Ear mites are more common in dogs who do not have floppy ears. Due to infrequent cleaning, their ears become a breeding ground for mites. We begin by listing the causes and symptoms, followed by a few simple remedies.
Causes and Symptoms
Ear mites are tiny parasites, which thrive on the outer surface of the dog's ears. They belong to the class of arachnids, and are known to pass from one animal to the next. However, if your dog is suffering from mites, note that they cannot be passed on to humans.
If your dog keeps shaking his head frequently and keeps scratching his ear, as if trying to get something out, it is a solid sign. Another symptom is that you can smell a strong odor emanating from the ear. Several dogs also secrete brown or black colored wax from their ears. If these symptoms are ignored, the infection will spread and your dog might lose his hearing ability.
Instead of giving him over the counter medication, it is best that you try some safe home remedies. These are much milder, and are assured to cause no significant harm to your pet.
Cleaning the Ear
Before starting the treatment, one major thing that you have to do is clean the ear of your dog. This has to be done carefully, because one small mistake on our side, can damage the ear of the dog. There are several dog ear cleaning solutions that you can use. Dilute vinegar with water in an equal proportion. Use a sterilized syringe to delicately flush the dog's ear with the solution. Gently massage that area and use a Q-tip to clean it thoroughly. Do not probe deep into the ear canal. Clean only the area that is visible to you.
If the ear has become ulcerated due to the infection, then the use of vinegar will be painful for the dog. In that case, you can make use of olive oil or vegetable oil. Just pour some into the dog's ears and using a cotton bud, gently clean the ear. Repeat this process every three days for six weeks so that even mite eggs are cleaned out.
Killing the Mites
The next thing that you have to do is kill the mites. Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon of water and put 8 to 9 drops in the ear. Hold the dog's head gently, as he will surely try and shake it out. Ask someone to help you while doing this. Massage the ear gently. This process has to be repeated after every three days for the next 6 weeks. Getting rid of the mites is a long process, as one also has to get rid of the mites that have been newly hatched. Do not use vinegar in case the dog has sores in the ears.
Oregon grape is also a good home treatment for dog ear mites. It has antibacterial properties that prove useful. 9 to 10 drops at a time, administered twice daily should be enough. Mullein oil and garlic oil are also effective for treating ear mites and various other ear infections in dogs.
Prevention is better than cure. Instead of making your dog suffer from all these problems, it is best that you do not encourage the growth of mites in their ears by taking proper care of your dog's health. This can be done by keeping their ears absolutely dry. Mites tend to flourish on moist surface. Also, let there be free flow of air in the dog's ear. Trim the hair that grows in the ear because that traps the dust particles and dirt, leading to an infection. In case of any doubts, do not hesitate to contact the veterinarian.