Ear Mite: An eight-legged parasite that is found in the ears of mainly cats, dogs and rabbits but humans can be prone to catching them if not treated. They are usually so small that it is hard to see with your eyes but if the case is severe, you will be able to spot them. But how your dog is acting is the sure tell signs that something is not right in their ears.
Your dog shaking their head excessively, scratching their ears constantly, maybe hair loss and a strong odor coming from their ears; these are signs of ear mites attacking your dog's ears. If left untreated, this will cause the scabs around the ears and also will secrete the black, brown waxy debris. If this is not looked at and medicines applied and the ears cleaned thoroughly, it will cause the secondary infection, which causes a definite visit to your vet. When looking inside your dog's ears, you will notice brown, crumbly debris in the ears especially in the canal. Upon closer inspection with a magnifying glass, you may be able to see the tiny white mites crawling around which are driving your dog crazy from the itching. The ear mite does not burrow, it stays within the ear canal and outer ear area that stays moist and is prone to infection.
Ear mites spread rapidly between animals if left untreated. Even humans are susceptible to ear mites from their infected dogs but it is very rare that it happens. The life cycle of an ear mite is about four weeks with the eggs hatching around the third or fourth day after being laid. And the females are mature enough to reproduce at the age of three weeks! Now imagine how many are sitting there inside your dog's ears pacing back and forth which is causing that severe itching in your dog.
Here is what you need to do to rid your dog of those ear mites before having to go to your veterinary.
First, prepare by getting all your supplies you will need out in front of you. You will need an ear bulb, which can be bought at any local pharmacy. You will use this with warm, soapy water to flush the ear out including the canal area. Do not use Q-Tips for removal of ear mites or earwax; always use cotton balls. Your dog may not like you putting a Q-Tip in their ear and that leads to possible jerking or pulling of their heads, this may drive that Q-Tip deep in the ear canal which may cause severe damage. And Q-Tips will only drive the wax deeper, which may cause an infection for sure. Make sure your water is warm, not cold or steaming hot since this may harm your dog's inner ear. Flush the ears out until all of the brown waxy build-up has been removed, use the cotton ball to wipe out as much as possible after each flushing and ensuring the ears are dry the last time you go to wipe them out.
Now that you have the ears clean, purchase a bottle of medicine from the local pet store or buy it ahead of time online. There are several different kinds out there and most contain the ingredient pyrethrin, which is a natural organic compound with potent insecticide activity, not harmful to your dog's ears, only to the ear mites. Usually you will have to put drops in your dog's ears once a day for at least three days. Then we suggest the ears get cleaned out again by using the ear bulb to flush with warm, soapy water as you did the first time. Reapply the ear medicine after the second flushing, this will usually kill the ear mite cycle and removes all ear mites from the dog's ear canal. Keeping up on cleaning your dog's ears on a regular routine basis will ensure the prevention of ear mites. And only you can do the prevention, don't let your dog become infected, watch the other animals your dog plays or interacts with to see if they are shaking their heads continuously or scratching to the point of irritation being seen on the outside of their ears. This could be the sign needed for you to prevent your dog from becoming infected in the first place.
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