Have you ever had an itch that you just can't seem to scratch? Ever have one deep down in your ear - in the part where you can't seem to get to it for any relief. Now imagine if the cause of that itch was hundreds of creepy, crawling bugs. Ear Mites....the struggle is real my friends. Luckily for us ear mites only affect our dog and cat friends.
We commonly see ear mites in pets that have been living outside or have been in shelters. They are easily transmitted from pet to pet. Dogs or cats that have ear mites will have very itchy ears with a characteristic black, coffee ground appearance to the debris in the ears. Nothing excites a doctor or technician more than the possibility of finding ear mites on a slide. It is so much fun to see them squirming around under the scope.
Luckily for us ear mites are pretty easy to treat - some products are available OTC (that's over the counter for you non-millenials) from your local pet supply store however their efficacy may not be as good as vet approved medications. Often we can treat ear mites with topical medications used for monthly heartworm prevention as the active ingredient works on these critters too.
If you think your pet has ear mites the best thing you can do is have your veterinarian examine him or her - other ear problems such as yeast and bacterial infections can look similar to ear mites. Only a cytology of the debris from the ears can tell the difference.
The next time you have an ear itch, be thankful this little guy isn't the culprit
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