Treating Ear Mites In Dogs
If you are a dog owner, you’ll almost certainly have to deal with ear mites at least once and probably more than once in your dog’s lifetime since ear mites in dogs are moderately common. These tiny parasites look like small crabs and are barely detectable with the naked eye. They like to hang around in your dog’s ear canals where they dine on the fluids and dead skin from the ear tissue.
Although a single ear mite is not that noticeable, they rarely travel alone and they multiply like rabbits. Chances are that if you happen to notice one ear mite, there are probably dozens if not hundreds that you are not seeing. While the ear mites themselves are white in color, the ear mites leave black droppings in the dog’s ear that looks almost like dirt, and the droppings cause itchiness to the ear. If you see your dog shaking or scratching his ears constantly, you should take him to a veterinarian to see if the cause is ear mites.
Ear mites are extremely contagious. They easily pass from one animal to another. If your dog is diagnosed with ear mites, chances are that other pets you may have in the same household will have ear mites, too, and you should have them checked out as well. You don’t have to worry, though; humans won’t catch ear mites from their dog.
Although, dog ear mites are contagious, they do live a sheltered existence living their whole life on one dog. While they normally stay around the inside of a dog’s ear, sometimes they do spread to the surrounding skin and even take up residence as far away as the feet and tail.
Luckily, once discovery, ear mites in dogs are easily treated. Once you suspect your dog has them, get him to see the veterinarian. It’s important that your veterinarian diagnose the problem since there could be other ear problems that can cause the same symptoms. Once the ear mite diagnosis is made, then a few simple steps are taken to eradicate them.
In treating ear mites in dogs, the first thing your veterinarian will do is to flush out the dog’s ear canals. This is critical as it gets rid of any buildup in the ears that would limit the effectiveness of the medications used to kill off the ear mites. Needless to say, it’s best that you don’t try flushing your dog’s ears yourself or use home remedy for dog ear mites.
The next step can be done by you at home and consists of medicated ear drops that will kill the mites. The mediation is usually put in the dog’s ears once or twice a day. The drops contain an insecticide which kills the mites. Treatment might continue anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks depending on the particular medication your veterinarian has prescribed.
Ear mites in dogs are common affliction but are easily treated. However, conditions can become serious if left untreated for a long period of time. If you suspect your dog has ear mites, take you dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible to have the problem checked out to prevent it from getting out of control.