How can I tell if my dog has mites
Ear Mites in Dogs
What Are Ear Mites in Dogs?
Ear mites are highly contagious parasites that live inside and around ear canals. The dog ear mite belongs to the Psoroptidae family, which is a group of parasitic mites that live on the surface of the skin rather than burrowing into it, as some types of mites do.
Their scientific name is Otodectes cynotis. They tend to be less than half of a millimeter long and can be seen best under a microscope. These mites affect various species, including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, and occasionally livestock.
Symptoms of Ear Mites in Dogs
Ear mites cause an intense itch. The most common symptoms of a dog ear mite infection include:
Scratching and rubbing at the ears
Shaking the head
Dark discharge from the ears
Hair loss, skin lesions, and secondary skin infections, which can develop around the ears, head, and neck from all the scratching and rubbing
Bacterial and yeast ear infectionscan look like ear mite infestations. If you suspect something is up with your dogs ears, contact your veterinarian for an exam.
Causes of Ear Mites in Dogs
Dogs get ear mites by being around other animals that are infested with these parasites.
To understand how dogs get ear mites, its important to understand the mite life cycle. Adult mites lay eggs that mature into larvae, grow through two stages of nymphs, and then become adults. It takes about three weeks for an egg to become a full-grown ear mite.Adult mites can live for approximately two months.
The mites feed on your dogs ear and skin surface debris, which causes inflammation and irritation. The mite is transmitted from one animal to another through physical contact.
Because ear mites are so contagious, you must treat all susceptible animals in your home simultaneously to eliminate them, even if just one pet is diagnosed.
How Vets Diagnose Ear Mites
A dog with an ear infection can have the same symptoms (scratching and ear discharge) as a dog with ear mites. Thats why its important to see your veterinarian for help with diagnosis and treatment.
Making a diagnosis allows for appropriate medication for treatment. Using the wrong medication can be dangerous and/or cause discomfort to your petplus, its a waste of time and money. And if your dogs eardrum is ruptured, only certain medications can be used, which is why seeing the vet is oh-so-important.
For an official diagnosis, your veterinarian will typically look in your dogs ears with an otoscope and take an ear swab to look for both mite eggs and adult mites under a microscope. Your vet may also run an ear cytology to rule out secondary or concurrent bacterial or yeast infections. Sometimes a skin scrape will also reveal the mite.
Ear Mite Treatment for Dogs
Treatment for ear mites in dogs involves both cleaning the ears and giving the dog medication.
Cleaning your dogs ear canalremoves debris and buildup, allows medication to be more effective, and helps return the ear canal to normal, healthy tissue. Your vet will clean your dogs ear and show you how to clean them yourself at home, if needed.
Medication for ear mites can include:
While some of the topical medications for your dogs ear canal can be single-use, others must be applied daily for seven to 30 days. Your veterinarian will make a medication decision based on your pets individual situation.
Treatment also requires that all household pets receive medicine so they dont continue to reinfect each other. Ask your veterinarian about appropriate treatments specific to each of your pets.
Recovery and Management of Dog Ear Mites
Most dogs make a relatively quick, uneventful recovery from ear mites, although some dogs might have an ongoing battle with the pesky mites. Veterinarians may recommend a follow-up examination to make sure that a dogs ears are back to normal. If theyre not, the vet will provide additional treatments.
Sometimes theres residual debris in your dogs ear canal that needs to be flushed. And if theres also a bacterial or yeast infection, your vet may need to prescribe additional medication or a different medication to address the infection.
Future ear mite infestations can also be prevented with many of the same products that are used to prevent fleas, ticks, and other types of parasites.
After treatment, continue to check your dogs ears regularly for signs of ear mites or other problems. Look for discharge or redness within the ear canal, and headshaking or scratching around the ears.
Ear Mites in Dogs FAQs
Can humans get ear mites from dogs?
Yes, humans can get ear mites from an infected dog. Its not common, but its possible. More frequently, other pets in the home get infected with the ear mites from a contagious dog.
What home remedy kills ear mites in dogs?
Little research has been done to examine the safety and effectiveness of home remedies for dog ear mites. Since there are so many safe and effective medications readily available, you should always see your veterinarian to prescribe a medication for treatment.
Will tea tree oil kill ear mites in dogs?
Do not use tea tree oil on your dog or put it in their ear. Undiluted tea tree oil should never be given to dogs, as it can be very toxic. Although diluted tea tree oil is thought to have some antibacterial and antifungal properties,it can cause burning, stinging, and damage to an inflamed ear.
Because there are safe, proven products available to treat ear mites in dogs, you should have your veterinarian prescribe one of those instead.
Does hydrogen peroxide kill ear mites in dogs?
Hydrogen peroxide can be very painful when used in inflamed ears. It can also slow healing and damage sensitive tissues. Do not use hydrogen peroxide to treat dog ear mites.
What medication kills ear mites in dogs?
There are many products known to kill ear mites in dogs, including:
Your veterinarian can recommend the right product based on your dogs particular needs.
References
Brooks, W.
Featured Image: iStock/skynesher
Brooks, W.
