Content
- The mites in the dog's ears
- Symptoms of mites in the dog's ear canal
- Diagnosis of ear mites
- Treatment of mites in dog ears
- Prevent mites in the dog's ears
Spending time with your puppy is essential to keep it healthy, this not only provides social and emotional well-being, but also allows us to know what is the normal behavior of our pet. Knowing your usual behavior will make it much easier to detect any disorder and treat it in time.
Does your dog scratch a lot, shake his head continuously and be restless? Then it's time to check your ear canal for any symptoms that might indicate a condition.
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will tell you about the Symptoms and Treatment of Dog Ear Mites.
The mites in the dog's ears
Dust mites in dogs are a common cause of infestations that can affect different areas of the body and are caused by different parasites. When we talk about the mites that affect the ear canal we refer to little parasites practically microscopic, which appear as white spots about the size of the head of a pin.
Observing them can be difficult, but we can suspect their existence from all the symptoms they cause. All dogs are susceptible to this type of infestation, however, it is especially common for mites to inhabit the ears of dogs. puppies, since its contagion is very easy for the mother to occur.
When contagion by mites occurs, the eggs that introduce themselves into the ear only hatch in 4 days, then the larvae feed on the wax in the ear canal and in the later stage of nymphs, mating starts again.
This reproductive cycle takes place very quickly, which is the main problem of this condition, since in a short period of time it can cause a large infestation and severe symptoms.
The mites that usually affect dogs' ears are called otodectes cynotis, which provoke the othodectic mange or the Demodex kennels that provoke the localized demodectic mange.
Symptoms of mites in the dog's ear canal
As you will see later, it is very important that the treatment of mites starts as soon as possible in order to be able to control the disease and get rid of it completely. Therefore, if you notice any of the following symptoms in your dog, it will be essential consult the veterinarian as soon as possible:
- Intense itching;
- The dog itches continuously;
- Shakes and sudden movements of the head;
- Dark brown auditory secretion;
- Bad odor from secondary infection;
- Auditory bleeding due to rupture of small blood vessels;
- Red and crusted ears;
- General malaise and restlessness.
Diagnosis of ear mites
The diagnosis of mites in the dog's ears is very simple and must be performed by a veterinary professional. Its about extract a sample of earwax with the help of cotton and observe it on a black background, as mentioned before, in the case of mites, small white spots in motion may be observed.
Treatment of mites in dog ears
Currently in pet stores we can find numerous products to treat this condition, however, not all of them are as harmless to the animal as they say. Do not practice self-medication with your puppy, you should also bear in mind that many products suitable for adult dogs can be very harmful to a puppy.
It is essential that the veterinarian recommends the most suitable product, we highlight pyrethrin as the most used active ingredient. The mechanism of action of pyrethrin is to attack the central nervous system of the parasites. However, pyrethrin should be used very carefully in puppies, so veterinary attention and prescription are essential.
Due to the ease of contagion of mites, any other pet that lives at home must be treated to prevent an infestation. Not so with humans, as these mites cannot infest people.
Prevent mites in the dog's ears
The mite infestation it can't always be prevented, but by adopting some hygiene and food advice and measures, we can reduce the risk of these parasites infesting our pet's auditory canal:
- It is important to clean your dog's ears frequently.
- Periodically wash the dog blanket and its accessories.
- Keep your puppy's defenses in great condition through healthy, quality food.
- Don't forget to take him to the vet as often as necessary in each case.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.