxwell had a raging ear infection.

Ear infections are opportunistic fellows. They are very painful and can lead to deafness. They're tenacious, too. It took five months - five months - of daily treatment before Maxie finally was declared infection-free.

That day, he was given a thorough ear wash, then sent home with antibiotics and antifungal treatments, both oral and in ear drop form.

So, here's my question to you....

How often do you
examine your cat's ears?  

What about in the shelter where you volunteer? Shelter medical staff often rely on the observations of volunteers to help them catch disease early on.

I've made it a habit to check each shelter cat I visit for dirty ears. I also lean in and check for any foul odor. I'd encourage you to, as well. If there's debris or an odor, let shelter staff know.

And in your own cats, if you see wax, dirt, or other debris, then it's probably time for a cleaning.

No, Faraday. Not THAT type of cleaning. You should NEVER stick a Q-Tip in ANY pet's ear!

I like what I see in the ingredients label on the Bayer^® ExpertCare^™ Ear Care Rinse and if I could, I would use it on Maxwell. But Maxie's case is special - he has a birth defect. He was born without an eardrum. So any ear drops I gave him would bypass the outer ear and go straight into his middle ear.

So instead of a product review, this is me advocating for both a heightened awareness of the signs of ear infection in cats, as well as the responsible use of safe ear rinse products. And Bayer^® ExpertCare^™ Ear Care Rinse is one of them. 

Please don't try a home remedy without thoroughly researching it first! The Merck Veterinary Manual cautions against using home remedies and vinegar dilutions, stating they cause swelling of the ear canal lining, which will predispose your cat to opportunistic infections.

And if your cat does end up with an ear infection, you may be advised by your vet to routinely cleanse your cat's ears to prevent a recurrance. Should that happen, it's important to know how to do this, what to use, and how often. (Merck also noted that owners can be too aggressive when cleaning, causing trauma to the ear.)

A product like Bayer ExpertCare Ear Cleansing Rinse is safe for use on cats. Some home remedies are NOT.

Bayer's Ear Cleansing Rinse contains Salicyclic Acid, which reduces swelling & redness. It contains Benzoic Acid, which is an antifungal agent. And it contains Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate Surfactant, which is a cleansing and emulsifying agent. And it can be purchased at your local PetSmart or on PetSmart.com.


If you want to read more about ear infections in cats,
here are links to a few articles by veterinarians and experts:

Vetstreet.com: Chronic Ear Infections
VCA Hospitals: Ear Infections in Cats
Merck Veterinary Manual: Overview of Otitis Externa

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#BayerExpertCare Makes Great Holiday Gift for Shelters #ad

Maxwell: Uhh, Momma? What's that bottle doing sitting next to me? Should I be worried?
Me: Only if you enjoy dry, itchy skin in the winter, baby.

Faraday: Seriouslies, Maxie You have dandruff.
Maxwell: You say that like it's a bad thing....

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This post is sponsored by Bayer^® ExpertCare^™ and the BlogPaws Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Bayer ExpertCare products but A Tonk's Tail only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer ExpertCare is not responsible for the content of this article.

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So it's mid-December, we're way past the freezing point here in the Midwest, and the furnace is drying everything out. My hands, my lips, my nose, Maxie's fur.... TMI...

Maxie is still enjoying his soft coat from the Cleansing Foam we've been using on him. Seriously, he's even softer than usual, and I'm loving it. But I have to say, the poor guy still has BED-fur.

And unlike bedhead, BED stands for Back End Dandruff. It gets worse in the winter. He does end up scratching a bit more, too, thanks to our We-Need-a-Humidifier home making him all dry and itchy.

Active ingredients: oatmeal + Omega-6 fatty acids

So I thought I might try out some Bayer^® ExpertCare™ Itch Relief Spray on his backside. this spray is specially formulated for cats by Bayer. You know me: I had to go check out the ingredients first.

The active ingredient, Pramoxine HCl, is actually a topical antiseptic found in a lot of over the counter medications like Caladryl for poison ivy and Neosporin for treating cuts.

According to the single medical study I found, "Ingestion of a pramoxine-containing topical product did not produce significant clinical effects that warranted direct medical attention" in humans or in animals. And then I found the data, and ran the numbers. Suffice it to say Maxie would have to chug the stuff - which he'd never do - before there would be cause for concern.

As far as colloidal oatmeal and Omega-6 fatty acids are concerned? If you enjoy geeking out on research like I do (wait, what's that I hear? crickets?) you should read this National Institutes of Health article on colloidal oatmeal. Oh, and Omaga-6 fatty acids? Way too many great articles to post - here's just one example.

