Neem Oil Treatment for Dog Ear Mites

Ear mites leave oily black dirt in the dog's ears. Your dog will constantly scratch his ears, rub his head against furniture, hold his head at an odd angle and may appear dizzy. Neem oil is a natural insect repellent and antimicrobial oil and can be used to prevent ear mites after they have been cleaned out. To treat dogs with ear mite infestations, first clean the ear with mineral oil, vinegar and water or a sterile solution supplied by your veterinarian.

  1. Loosen the Dirt

    • Ear mites leave coffee-ground colored dirt inside the ear. This has to be loosened and removed. Use warm mineral oil or a preparation from your vet. Put the oil in the dog's ear with an eye dropper. Gently massage the outside of the ear to work the oil into the nooks and crannies and the ear canal. Your dog might press his head against your hand while you do this--it feels good to finally get at what has been bothering him for so long.

      Your vet can supply you with solutions that clean and disinfect your dogs ears. These solutions commonly contain benzalkonium chloride or cocamidopropyl betaine. Follow the instructions given with the solution to clean out ear mites.

    Remove the Dirt

    • As soon as you let your pet's head go, he will shake his head vigorously to get rid of the loosened dirt. It is best if he does this outside as the mite dirt will go flying. Follow up with tissues and cotton swabs to get as much of the dirt out as possible. Continue applying the mineral oil and removing it until the dirt is gone.

      The skin inside the ear may appear red and irritated--try not to add to this irritation by being too aggressive. Let the oil do the work and don't irritate the inner ear by aggressively scraping around with tissues or cotton swabs. If you dog exhibits pain or discomfort, discontinue and take the dog to your vet.

    Repeat

    • Clean again after a day and repeat until the redness and irritation caused by the mites is gone. You can also use a solution of one half vinegar and one half water to rinse out the dog's ears.

    Apply Neem Oil

    • To prevent re-infestation, apply diluted neem oil to the furry edges of the ear. Neem oil can be an irritant so don't apply the neem oil directly on the skin of the inner ear. You can make neem oil for your dog by diluting pure neem oil one-to-ten in a light oil like grape seed or almond oil.

      Do not use undiluted neem oil to clean the dog's ears--it will act as an irritant. Clean the ears thoroughly and use an ear wash to get debris out of the ear before applying diluted neem oil. Neem oil can also be combined with tea tree oil, olive oil and eucalyptus oil.