While you may not give it much thought, your dog's fur could be crawling with live pests such as mites. These little creatures are part of the arachnid family. In small numbers, mites may not inflict harm on your animal, but in large numbers they can cause serious skin damage and severe health problems. A mite infestation results in red, inflamed skin on your dog along with the emission of unpleasant smells from any sores your dog may suffer. Fortunately, prompt treatment can eradicate the mites and restore you canine to health.
Things You'll Need
- Mineral oil
- Cotton swabs
- Calamine lotion
- Aloe gel
- Soluble sulfur
- Water
- Petroleum jelly
Instructions
Ear Mites
Drip two or three drops of mineral oil into your dog's ears if you suspect there are mites in the ears. Restrain your dog's head as you do this or he may struggle. The cold oil creates an unpleasant and cold sensation that your dog will not enjoy, so prepare yourself for a bit of a struggle.
Rub your dog's ears to work the oil around the ear canal. Use this opportunity to reassure your dog and provide him with affection.
Swab out your dog's ears two hours after you apply the mineral oil. This is another time that your dog may struggle, so be sure to restrain him or you may cause some serious harm to your dog's ear canals.
Skin Mites
Combine one cup of calamine lotion, one cup of aloe gel and one cup of soluble sulfur to make an ointment to help treat the skin irritation caused by mites. Pour the lotion into one gallon of water and boil it for 30 minutes.
Rub the ointment into your dog's fur once it cools. Be gentle because you are working with sensitive skin. Rinse the ointment off after you completely coat your dog in ointment.
Repeat the ointment application once a week for the next month to completely eradicate the mites. Let your dog's skin dry naturally.
Cover your dog with petroleum jelly to smother the mites. It may not feel pleasant, but the petroleum jelly will help prevent the recurrence of mites while soothing your dog's skin.