The aforementioned dandruff, for all to see

At any rate, here's how you use it: it works best if you spray on skin, not fur, and work it in a bit. So I parted Maxie's skin, received a bit of advice from my nosy helper and applied it.

Faraday: your technique could use some improvement, Mommy. (Everyone's a critic!)

To be honest, Max didn't need much help on the itch relief front, but I know a few shelter cats who could really benefit from this. Including a poor kitty named Mike at Great Plains SPCA who has to wear a sweater to keep him from over-scratching!

In fact, flea bite sensitivity is the most common skin disease diagnosed in cats. Since many cats that find their way to a shelter have fleas, Bayer's ExpertCare Itch Relief Spray would be a very welcome addition to a gift basket for your shelter.

If you're interested in gifting a bottle to your shelter this holiday season, you can only find it at your local PetSmart, or online at petsmart.com.

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Lounger Sneak Attack with #BayerExpertCare #ad

So a few days ago, this happened:

Maxwell: "uh, Momma, why are you pointing that thing at me?"

This post is sponsored by Bayer® ExpertCare™ and the BlogPaws Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Bayer ExpertCare products but A Tonk's Tail only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer ExpertCare is not responsible for the content of this article.

You know, I haven't bathed Maxie since the day we got him as a 6 month old kitten.
Yeah, I'm totally outing myself.

Have you ever bathed your cat?

Poor little guy - I really thought he needed it at the time. He smelled awful. Turns out he had a wicked bad ear infection. Two, actually. And the smell was coming from his ears.

But it sure made his coat nice and fluffy! When the opportunity arose to check out the ExpertCare Coat Cleansing Foam I thought, why not?

So I went over to PetSmart and bought it. The product details describe it as 'a convenient, leave-in moisturizing foam that’s great for use on water-reluctant cats.'

Okay, confession time. Marty suggested we review this, because in his words, "Max is scruffy, and Allie stinks."

Okay, I agree, he could have put it more delicately.

Uhm, if I were him, I'd check my shoes before putting them on for the next few weeks....

Marty's reasoning aside, I've noticed that for the past year or two, Maxie's had a little problem with dandruff. Wonder if that is caused by his being a kibble-addict for so many years?

(I still pinch myself - yes, after three months, Maxie's still eating wet food! *happy dance*)

At any rate, that's my more politically-correct reason for selecting the Coat Cleansing Foam. (See? No use of the word "scruffy" anywhere and the cats aren't glaring at me. Oh look...Marty is.)

The first thing I did was look at the ingredients list. Have you ever heard of the Environmental Working Group's site? I use it a lot (you type in your ingredient in the search box at the top). You can search for virtually any ingredient and the EWG will rate it, based on various health concerns.

The ExpertCare Coat Cleansing Foam gets an A+.

Testing out a cleansing foam had me curious about the products we use to keep clean in all aspects of our lives. Since the dawn of time, civilizations have been using natural oils to create a surfactant to lift dirt and grime from a surface.

(Okay, yeah, I googled that. And then got sucked in to a kind of fascinating study on the origin of cleansers. Really, you do not want to know what the Romans used in theirs. Ewwww.)

I was totally okay with everything in the Coat Cleansing Foam: a sodium salt, amino acids from apple juice, paper bark tea tree oil, vegetable oil, pumpkin seed extract. Yeah, I was totally okay with it. And I assume that the oils are the ingredients in the description where it says the foam "supports skin hydration and helps manage bad odor while supporting hair coat shine."

"Uh, did we agree to this? I don't recall getting a vote.." But... he called you SCRUFFY, Maxie.

The scent was pleasant, and the foam worked its way into Maxie's coat easily, leaving no oily residue.
In fact, Max didn't feel overly wet, either. It was almost like a foam moisturizing leave-in treatment.

Maxie was very patient with me, so I'm guessing that it didn't really feel like he was getting soaked.

I've applied it to Maxie twice now, and I could tell a difference after the first application. His fur was softer to the touch, it laid more smoothly and he smelled nice.

Sleek, shiny, handsome mancat, ready to be huffed! Any takers?

Not sure if you can tell from the photo, but I sure can. His flank is definitely sleeker.
It'll be interesting to see how it helps with his dandruff, especially during the dry winter months.

Overall, I was very pleased with how easily I could apply this - and how quickly it dried. And how smooth his coat feels, too.

And no, I'm not going near Allie. I think that's a job for her father. Don't you?

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