Ear mites are tiny, crab-like parasites that live in the dark recesses of your dog's ear canals. These little critters are barely visible to the human eye, but they can cause a big itch with all their scurrying around. These bugs don't always stay in the ear canal, either. They can live on the skin around the head and neck or down by the tail, causing an itchy problem.
Risk factors and detection
Ear mites aren't picky about where they live. They tend to infest young dogs and dogs who roam outside. Ear mites spread quickly from one dog to another, so dogs in such crowded environments as shelters, shows, and boarding or grooming facilities are at risk.
Ear mites cause such an intense itch that infected dogs will scratch their ears and shake their heads incessantly—sometimes scratching until they bleed. Other signs include a thick, crusty, black or red-brown discharge in the ear canal. Some dogs develop itchy skin lesions around their necks or tails.
Detecting ear mites is easy. Your veterinarian may find the mites by looking in your dog's ear with an otoscope or by swabbing the ear and checking for live mites under a microscope. If your dog also develops skin lesions, the veterinarian will perform skin scrapings to check for other mites.
Prevention and treatment
You can't always prevent ear mites from taking up residence in your dog's ears, but you can reduce the risk by keeping your dog away from unknown animals, especially free-roaming dogs and cats.. But even if your dog does develop ear mites, take heart: These parasites are as easy to treat as they are to catch.
Your veterinarian will thoroughly clean your dog's ear canal to remove the crusty discharge, or he or she can recommend products to use at home.
Next, your veterinarian may recommend one of three treatment options:
1. Selamectin (Revolution) applied once in the ears. It is the only drug of its type approved for this use in dogs.
2. Insecticidal drops applied to the ears and flea spray on the body, which also kills ear mites that relocate onto the body. The ear drops are applied once or twice a day for at least three weeks.
3. Ivermectin injections every two weeks until the condition resolves. Keep in mind that ivermectin can cause rare but serious side effects, especially in such herding breeds as collies, Shetland sheepdogs, Australian shepherds, Old English sheepdogs, and their crossbreeds. Ivermectin also can be applied in the ears or given orally.
If one family pet develops mites, treat all your pets to prevent reinfestation. Also consider flea treatments for your home in cases of severe or multiple-pet infestation.
