Could Your Dog Have Ear Mites?
Ear mites can cause your dog a great deal of discomfort and they're highly contagious. Your dog only has to have contact with an infected dog to wind up with these parasitic mites taking up residence in their ears. The most common type of ear mites found in dogs is otodectes mites. These tiny mites can live just under the surface of the skin and leave your dog's ears feeling very itchy. This often causes dogs to shake their head vigorously, which can cause a collection of blood, known as a haematoma, to form in their ear. Here's an overview of the signs, diagnosis and treatment approach for ear mites in dogs:
Signs
If your dog has ear mites they will paw at their ears and may rub their ears along the carpet in an attempt to get relief from the itching. They may have a foul-smelling discharge from their ears, and this can look bloodstained or contain ear wax. A parasitic infestation tends to cause inflammation, so you may notice crusts of bumps around your dog's ears. Additionally, any type of pain or discomfort can make your dog irritable.
Diagnosis And Treatment
Your vet will take details of your dog's symptoms and health history and examine your dog's ears with an otoscope, which has a magnifying lens that allows the vet to see the whole inner ear. They will also use a soft swab to collect a sample of the skin cells in your dog's ears, which will be analysed for the presence of mites.
Ear mites need to be eradicated with topical anti-parasitic medication, and your vet will show you how to apply the lotion or ointment. It may be tempting to stop treating your dog when their symptoms disappear, but you should continue applying the prescribed anti-parasitic for as long as your vet instructs you to, as the mites will have laid eggs. If the eggs aren't eradicated, your dog will begin to show signs they have ear mites again shortly after their course of treatment is complete.
In addition to treating your dog, you also need to thoroughly clean all soft furnishings in your home, as otodectes mites can survive for short periods without a canine host. It's also advisable to pre-emptively treat any other dogs in your home.
If you think your dog could have an ear mite infection, have them examined by your vet as soon as possible.