Have you noticed your dog scratches it’s ears excessively and shakes its head? Your dog might be suffering from ear mite infestation. So how to treat ear mites in dogs might be alarming and worrisome, but it’s not as dangerous as ticks, heartworm, or rabies.
However, ear mites can cause a lot of discomfort to your pets and make them scratch themselves sore. Fortunately, ear mites are easy to treat after diagnosis. Below you will find out how to treat ear mites in dogs. Here is a good post on the kinds of mites are found on dogs.
What are Ear Mites?
Ear mites are tiny parasites that live inside and around the ear canal. They feed on ear wax and oil. These bugs are hard to see with the naked eye, but you can see them with a microscope or otoscope.
The ear mite belongs to the Psoroptidae family, a class of parasitic mites that only lives on the skin’s surface. The ear mite is highly contagious and infests several animals, including dogs, rabbits, cats, and ferrets. They can infest one ear but most often affect both ears.
What Causes Ear Mites in Dogs?
Your pet will most likely get ear mites from another infested pet. Mites can pass quickly between animals. So even spending a short time with another pet can be long enough to get infested.
What are the Symptoms of Ear Mites?
Ear mites are hard to see with the naked eye, so it’s easier to look for symptoms than mites. One of the first symptoms you will notice is a severe itch. Mites cause irritation that makes your dog very itchy. Signs of ear mite infestation are:
- Ear, head, and neck scratching.
- Head shaking
- Skin lesions and, perhaps, secondary skin infections
- Dark and waxy discharge from the ear
- Hair loss
These symptoms are not peculiar to ear mite infestation. They are also common symptoms of other parasitic infections. Hence, when you notice these signs, book an appointment with your vet. The vet doctor will examine the dog to know its suffering.
How To Diagnose Ear Mites in Dogs
Ear mite symptoms are like ear infections, so it’s best to consult the vet. The vet will need to check your dog’s ear canal for any sign of mites using an otoscope. The doctor can take an ear swab to examine the ear discharge for signs of mite egg and adult mites.
Sometimes, the vet may decide to run ear cytology to find out if there is a bacterial or yeast infection. This will enable the doctor to give an accurate prescription for your dog.
If your dog has become very sore from intense itching, it may be challenging to stay still. In such cases, the vet must sedate your pet during the examination and initial treatment.
How to Treat Ear Mites in Dogs
There are several ways to treat dog ear mites. Treatment could be topical, injected, or oral. Usually, your vet will start by cleaning your dog’s ear canal. They may also apply topical antiparasitic medications. Cleaning the ear reduces mites, debris, and build-ups, making the drug more effective.
The vet will show you how to apply the medication since you must use it for weeks. The vet may also recommend a single-dose medication. There’s no single method that works. Your veterinary doctor will decide on what medication is best for your dog’s peculiar situation.
However, treatment doesn’t end with medication. Getting infested with ear mites will become an endless cycle if you don’t take extra measures.
If you have more than one pet, ensure they all get treated. Doing so will prevent them from reinfecting each other. You also need to clean the house and do a thorough cleaning of your pets’ bedding, carpets, and food bowls.
Can Humans Get Ear Mites from Dogs?
While it’s uncommon for humans to get infested by ear mites, it’s not impossible. Ear mites hop from animal to animal so that they can also infest humans. This is more likely if the person is in close contact with an infested pet.
Sharing furniture with an infested dog can lead to transmission. When the mite gets separated from its host, it needs a new host and can cling to you. If you have gotten ear mites from your dog, it’s best to see a doctor for an examination.
How to Prevent Ear Mites in Dogs
It’s challenging to prevent ear mites in dogs, especially if your dog goes on outdoor trips, like walks. But taking safety measures will reduce the chances of an infestation. Here are a few ways to prevent ear mites in dogs:
Regular cleanup:
Wash bedding, food bowls, and toys in hot water regularly. Tumble dry the bedding to remove any mites that may cling to it. Also, clean their sleeping area to make it inhabitable for mites.
Keep your dogs away from infested pets
It’s hard to know which pet has ear mites because these parasites are tiny. So, you should be on the lookout for those exhibiting symptoms of ear mite infestation. Also, keep your dogs away from unfamiliar pets.
Preventative treatments
Can help reduce the risk of ear mite infestation. Some monthly flea treatments can also keep mites away. However, ensure you meet your vet for a prescription.
Check your dog's ears regularly
Clean you pet’s ears with a good ear cleaner. Here is one of the best selling ear cleaners you will find. This will help you treat ear mites in your dog.
How to Treat Ear Mites in Dogs Conclusion
Ear mites are highly contagious parasites that infest dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals. They cause severe itching, scratching of the ears and neck, head shaking, and hair loss.
If you suspect your dog has an ear mite infestation, take it to the vet for a proper diagnosis. Your vet will then prescribe medication for your furry pet. Usually, this could be a single-dose medication, topical or oral treatment, or injection. Of course, you could purchase a very high ranked treatment online here.
Miteinfestaion.com blog was started to help others deal with the problems of Mites, bed bugs, fleas, ticks and other small, often unseen critters that give us problems. We hope these articles are a help to you as you deal with these types of issues. Any product or service we provide on these pages have been proven to work. We are solely reader supported so we may receive a small percentage as an affiliate of Amazon and other companies.
[…] Ear mites’ infestation can also allow a secondary yeast or bacterial infection to occur in your dog’s ear. Using a microscope, your vet can confirm the presence of ear mites by examining a sample from a dog’s ear canal. Here is more information on ear mites in dogs. […]
[…] Ear mites’ presence in your cat’s ear will cause intense itching. This often leads to inflammation of the external ear canal. Your cat will also shake its head, trying to eliminate the mites. You will notice a dark waxy substance in the ear, created by their droppings and carcasses. Extreme itching can lead to ear damage. Same thing happens to dogs. […]