- Common Disease Name:
- Ear mites
- Medical Term for Disease:
- Ear mites
- Species Affected by Disease:
- Dogs and cats
- Age Animal Usually Affected:
- common disease in young dogs and cats although it may occur at any age.
- Commonly Affected Breeds:
- Any
- Sex Usually Affected:
- None
- Disease Symptoms:
- Mites cause severe itching in the ears and dog may scratch around ears, neck and head and shake the head. Red-brown or black crusts are usually present in the outer ear. You may see skin damage from the scratching around the ears and head, or on ear flaps.
- Methods) of Diagnosis:
- Visualization of the mites in the ear canal with an otoscope; Ear swabs on a slide under the microscope.
- Disease Causes:
- Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis)
- Treatment:
- Ear drops containing an insecticide. Treatment may take 2 - 4 weeks, and should include all affected body parts, as the mites do not necessarily stay confined to the ears. This is a very contagious disease. Therefore, all in-contact animals must be treated. The entire animal should be treated with pyrethrin-based flea spray weekly for 4-6 weeks if not using systemic ivermectin.
- Prognosis:
- Excellent
- Complications:
- Damage to ear canals & eardrums, deafness, development of chronic ear infection secondary to mites.
- Prevention:
- Any dog with ear mites must be isolated from other animals. This is a very contagious disease; therefore, all in-contact animals must be treated. The environment may need to be thoroughly cleaned and treated in cattery or kennel situations.
- Medicines Used for Treatment of Disease:
- First, the ears should be cleaned thoroughly with mineral oil or a commercial ear cleaner to remove
debris. Then the ears can be treated with rotenone-based products twice per week initially, then decreased to weekly. This should be continued until 2 weeks post clinical cure. Alternatively, Ivermectin can be used systemically or topically. Systemic treatment with ivermectin by injection every 1-2 weeks for approximately 4 treatments was found to be effective. Topical treatment with ivermectin directly placed in the ears was necessary every 1-2 weeks for approximately 5 weeks, but was associated with a higher incidence of recurrence. Ivermectin for ear mites is not approved for use in dogs or cats in the United States should not be used in collies, shelties, their crosses, or other herding breeds. - Helpful Products:
- Several of the heartworm/flea preventives are labeled to control ear mites. There are over-the-counter ear mite products for minor cases.
