The Best Way to Get Rid of Ear Mites

If you've noticed your cat or dog pawing at its ears, scratching or shaking its head, it's likely your pet has ear mites. It's important to clear the ear mite infection to avoid damage to your pet's ears, including permanent loss of hearing. However, there are multiple ways to clear an ear mite infection and the best way depends upon how much money you want to spend, how much time you have available and how patient you can be in treating your pet.

  1. Home Care

    • You will need mineral oil and a product designed to get rid of ear mites if you plan to treat the infection at home. Put a few drops of mineral oil in the pet's ears and let it remain for a few hours. This will get rid of the crust that develops in the ears with an ear mite infection. After this, apply the ear mite medication. Apply the medication daily -- or twice daily, depending upon what the label instructs -- for one to two weeks.

    Veterinarian

    • Your veterinarian will thoroughly clean your pet's ears to remove the crusts and wax that have developed. The veterinarian can then use one of several products, which include Acarexx, Milbemite Advantage Multi or Revolution, which is designed to end an ear mite infection in one treatment. Some of these products are applied directly to the ear canal and others are applied topically, between the shoulders

    Ivermectin

    • Your veterinarian can give your pet an injection that will eradicate the ear mite infection in two to four treatments. Injections of Ivermectin are especially useful on pets who will not allow their ears to be cleaned. While the FDA has not approved Ivermectin for use in treating ear mites, many veterinarians use it for this purpose off-label. Ivermectin should not be used in herding breeds. These breeds have shown sensitivity to the medication.

    Follow-Up

    • Regardless of what product you use, treat all other pets in your home at the same time. Ear mites easily jump from one pet to another, so if one of your pets has ear mites, it's likely your other pets are infected as well.