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Ear Mites In Dogs
Dogs who have ear mites may have an ear discharge with
increased wax. Your veterinarian will take an ear swab
to look at the discharge under a microscope, enabling
him or her to identify an ear mite infections. Most
mite infections are treated with eardrops for a few
weeks. If the discharge from the ear is really thick,
your veterinarian may need to wash out your pets ears,
then eardrops can be used and will have a better
contact with the infected area. If the discharge is
yellow to brown, a yeast or bacterial infection is
more likely. Yeast can live in the ear normally, but
sometimes yeast can get out of control if the
environment is more moist than usual.
These types of infections cannot be passed onto
humans. Treatments for these type of yeast and
bacterial infections usually include a round of
antibiotic eardrops along with an anti inflammatory
drug.
Ear mites can also be present outside the ear. Flea
control products will help to control the mite
population outside the ear. Soon you should be able to
use a treatment that you put onto your dogs skin
instead of ear drops, a process similar to the tick
and flea control products currently on the market.
The contagious nature of ear mites to the rest of your
pets is good enough reason to have your pet checked
out by your veterinarian, before being introduced to
the rest of your family. Should your pet have ear
mites, it is wise to keep a close eye on your other
pets to make sure they don't spread.
Allergies, trauma and tumors can be other causes of
itchy ears. Allergies can be caused by fleas, pollen,
molds or plants. Dogs with allergies may lick or itch
other parts of their body, such as the feet or face.
Aggressive cleaning can cause trauma to the ear. Pet
owners should never clean with cotton applicators any
deeper than can be seen. Having a tumor in the ear is
very rare.
Prevent your pet developing ear problems by being an
observant pet owner and keeping your pets ears clean
and dry. Check the inside of your pets ears
periodically for abnormal discharges and remove and
visible dirt. If your pet requires more frequent
cleaning than normal, or is going through the
scrathing, head shaking routine, this could be a sign
of an infection and you should contact your local
veterinarian.
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