Ear Mites in Dogs – Symptoms, Causes and Methods of Treating

Ear Mites in dogs – Most likely, there is no such owner of dogs who will not take his pet with him to rest somewhere in nature. The dog goes for a walk, the owner will not have to “walk” after walking “after a rest” his pet – in general, everyone is satisfied. However, one should not forget that where, as not in nature, there is the highest probability of tick infestation – both in humans and in dogs. And if the owner of the animal can somehow protect themselves with clothes, then the pet remains completely defenseless against the possible attack of parasites, the late treatment of which can lead to the most serious consequences.

Ear Tick Diagnosis

It is not uncommon after such walks in nature there is an ear tick in dogs. The parasites, once on the animal, begin to nibble at its skin, thereby causing excruciating pain to the infected pet. This disease is not only widespread but also dangerous for the animal, if you do not start treatment in time, then you should know that in 98% it is fatal. However, this does not mean at all that after each walking the dog must panic, it is enough to know the main symptoms of this disease, at the first signs of which the treatment of the animal should begin immediately.

The parasites, once on the animal, begin to nibble at its skin, thereby causing excruciating pain.

The main symptom of this disease in dogs is ear tichoka or otodekoz, so if your animal tries to scratch its ears with unusual zeal, there is a brownish discharge in the affected area, that is, there is reason to assume that the cause is an ear pest.

In addition, there are several signs by which it can be determined that your pet is “attacked” by ticks.

There is a high probability of infection with earwash if the dog:

• often shakes his head;
• refuses to eat;
• whining for no apparent reason;
• behaves restlessly;
• bows his head to the side;
• rolling on the floor.

It is also worth noting that similar symptoms may be present in another ear disease, such as otitis media, therefore, for a more accurate diagnosis of this disease you or, even better, a veterinarian will need to examine your pet’s ears. Often, ticks, having drunk enough dog blood, swell, becoming more visible, so they can be detected independently or with a magnifying glass – parasites are placed on the inner side of the auricles and in the auditory canal. In addition, you can use an ear stick – you need to clean the animal’s ear and look at its contents, you may be able to see small, moving gray-white dots there – these are also ticks.

If you do not start treatment in time, soon, on the ears of infected dogs, there will be bald patches and purulent, periodically bursting blisters.

It should be borne in mind that ticks can cause a number of other serious diseases, including meningitis, pyroplasmosis, inflammation of the middle ear, inflammation of the soft and arachnoid and perforation of the eardrum and many other diseases that can result in hearing loss and even death of dogs. That is why it is so important to start the treatment of this disease in time.

Treatment of ticks in dogs

If your pet has an ear parasite, then the best option would be to entrust the treatment of your animal to a professional. If there is no such possibility for some reason, you can try to alleviate the condition of the dog on your own. However, it is worth noting that it is better to give anti-tick medicines to your pet strictly according to the doctor’s instructions, since some of the components contained in such medicines may be dangerous specifically for your dog.

First of all, it is necessary to remove the parasite from the animal’s body, but first it is necessary to treat the infected pet’s organ with baby or vegetable oil. For these purposes, also suitable special ear lotion. This will soften the scabs formed by the pest bites. It is also required to do so in order for the earpest to loosen its grip, making it easier to get rid of it.

The first step is to remove the parasite from the body of the animal, but first you need to treat the infected organ.

Then you need to very carefully wrap the parasite with a string and try to “twist” it from the animal’s skin. It should be very careful, because the tick may not be completely removed from the body. It is not uncommon for dogs to have their heads or other parts of the body on the skin, which in turn can lead to inflammation of the skin of an infected animal, and this implies a repeated course of treatment that could have been avoided.

After you manage to completely remove the parasite, the dog’s skin should be treated with an alcohol solution.

This procedure for dogs is very unpleasant – you should be prepared for the fact that the animal will break out and may even bite, so it is not recommended to carry it out alone, especially if your pet is large.

Tick ​​treatment with ear drops

If the tick is out of your sight, then you will need to use special ear drops, for example, such as Amitrazin, Deternol, Amit or Ottedin. This procedure begins the same way as the previous one – with the instillation of the ears of an animal with oil or lotion. In this case, dogs usually have their hair cut off in their ears, so that nothing could interfere with the action of the medicine.

After the implementation of these maneuvers, you need to wait a couple of minutes and, armed with a cotton swab, you should try to carefully clean the ear canal from the entire contents. As soon as the cleaning process is completed, you need to drop the ears with drops, while it is important to strictly follow the instructions or instructions of the veterinarian to prevent overdose of the drug.

If the tick is out of your sight, then you will need to use special ear drops.

This is the way to treat both ears of an animal, even if one of them lacks visible signs of a tick. This procedure should be repeated in two weeks and if the dog’s condition does not improve, you should immediately show it to the vet – perhaps the cause of the animal’s illness is something else or the disease has caused complications.

Treatment of ticks with injections

The ear tick in dogs will quickly disappear if you use injection drugs, such as detomax or otodectin, to eliminate it. Unfortunately, this treatment has a number of contraindications and – in case of overdose – side effects. For example, an animal may experience vomiting, excessive drooling, lethargy, and even convulsions. In addition, such injections are prohibited during pregnancy, kidney and liver disease, as well as some breeds of dogs, including bobtail, sheltie and collie. Also, injections are not recommended for puppies – the poison for killing parasites can not only cause irreparable harm to the young, still fragile body of the puppy, but also be fatal for it.

Prevention of ticks in dogs

In order for the tick again not to cause the suffering of your pet, you must follow a number of simple rules:

• first, try to limit the communication of your pet with homeless animals, because they most often are the carriers of these parasites;
• secondly, get a special tick collar and shampoo for your dog – this will significantly reduce the risk of infection by pests;
• thirdly, it is necessary to inspect the pet’s ears as often as possible, so that, at the first suspicious symptom, start appropriate treatment.

Especially close attention to the ears of a dog should be given in the warm season, when the tick becomes the most active, as a preventive measure in small doses, it is advisable to use medication drugs.