How to get rid of ear mites in dogs. Ear mites in dogs and their danger to pets

Ear mites are a common disease in dogs, especially during the warmer months. Otodectosis in dogs, a disease that occurs due to the acarimorphic mite:

The disease develops slowly, so dogs become, at first, simply restless, but only gradually do they begin to itch and scratch their ears. Very often you can notice in sick dogs that when the owner strokes the ear, the animal reacts violently to the touch.

Symptoms

The disease develops from the animal's anxiety.
The dog tends to rub against any object, often shakes its head to the sides, and tries to reach its ears with its paws to scratch them.
Often the animal appears depressed, accompanied by nervous seizures.
The body temperature is very high, the animal turns its head towards the sore ear.
No appetite.
The neglected condition leads to the appearance of scratches, abrasions, and suppuration.

If you look at the ear of an animal, then in the ear canal you can see exudate, which is formed precisely during scabies. At first it is serous, but later becomes purulent as complications develop.

When the exudate combines with mite feces, it becomes gray-brown color, as a rule, dries out and has bad smell, forms a crust.

Causes and routes of infection

Most often, pets become infected directly due to contact with other sick animals, which are often stray cats and dogs.
You can also catch otodectosis through the use of contaminated dog grooming items.
Unfortunately, even the owner, through his hands and clothes, can transfer ear mites to your pet.

Most often, puppies aged from 1.5 months to six months are infected.

Complications

If you don't do it in a timely manner necessary actions and do not consult a specialist, the dog may develop serious complications, for example:

Inflammation of the middle ear.
Perforation eardrum.
Meningitis.
Labyrinthitis.
Arachnoiditis.

It is important to remember that a complication is inflammatory process, which regresses into the inner and middle ear. This is where defeat comes from. meninges. This course of events leads either to complete loss hearing, or to the death of the animal.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of the disease should be carried out at the initial stage of development of the disease; it is then that it is effective to begin treatment against the tick.

You can diagnose the disease yourself by paying attention to the dog’s behavior - for example, it has become more restless and tries to scratch its ear with its paw. The dog may have no appetite, it may be overly exhausted, and often lie down on the side of the sore ear.

It is almost impossible to diagnose the disease at an advanced stage, since with the development of severe purulent otitis, the causative agent of the disease dies.

Treatment in dogs

Treatment of the disease begins only after a clear diagnosis by a veterinarian. Only examination by a specialist, as well as laboratory research can confirm or deny the fact of tick infestation, and in accordance with the data obtained, the veterinarian will be able to formulate a course of treatment.

Sequence of actions during treatment:

The sink must be cleaned of dirt and accumulated exudate. In order to neutralize it from there, it is necessary to remove the contaminants using a bandage swab and a mixture of 2% solution of boric acid and furatsilin, or a solution of 2% hydrogen peroxide.
When cleaning, you must use a new one. cotton swab so as not to transmit the infection.
After the surface is thoroughly cleaned, you can directly apply medications that effectively fight the mite. They come in different forms - ointment, gel, aerosol. You need to use them in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations, as well as based on the instructions. Before using the drug, you need to warm it up to body temperature and then apply it to the affected areas of the body.
It is important to follow the recommended dose.
Monitor the dog's condition after administration of the drug.
In severe cases, apply intramuscular injections , and in general, the tick is treated with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs.
It is important to administer all medications into both ears. so that the disease does not affect the healthy ear.

Tools Overview

After all necessary research, the specialist prescribes appropriate treatment. In practice, the following are more often prescribed:

