Ear Mites

If your beloved pet is scratching a great deal around its neck or ear, it may be suffering from ear mites. Ear mites are a common problem in both cats and dogs, but can be quite irritating and even painful. Therefore, it is important to know how to recognize when ear mites have infested your pet and how to get rid of them so your pet can be happy and healthy again.
What are Ear Mites?

Ear mites are small parasites that infest both dogs and cats. When they infest your pet, they make their home inside of its ear canals. If ear mites are not treated properly, they can cause yeast infections as well as bacterial infections. This can cause your pet's eardrum to rupture, which can lead to deafness and seizures.
Although ear mites cannot be passed on to humans, it possible for your pets to pass them around to one another. In addition, it is possible for you to transfer ear mites from one pet to another. Therefore, it is important treat your pet right away in order to keep it healthy as well as to prevent it from passing the mites onto other pets.
How Do I Recognize an Ear Mite Infection?
Recognizing an ear mite infection is relatively easy. Aside from scratching of the ears and the neck, your pet may also repeatedly shake its head or you may even notice a bad smell being emitted from your pet's ears. You might also be able to actually see signs of the ear mites in your pet's ear.
While individual ear mites are very small and are white in color, you might see a crusty debris on your pet's ears that is brown or black in color. This crust isn't the actual ear mites. Rather, it is the feces and dried blood that they leave behind.
How Do I Treat Ear Mites?
Fortunately, treating ear mites is a relatively simple process. First, you can clean your pet's ears out with a cotton swap and some alcohol. In some cases, this procedure will enough to clean out the parasites and get rid of them once and for all. In other cases, you will need to use special ear mite drops or an injectable medication that is prescribed by your veterinarian. When using these medications, it is important to apply them for the prescribed amount of time. Otherwise, the three week life cycle of the mites may not be halted completely and they may return.
It is important to note that improper treatment of ear mites can cause damage to your pet's ears. Therefore, it is important to consult with your veterinarian if you are uncertain about how to properly treat the mites. You should also seek the assistance of a veterinarian if the infestation is severe. This way, the veterinarian can thoroughly flush out your pet's ears and get out as many mites an debris as possible before applying regular dosages of medication.