Causes of Ear Mites

Ear mites are external parasites that infect dogs, cats and other animals, including humans. When caring for dogs, it is important to understand what ear mites are and how they affect dogs. Ear mites use dogs as hosts. They live mostly in their ears, and they irritate the skin. Untreated ear mites can causes sores and ear infections, so learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of ear mites in dogs to better help your canine friend.

  1. Symptoms

    • If you see a dog that often shakes his head, scratches at his head and ears and rubs his head on the ground, ear mites are a likely cause. In some cases, dogs can scratch so much that they cause bloody sores around the head and ears. You can sometimes see the ear mites if you look closely at the area around and in the ears. A magnifying glass can help.

    Other Dogs

    • The most common way that a dog contracts ear mites is from association with other dogs. Just as people usually get lice from other people, dogs give each other ear mites. If you have more than one dog in the house or even a dog and a cat, it is important to monitor both for ear mites. When leaving your dog in a kennel, take some time to look at the facilities to ensure that they are clean and well maintained. Also, ask the kennel personnel if they regularly screen for ear mites.

    Clean Habitat

    • Contact with other dogs is not the only way a dog can contract ear mites. Ear mites, just like fleas and lice, can live away from their hosts. If your dog has bedding made of cloth, it is important to clean it regularly so that ear mites can't live in the bedding and re-infect your dog. Also be careful about allowing dogs to share bedding.

    Proper Hygiene

    • While it isn't good for a dog's coat to bathe it too frequently, it is essential to frequently inspect the ears. Just like you regularly inspect a dog's teeth and claws, you must also regularly check for cleanliness in the ears.

    Treatment

    • Ear mites are usually treatable with over-the-counter medication, and there are many to choose from. However, if your dog has gone untreated for some time and scratched until he has sores, the sores may be infected. Also, the ear mites themselves could have caused an infection in the dog's ears. In either of these cases you will need to seek the services of a veterinarian and perhaps administer antibiotics to you dog.