Otibiovin. This drug relieves the effects of bacterial and yeast infections in the ears, eliminates superficial dermatitis and eczema in the ear canal and pinna. The price of the drug varies from 200 to 250 rubles per package.
Amit– ear drops that contain amitraz and prednisolone. Treatment with this drug should be carried out at least 2 times a day for 5 days. The cost of such a drug is from 290 rubles and above.
Amitrazine applied once a day until symptoms disappear completely, usually about 6 days. The drug should not be used during pregnancy or if you are hypersensitive to any of the components of the drug. The cost of such a product varies from 35-40 rubles.
Dekta– ear drops that help get rid of otodectosis, catosis, sarcoptic mange in animals. It should be used 3-5 drops every seven days. The full course must be repeated at least 3 times. It is not recommended to use the drug in animals under 4 weeks of age. The cost of the drug is about 75 rubles.
Mastiet-forte – antibacterial agent, which has a detrimental effect on everything pathogenic microorganisms, reduces the inflammatory process. The cost of the drug is from 150 to 200 rubles.
Tsipam– ear drops that contain cypermethrin 0.3% and amitraz 0.2%. The cost of such a product is 100-115 rubles.
Tera-delta, antibacterial agent that has wide range impact. The effectiveness of the application lies in the effect on gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms. The cost of the drug is from 170 to 260 rubles.
Aurikan, a drug that is indicated for use in the treatment of cats and dogs with otodectosis, especially with complications bacterial infection. The average cost of the drug is 500 rubles.
Surolan- a product that has a wide spectrum of action and also has antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiallergic properties. It can be successfully used to treat scabies in animals. The cost of such a drug is from 300 rubles.
Demos– a drug with an acaricidal effect, wide application. Treatment with such a drug must be carried out at least 5 times with a break of three days, until there is confirmation of positive dynamics according to acarological studies, by taking samples from the ear canal. The cost of the product is 50 rubles.
– ear drops that have an acaricidal effect and an antibacterial effect in the fight against ticks. The cost of the drug is from 140 rubles.
Aversectin ointment – universal remedy, which has an insectoacaricidal effect to eliminate diseases caused by ticks. The cost of the ointment is from 85 rubles. To treat the affected areas with it, you need to wash them thoroughly and wipe dry. Clean surface hearing aid, and then apply the ointment, thoroughly massaging the ear canal and concha. The ointment should absolutely not be used to treat animals with an infectious disease, when they are severely exhausted or when they are recovering.
Acaromectin- which is processed inner surface auricle. The cost of such a drug is from 75-85 rubles.
Amidel-gel, a product that has an active effect on demodectic and sarcoptoid mites. Thanks to its composition - icecaine, it has an analgesic effect. The use of the gel will speed up the regeneration process of the upper layer of the epidermis, as well as increase the body's resistance to infection. Do not use the drug if you are under two months of age, or if you have infectious disease.Its cost is from 90 to 155 rubles.
Ivermec-spray and Ivermec– gel. The cost of drugs is from 270-290 rubles.

Folk remedies

As practice shows, the means traditional medicine not effective enough. Therefore, treatment based only on folk remedies will worsen the situation. It is not worth using such drugs without a parallel therapeutic course.

But as an auxiliary and preventive purpose, drugs have the opportunity to exist:

One of the most common remedies is the use of camphor oil, baby oil or cream to remove dried crusts. It is convenient to apply using cotton pads.
To disinfect the ears, you can use hydrogen peroxide. To carry out the procedure, you need to moisten a cotton swab in a 3% peroxide solution and carefully treat the surface.
The well-known antiseptic is green tea. will also help remove bacteria from the surface of the hearing aid, as well as prevent the development of tick-borne infections.

How to give ear drops to a dog

Application ear drops should be done only after thorough removal of exudate in the auricle.

To clean the auricle, all you need is cotton swabs, which must first be soaked in green tea tincture, and then remove the accumulated exudate, plaque and crust.
Cotton swabs for each ear should be changed so as not to transfer mites from the affected ear to the healthy one.
As a rule, both ears are instilled, one for the purpose of treatment, the other for the purpose of prevention. It is especially important when instilling - not to exceed the dosage.

If treatment is carried out incorrectly, after relief occurs, a relapse usually occurs.

Timely treatment always gives positive result. For ear scabies, you need to follow these steps:

Cleaning the ears from dried exudate, scales and crusts.
Application medicines from the class of acaricides, with the help of which the auricle and the canal itself are carefully processed.
Medicine before insertion into the ear apparatus, heated to body temperature.
The medicine must be administered using a syringe. with a rubber tube with a diameter of 1-1.5 mm.
To ensure the drug spreads evenly all over the ear, you need to massage the ear well.
The ear must be treated externally, using liniments and ointments, generously lubricating both the outer and inner surfaces of the ear.

