Ear mites in dogs

What are ear mites?

Well ear mites or Otodectes cynotis are little parasites that can be found in the ear canals of your pet but also on different parts of its body like the face and head where they produce itchiness and skin irritation. This parasites, survive by feeding on the epidermal debris and on the ear wax of the host. They are the main common cause for ear infection especially in cats but also in dogs(more frequently seen in young puppies under the age of 6 months).

How are they transmitted?

Ear mites are very contagious being transmitted through physical contact from an infected animal to a healthy one, even if it is for a brief moment. So if you have more than one animal in the house you should take into consideration that they all might be infected. Also humans can get infected with this parasites but that happens very rarely.

Symptoms

• -scratching of the ears and head shaking.
• -the ears can cause pain to the animal if they are touch
• -skin wound at the back or base of the ear
• -skin irritation around the face
• -dark brown, dry ear wax discharge that is described to look like coffee grounds also a bad odor due to secondary infection

Diagnosis

Ear mites can be confirmed by taking a sample of the ears discharge with a cue tip and looking at it through a magnifying glass. If the animal is infected, small white specks of the size of a head pin can be seen.

Treatment

After the diagnosis was made by your veterinary all of your household pets must be treated. There is a large variety of medication that can be used to treat ear mites like Frontline, Ivermectin and Tresaderm but you veterinary will help you choose the best option for your pet. Usually the entire course of the treatment will take for about 4 weeks in order to be sure that your little friend is ear mite free.

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