If your dog’s shaking her head or scratching her ears, ear mites may be to blame.
The good news is … unlike other parasites, ear mites in dogs don’t bite or burrow. The bad news is … they’re very contagious and can cause worse problems if left untreated. So it’s important to act quickly if your dog has ear mites. You need to stop the spread and stop your dog from injuring herself.
So here’s some information about ear mites, how to identify these pests … and how to get rid of them.
What Are Ear Mites (Otodectes cynotis)?
Sometimes people say “ear mites” to refer to mange (sarcoptic or demodectic).
But there’s a specific kind of ear mite we’ll cover in this post. It’s called Otodectes cynotis and it’s one of the most common types of ear mites (1). It’s also a type of mange, also called Otodectic mange.
So what are these annoying little pests? They’re actually arachnids … the same family as ticks, spiders and scorpions. But unlike their cousins, they don’t bite.
Ear mites usually live in your dog’s ear canal … but occasionally on the body. They feed off wax and oils in your dog’s ears. And that makes your dog itchy.
Ear mites are parasites. They don’t live long without a host … so when they find your dog, they’re eager to move in and set up house. And the ear canal is a nice cozy place to live and eat.
These mites are more common in cats … but your dog can pick them up too. They’re also quite contagious to other dogs, cats and ferrets. So if you have other pets, you’ll want to tackle the problem quickly. (Don’t worry, ear mites don’t usually affect humans. Rarely, people might get a skin rash from them.) Younger dogs may be more susceptible to ear mites. But any age dog can get them.
How Dogs Catch Ear Mites
Your dog can pick up ear mites from the outdoors. But most often they come from another animal … a dog, cat or ferret. Outdoor cats are a common source of infection. (Foxes also get ear mites … but your dog probably isn’t hanging out with them!)
According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, cats may have 1000 mites in each ear. Dogs usually have far fewer. (The site also has some good enlarged photos of ear mites … in case you want to see what they look like!)
Once your dog gets ear mites, they spread fast. Female mites can lay 15-20 eggs during their few weeks’ lifetime. The eggs hatch in 4 days … then the offspring lay more eggs themselves. The egg-to-egg cycle takes about 18-28 days.
As mentioned, they spread easily, not just on your dog, but to your other pets. So if your dog has ear mites, check your cat or ferret too. You may need to treat them as well.
Ear mites are almost invisible to the naked eye. And the symptoms are similar to other ear problems.
Signs Your Dog Might Have Ear Mites
You might notice some of these signs of ear mites in your dog.
- Ear scratching
- Head shaking
- Droopy ears (if your dog normally has upright ears)
- Dark discharge – reddish brown, like coffee grounds
- Ears may smell bad
- Skin lesions around the ear (from your dog scratching – and they can get infected)
- Pinprick sized white spots moving about
Left to their own devices, ear mites can cause some worse problems. If you don’t get rid of them, ear mites (and your dog’s scratching) can lead to …
- Hearing loss
- Loss of balance
- Damage to the external or inner ear
- Ear hematoma
- Ear sensitivity
- Secondary infection
So you’ll want to clear up the problem before it goes too far. To make sure it’s really ear mites, and not some other ear infection, you might need your vet’s help. Or maybe not! Keep reading to see how to avoid a vet visit.
3 Home Remedies For Ear Mites In Dogs
Keep in mind that your other pets may also have ear mites. Check all of them and if they do, you’ll need to use the remedies on everyone!
These are much gentler choices to clean your dog’s ears than medicated solutions … and they’ll get rid of the mites too.
#1 Olive Oil
In the Manual of Natural Veterinary Medicine … veterinarians Susan G Wynne DVM and Steve Marsden DVM recommend this approach:
- Clean the ear with olive oil
- Remove as much debris as possible
- The oil helps asphyxiate the mites
- Repeat this every 3 days for 2 weeks
Because ear mites hatch every 4 days, this schedule will get rid of the mites.
Bonus: You can add 1-3 drops of one of these essential oils per 1 oz of olive oil, to speed up your dog’s recovery:
- Peppermint (for its anesthetic effect)
- Catnip (helps control mites)
- St John’s Wort (Hypericum) relieves pain
- Calendula (heals the ear skin)
#2 Garlic Oil
Herbalists Mary Wulff and Greg Tilford (Herbs For Pets) recommend garlic oil. That’s because garlic contains sulphur and mites hate it, so it’s a good anti-parasitic. Garlic is also antibacterial and antifungal, so it can help with any secondary infection.
You can buy garlic oil in health stores … or make your own by crushing a couple of garlic cloves in a cup of olive oil. Let it sit overnight, then remove the garlic and store the oil in a glass jar.
Apply the oil to the ear twice a day. (Your dog may smell a bit like an Italian restaurant!)
#3 Green Tea
Green tea is a natural antiseptic that will get rid of mites. It’ll also help remove the “coffee grounds” debris.
- Use a tea bag or a tablespoon of loose green tea in a cup of hot water
- Steep for a few minutes then strain
- Let it cool to room temperature
- Use a dropper to put 3-4 drops of tea in each ear
- Massage your dog’s ears gently (she should love this!)
- Then dip a cotton ball in the tea and wipe inside her ears
Do this once a day for 4 weeks.
Of course, it’s always best to prevent these parasites in the first place. So how can you do that?