Powders, injections and aerosols are successfully used in treatment. Powdered preparations are simply poured into the animal’s ear. In practice, it is convenient to use aerosol preparations based on alphamethrin. Widespread in Lately received ivermectin injections

Prevention of infection

Today, prevention consists of simply following simple recommendations:

Regular examination of the dog's integument and ears to detect discharge. Special attention Look out for brown discharge.
Timely and thorough cleaning of the animal’s ears with cotton swabs.
During your walk, make sure that the animal has less contact with other animals, especially stray ones.
Timely prevent otodectosis through the use of medications, as well as shampoos and sprays.

It is important to remember that the animal needs careful care. If an animal suffers from a weakened immune system, is drowsy and apathetic, restless and noisy, you should immediately consult a doctor to relieve minor symptoms.

Rather than treat acute form illness, damaging your pet’s ears and increasing the risk of leaving the animal completely deaf.

Surfaces affected by mites become compacted and covered with dried crusts. I must say, the disease looks unpleasant and, when they see formations in a pet’s ears, owners most often think that his ears are simply dirty. In fact, this is far from the case.

As already noted, tick saliva is an allergen for the animal, but not only it, but also all other products of its vital activity are toxic. Getting on the skin and its inner layers, they lead to the appearance of microscopic tears, causing itching in the dog. The pet constantly scratches and shakes its ears. Scratches and wounds appear in the ears and on the outside of the ear. Earwax mixes with lymph and mite feces and forms brown crusts.

In addition, a number of other symptoms are added:

the dog begins to eat poorly, sometimes at all;
the pet does not sit still, behaves restlessly;
with severe damage, the dog may constantly tilt its head towards the affected ear.

In a clinical setting, the resulting material is studied under a microscope. If it really is a tick, then you can see tiny gray-white specks moving.

Consequences of neglected otodectosis

A tick bite is not only discomfort dog, but also possible reason various kinds of complications. If your pet is not treated, this can lead to the following consequences:

suppuration of the resulting wounds;
development of the inflammatory process in the ear -;
damage and further destruction of the eardrum;
decreased or complete loss of hearing;
inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord– meningitis.

Statistics indicate that complications develop in one out of ten cases of otodectosis. Naturally, this is not a reason to panic, but a warning - a sick animal must be treated in a timely manner.

Treatment of ear mites in dogs

There are many reasons why you should not, without experience, independently treat your four-legged friend:

Only a specialist after complex diagnostics can confirm that your pet has otodectosis.
When selecting a drug, the doctor takes into account individual characteristics dogs (breed, propensity to allergic manifestations, advanced disease) and prescribes the optimal remedy.
An experienced veterinarian will be able to calculate the required dosage, as well as the duration of the course.

Before applying external products, it is necessary to clean the ears from accumulated wax, leaked exudate, and crusts. To do this, you can wrap a piece of gauze or bandage around forefinger and wipe the inside of the sink. The bandage can be moistened with a solution of boric acid, furatsilin or hydrogen peroxide. In the latter case, it is necessary to prevent the drug from flowing into the ear.

You can supplement the procedure by applying vegetable oil to the baked crusts or treating them with freshly brewed tea leaves. To do this, it is convenient to use cotton swabs and change them as often as possible.

For the same purposes, you can purchase at veterinary pharmacy special lotions, for example, “Epi-otik” or “Otodin”, which will facilitate the removal of crusts, eliminate the unpleasant odor, and they also have a pronounced antipruritic effect. They can also be used as a prophylactic agent.

For the treatment of ear mites in dogs, they are usually prescribed medicines in the form of drops. It is necessary to instill in both ears, strictly taking into account the prescribed dosage.

Among the well-known ear drops for otodectosis in dogs are the following:

"Amitrizan Plus";
"Otovedin";
"Surolan";
"Otibiovin";
"Tsipam";
"Aurikan";
"Leopard".

For external treatment, the veterinarian may prescribe ointments:

"Oridermil";
"Amidel-gel";
"Sulfuric ointment";
"Colloidal sulfur";
"Aversectin ointment";
“Balsamic liniment according to Vishnevsky.”

The ointments must be warmed to room temperature and applied to the affected area with light massaging movements so that the medicine penetrates into the deeper layers of the epidermis.

If, after completing the therapeutic course, the subcutaneous mite appears again, it means that we are talking about incorrect or insufficient treatment, or the dog has reduced immunity.

Preventive measures against ear mites

If brownish wax begins to form, it means that the animal has become infected with ear mites.

