Ear mites in dogs: symptoms, treatment and prevention
There are different types of mites that can infect dogs. These include ear mites, which are comparatively rare in dogs but can cause serious problems for affected quadrupeds.
In the following, you can find out how your dog gets infected with ear mites, how you can recognise the infestation and which treatment measures have proven effective.
Ear mites in dogs: what are they?
Ear mites are certain types of mites. As their name suggests, they mainly infest the ears of their host and feed on skin cells, tissue fluid and blood. In doing so, they damage the dog's skin with their mouth parts and cause numerous complaints.
There are different types of ear mites. The genus Otodectes Cynotis is particularly widespread. If a dog suffers from an infestation of ear mites, it is also called an ear ruff.
Young dogs are particularly often affected by ear mites. In severe cases, it can happen that the infestation of ear mites is not limited to the dog's ears and the parasites spread over the entire head or even further areas of the body.
What causes ear mite infestation in dogs?
Dogs with ear mites are highly infectious. In most cases, the parasites are transmitted through direct contact between two quadrupeds. In individual cases, however, it can also happen that a dog becomes infested with ear mites through encrustations that have fallen out of the ears of another quadruped together with the mite eggs.
How do you recognize ear mites in dogs?
If a dog is infested with ear mites, sooner or later this can be recognised by various symptoms. How pronounced these symptoms actually are, however, depends on the duration and severity of the infestation.
The typical symptoms of ear mites in dogs include
- Head tilting
- Frequent shaking of the head
- Constant scratching of the ears
- Increased formation of earwax
- Hair loss in the ear area
- encrustations in the auditory canals and the auricles
- Folded or drooping ears
- Rubbing the head on the floor
- Balance disorders
- Unrest
- Lassitude
Why ear mites are a serious matter in dogs
If the ear mites are not counteracted promptly in the dog, this can have serious consequences sooner or later. In the long term, parasite infestation can, for example, damage the eardrum, causing middle ear inflammation or the development of a blood ear and in some cases even lead to deafness.
If the ear mites break through the eardrum, the problems associated with parasite infestation can spread to the middle and inner ear and, in the worst case, even to the meninges and brain of the dog.
Ear mites in dogs are a case for the vet
If you notice possible symptoms of ear mite infestation in your dog, a visit to the vet is highly recommended. Only if the ear mites are counteracted promptly can it be guaranteed that the parasite infestation can be quickly eliminated and that there are no serious consequences.
During his examinations, the veterinarian will of course focus mainly on the ears checking, among other things, whether the production of earwax is increased and whether your dog is suffering from ear infections.
In addition, ear mites in dogs can usually be easily detected with an otoscope. However, to determine the exact mite species, the veterinarian will probably still take a smear, which he can examine more closely under a microscope.
How can ear mites be treated in dogs?
To treat ear mite infestation in dogs, the ears must first be thoroughly cleaned. Afterwards, the veterinarian will most likely give the quadruped a remedy for itching and a preparation that kills the mites.
In addition, the veterinarian may prescribe your quadruped additional anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ear drops.
If you have several pets, you should always treat all four-legged friends against ear mites. Otherwise, you must expect that your animal roommates will infect each other again and again.
Risks in the treatment of dogs with ear mites
Of course, it is important that you treat a possible ear mite infestation in your dog as soon as possible. However, you should always bear in mind that the commonly used medicines do have risks.
This is because classic remedies for mites in dogs often contain acaricides. These are neurotoxins that not only kill the ear mites but also place a considerable burden on the dog's organism.
Bellfor ear mite drops for dogs
To enable you to combat ear mites in your dog as gently as possible, we have developed a natural alternative in the form of Bellfor Ear Mite Drops. The drops consist exclusively of well-tolerated ingredients, such as insect fat, neem oil and incense oil.
This ensures that Bellfor Ear Mite Drops do not unnecessarily burden your dog and yet their use reliably helps to counteract the annoying parasites in the ears of your four-legged friend.
Can ear mites be prevented in dogs?
In order to spare your dog the discomfort associated with an infestation of ear mites, you should of course ideally ensure that the parasites do not stand a chance with your four-legged friend.
To this end, it is particularly important that you give ear care the attention it deserves. We, therefore, recommend that you clean your dog's ears regularly with Bellfor Ear Care Drops. Even if you cannot completely rule out an infestation of ear mites in this way, the probability can at least be significantly reduced.
In the best case, you can ensure that your dog is not affected by ear mites in the first place. Regular ear care is particularly important in this context.
Our conclusion on the subject of ear mites in dogs
As you can see, ear mites in dogs are a serious matter. Even though they are comparatively rare, it is therefore important that you do not take the possible consequences of an infestation lightly.
After all, ear mites can lead to permanent hearing damage or even complete loss of hearing in dogs. It is therefore essential that you pay attention to whether your dog is showing possible symptoms of ear mite infestation and, if necessary, take immediate action to counteract the parasites.
The medications that are usually used to treat dogs with ear mites can, under certain circumstances, also put a strain on the organism of your four-legged friend. For this reason, it may be advisable to use well-tolerated alternatives such as ear mite drops from Bellfor. It is also advisable to pay sufficient attention to ear care to reduce the likelihood of ear mite infestation in your dog.
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