Can I use human antibiotic ear drops for my cat's ear infection?

All medications can have side effects. Different antibiotics can cause GI upset like inappetance, vomiting and diarrhea. Ear drops can be irritating to the ear canal and several have the potential to cause deafness but this is usually transient. If your cat is not improving within a few days I would recommend a recheck with your veterinarian. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

No, cortisone drops alone will not treat a bacterial infection. Many ear drops have a combination of cortisone along with an antibiotic and/or an antifungal medication, so it's possible that this is the type of ear drop that was prescribed. If you have the specific name of the drop, we can tell you for sure what's in it :)

Usually antibiotic ear drops should not interfere with oral antibiotics. However, most antibiotics that are given orally should also work for an ear infection. She may not have a bacterial ear infection, but may have ear mites or a fungal infection or allergies. In that case the antibiotic ear drops will not work. It is advisable to have your veterinarian examine her ears again to determine which type of infection she has, if any, (she may also have a foreign body in her ear canal, such as a blade of grass!). If your veterinarian said to go ahead with the drops, then you did nothing wrong. However if the drops do not help, you need to take Bella in for an exam.

Gentamycin is a common ingredient in ear medications. There is a small risk of damaging the hearing, especially if the ear drum is not intact. When I diagnose an ear infection in a pet, I recommend a two-part treatment. The first is with a cleaner to remove any debris; I like DECHRA DermaPet Malacetic Otic. This is important as ear medications need to contact the skin of the ear and if there is ear wax or other debris in the way, then the medications can't work. After the ears are dry, you can apply the medication. Ears typically need to be treated twice a day for 7-10 days. Cats can commonly get ear mites that may look like an ear infection. If you have not treated Melcho for ear mites, I recommend doing so now. If the ear infection does not resolve after using an ear cleaner and the Dexoryl within a week, then Melcho should see the vet as he could have a resistant bacteria growing, yeast infection, parasites, or even a polyp causing problems deep in his ear. I cannot find a list of ingredients for the Trixie ear drops, so I cannot tell you if they would be helpful.

He really needs to be examined by a vet before treating him with any medications. He could have an ear infection that needs treatment but he could also have vestibular disease. If he gets stressed by going to the vet then you could try and find a mobile vet to come to your house and examine him. I don't recommend treating him with oral antibiotics since the exact cause has not been determined.

My short answer is no. Cats are very small compared to humans and the dosing is completely different. This is not a safe approach. Plus, antibiotics should never be given without a prescription by a veterinarian, as inappropriate use can lead to bacterial resistance, which can cause more serious problems. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ear mites and underlying allergic disease (that can predispose to recurrent ear infections) are possible and should be ruled out. A physical and otoscopic examination of the ear canal are enough to rule them out. Bacterial swabs and culture can be used as well to rule out resistant infections. I would recommend to discuss all these options with your veterinarian. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.