Like most diseases, otodectosis is very easily cured at the very beginning of its development. At this stage, regular ear cleaning and the use of special drops will help relieve your pet of the disease.

If we reveal subcutaneous mite If it did not succeed, and it caused significant damage to the dog, then not only otodectosis will have to be treated, but also the secondary infection that has joined. This will require more effort and time.

Otodectosis in a dog

Otodectosis or ear scabies- a chronic invasive disease caused by microscopic scabies mites.

Besides dogs ear scabies, most often affects cats, ferrets and fur-bearing animals (arctic fox, sable, mink, fox, rabbits). Humans do not become infected with carnivorous scabies.

What is this otodectosis?

An insect has five stages of development:

Larva
Nymph, first stage of development (protonymph)
Nymph, second stage (telonymph)
Adult insect (imago)

Otodectes cynotis under a microscope

The main cause of infection with ear scabies mites in a dog occurs through direct contact of sick animals with healthy ones, for example, while walking, when communicating with stray animals, which most often become a source of spread of the disease.

Ear mite

Inflammatory exudate, mite excrement, dead skin cells, dust and earwax mix and dry, forming brown scabs on the surface of the skin. Dried crusts accumulate in the lumen of the outer ear canal, promoting blockage and accumulation of inflammatory effusion in the ear canal.

In such cases, perforation of the eardrum may occur, while the inflammatory process progresses to the middle stage, and then to inner ear dogs.

In the most advanced cases, if left untreated, inflammation spreads to the membrane of the brain, meningitis develops, and the animal dies.

Symptoms of otodectosis

Of course, a veterinarian must make a final diagnosis of the animal. But according to some external manifestations and the symptoms of ear scabies, and the dog owners themselves can guess that she has otodectosis:

The animal scratches its ear or rubs it against various objects. On the inside skin surface the auricle, scratches appear, and on the outer ear, a crust forms at the base of the ear, from constant scratching

Anxiety

The dog shakes its head and holds its head tilted to the side towards the ear affected by mites

Congestion in the ears

Cluster on inside the auricle and in the lumen of the external auditory canal there are crusts of a dirty brown color.

In cases of complications, symptoms appear:

Otitis (inflammation in the middle ear) – discharge from the ear, increased body temperature, unpleasant odor from the auricle
Labyrinthitis (inflammation inner ear) – disorders in coordination of movements are added to the symptoms of otitis, the dog keeps its head turned 90-120 degrees;
Meningitis - whirling, seizures and convulsions.

Diagnostics

You should not rely on your own strength. Self-treatment otodectosis, can lead to serious negative consequences for an animal.

Correct treatment

Cleaning a Dog's Ears

IN initial stage When there are no symptoms of otitis, the disease is easily treated. For treatment, it is enough to destroy the ticks. For this purpose, insecticidal preparations are prescribed based on the same substances that are used in the treatment of skin scabies in animals.

Drugs used to treat otodectosis may be local action, in the form of drops, sprays and ointments, or generally, in the form of injections. The composition of drops and sprays used to treat otodectosis includes one of the insectoacaricidal agents as the main active ingredient.

In addition, the composition of the drugs may include anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antiallergic and antiseptic drugs.

Drugs used to treat canine otodectosis:

Drops: “Bars”, “Otoferonol Gold”, “Oricin”, “Dekta”, etc.;

Sprays: “Ivermek”, “Akrozol”, etc.;

Ointments: sulfur-tar and birch tar;

Injectable drugs: Ivermec 1%, Otodectin.

Before using acaricidal agents, it is necessary to clean the ears as best as possible from accumulated scabs. To do this, they are moistened and softened with one of antiseptics (boric acid, hydrogen peroxide, furatsilin solution, ear lotions), preventing fluid from flowing into the ear canal.

Important: you need to remember that all insecticidal preparations are potent drugs and can be dangerous, not only for animals, but also for people. The use of otodectotic agents requires strict adherence to the order of application and dosage, according to the instructions and taking into account the weight of the animal.

Prevention

Video on the topic

Cleaning a Dog's Ears

Even experienced breeders often have no idea what ear mites look like on dogs. In general, there is nothing strange about this: the pathogen, that is, Otodectes cynotis, is not impressive in size. It can only be seen through a microscope.

