Treatment of feline otitis externa due to Otodectes cynotis and complicated by secondary bacterial and fungal infections with Oridermyl auricular ointment.

A blinded randomized study was conducted on 24 cats to confirm the presence of bacterial and/or fungal secondary infections associated with otoacariasis and to verify the efficacy of Oridermyl, an acaricidal/antibiotic/antifungal/anti-inflammatory ointment, for treatment of the primary infestation and secondary infections. Sixteen cats were treated once daily for 10 d; 4 cats were not treated and 4 were treated with a placebo ointment. On Days 0 and 10, ears were swabbed for counts of bacteria and yeasts, for bacterial culture and sensitivity, and examined for determination of the degree of clinical otitis. Auricular secretions were removed for mite counts on Day 10, except for 8 treated cats that were done on Day 30. There was a high number of bacteria and yeasts in most cats and Oridermyl treatment significantly decreased those numbers. Staphylococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. No live ear mites were found in cats treated with Oridermyl or the placebo ointment.