Featured Image: iStock/skynesher
WRITTEN BY
Amanda Simonson, DVMVeterinarian
I am a veterinarian passionate about helping animals. I practiced for 15 years in the hospital setting doing medicine, surgery, preventive...
Recognising and Treating Dog Mites
Demodectic mange is a serious skin complaint that causes hair loss, reddening, sore areas, scaling, crusting, lesions and the darkening of chronically affected skin. It usually affects younger dogs and can be very serious if left untreated.
Can dog mites affect humans?
Mites typically only prefer one species; however, some can also infect humans if they come within close contact with the mite. The most common dog mites which can affect humans are sarcoptic dog mites, these are highly contagious and can cause itchiness and inflammation.
Dog mite symptoms
If you notice the following symptoms in your dog, they may have mites:
- Hair loss (either in patches, or all over their coat).
- Dandruff.
- Excessive scratching.
- Visible irritation, such as red skin.
- You may even be able to see mites on their skin part the fur and look closely.
Diagnosing mites in dogs
You might get clues as to whether your dog has mites by carefully studying their skin. If theyre scratching, biting, or chewing themselves excessively you might suspect they have mites, and take a closer look.
Your vet, however, is the best person to diagnose mites in your dog. They will be able to tell what kind of mites your dog has, and how they should be treated.
Your vet will usually diagnose mites by studying a piece of skin or hair under the microscope. Taking samples is a quick and usually pain-free procedure. This will help your vet identify the type of mite affecting your dog.
Dog mites treatment
The good news is that most mite infestations can be effectively treated.
Your vet may prescribe medicine or a spot-on to help get rid of the infestation, or sometimes a wash or shampoo. Sometimes more than one dog mite treatment will be used at a time, and they may have to be administered for a while. The best thing you can do is be patient and persevere and soon your dog will be mite-free!
How do dogs get mites?
Dogs can pick up mites from a number of places. They are often passed from dog to dog, but they can come from their environment too.The precise why in which they are transmitted depends on the type of mite.
Your dog may catch mites if they come into contact with another dog who has them. Typicallythis will be another dog in the household, but can also bein places such as an animal shelter or grooming establishment. Your dog may also pick them up from another dog when youre out and about on a walk.
Dog mites may also continue to live in the environment, such as in their bed or in the carpet, after they or another dog have been contaminated. Your dog can then pick them up again, which is why you should make sure everything is clean and mite-free after a known infestation.
How to prevent dog mites
The best way to prevent dog mites is to ensure they dont come into contact with a dog who has them. This can be tricky, as you wont always know, but keep an eye out if they come into contact with an unfamiliar dog.
If you dog has been treated for mites, wash their bedding and check that their surrounding environment has been cleaned, as this can help prevent re-infestation. And, of course, if your dog has mites make sure they dont pass them on usually by keeping them away from other dogs until theyve been treated.
If you'd like to know more about preventing and treating skin conditions in dogs, check out our easy guide to dog skin problems. Or find out more about treating ticks,fleas and other parasites on dogs.
Ear Mites In Dogs: What Owners Need To Know
If your dog is shaking and scratching his head, it may be becauseOtodectes cynotishas taken up residence in his ear canal. The bugs Latin name translates as ear beggar of the dog. It is an arachnid, in the same family as spiders and ticks.
The name perfectly describes what these tiny creatures do, which is to feed on wax and oils in your dogs ears. Their presence causes itching and that makes the dogs scratch. While the parasites themselves dont bite skin, the secondary damage caused by scratching can be serious.
So its important to move quickly to clear up ear mite infestations as soon as you suspect them.
What are the symptoms of dog ear mites?
- Itching: The first sign of an ear mite infestation may be your dog scratching his head.
- Dark, crumbly reddish-brown discharge: This is often composed of dried blood and will resemble coffee grounds.
- Wounds, inflammation, and infections: The scratching may lead to cuts and infections in the ear. The most common sign of a mite infestation is a scab or abrasion at the base of the ear, which is the result of a dog scratching with his hind limb claws. Bacteria can infect the open wounds, leading to infection.
- In heavy infestations, ear mites may start to invade other parts of the dogs body.
What should you do if you suspect dog ear mites?
Its important to eradicate ear mites as soon as possible, for the good of the infected dog and your other pets. Ear mites can easily spread to cats and ferrets, as well as other dogs. In the wild, they have also been found in foxes. If one animal in a household is diagnosed with mites, all pets should be treated at the same time. These mites can spread to humans, but this is very rare.
Although there are recipes for home remedies on the Web, it is wiser to visit your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis and treatment. There are several other ear conditions that mimic mite infestations, so you want to make sure your treatment plan is on target.
Also, dogs with itchy painful ears will resist treatment and handling. These dogs may require the helping hands of a vet tech or, in extreme cases, sedation.
How are ear mites treated?
The first thing the vet will do is examine the ear canal and the discharges from the ear for the presence of mites. They can be easily spotted by your veterinarian with the aid of an otoscope.
The next step would be a thorough ear cleaning for your dog. That will be followed by application of one of the products approved as ear mite treatment for dogs, such as selamectin and moxidectin/imidacloprid, often used against a range of parasites. Bacterial or fungal infections should also be treated.
Prevention is a matter of monthly topical anti-parasite application and keeping your dogs ears clean.