One of interesting features this type of tick is practically complete absence sexual dimorphism: body length of both females and males is approximately 0.45-0.5 mm. This makes them very different from other types of ticks, in which the female is usually much larger than the male (especially after a heavy meal).

A whole series of unpleasant complications:

The most typical problem is. Moreover, in many cases it has a dangerous habit of quickly deteriorating, turning, for example, into. In a particularly “successful” set of circumstances, the dog may well die from the perforation (more precisely, melting) of the eardrum and pus entering directly into the brain. In addition, dogs who have recovered from the disease often experience impaired coordination of movements. This is due to possible damage to the cochlea and other organs responsible for maintaining the normal position of the body in space.

Full or partial animal. Considering that ear mites in most cases affect both ears, deafness may well be not only complete, but also bilateral.

Inflammation of the external and all other parts of the hearing organs.

Likewise, the risk of developing tumor pathologies (both benign and malignant) increases significantly.

Read also: Enema for a dog: simple instructions

Risk group: which dogs are most susceptible to otodectosis

Frankly, dogs become infected with ear mites much less often than cats. But certain group There is also a risk in the case of these pets:

Long-haired breeds.
Dogs with long ears are very susceptible to tick infestation.
In addition, animals with soft and folded skin (Shar Peis, for example) are in a similar situation.

In general, everything is simple here. All signs of ear mites in dogs are similar to those of any other hearing diseases:

The dog starts. At first it is not severe, but over time the itching becomes more and more severe. After a couple of weeks (depending on immunity and other factors), he “gets” the animal so much that the dog begins to literally tear its ears. It is not surprising that sick pets' ears quickly become covered with numerous scratches, tears and abrasions.

Development of the inflammatory process, in many cases quickly turning into a purulent form.

Copious accumulations of brownish-red deposits. These are waste products of ticks. Accordingly, the more of this “sedimentary rock” there is, the more intense the infection.

Read also: Tar soap Helps get rid of fleas on dogs

In severe, advanced cases, the ear creates an ideal environment for development of pathogenic and, including pyogenic, microflora. In addition, in some situations, putrefactive microflora joins the inflammatory process. In these cases, the dog begins to smell extremely unpleasant. In addition, with advanced otodectosis, the dog constantly shakes its head and ears, causing droplets of foul-smelling exudate to fly in all directions.

Treatment methods for otodectosis in clinical and home settings

First, we note that methods of treating dogs for ear mites can be divided into two large groups: “home” and clinical. I would like to say that starting to treat your pet using the “recipes” you read on the first forum you came across is not a good idea. If you do not know the basic therapeutic principles, then you can quickly harm the dog rather than contribute to a real improvement in its condition.

Drug treatment

Usually, drug treatment does not cause any particular problems against ear mites. Provided, of course, that the case is not too advanced.

There are plenty of drugs for this:

The most common “Bars” drops, which are available in every veterinary pharmacy.
Otovedin.
Tsipam.
Aurikan and others drip medications, intended for application directly into the ear canals.

Folk remedies

Let us immediately emphasize that using folk remedies in the treatment of otodectosis is possible only when lung condition course of the disease. When pus drips from your pet's ears, applying poultices is just a waste of time.

Experts advise using the following methods:

Has proven itself well camphor oil who clean their dog's ears up to three times a day. Ticks do not like camphor very much, so in the early stages of infection it is quite possible to cure an animal.

We highly recommend disinfecting the ears of a sick pet at least twice a day, using a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution for this purpose. Peroxide practically does not harm the mites themselves, but this simple remedy prevents the development of inflammatory processes.

A real folk remedy is strong green tea (cooled, of course, to room temperature). They need to clean the dog's ears up to five times a day. Green tea is a natural disinfectant. It has a slight tanning effect and also prevents the development inflammatory reactions in the animal's ear canals.

To treat otodectosis, it is recommended to use garlic, but we would not recommend using this remedy. The fact is that garlic contains many substances that are deadly to dogs. In addition, such a “vigorous” remedy can simply burn the delicate skin lining the inside of the ear canal. But if there are no other options, then you can use it. It is necessary to grind the smallest clove of garlic into a fine and completely homogeneous paste. It is mixed with about a stack of sterile vegetable oil, and then infused for 24 hours. The resulting composition is instilled into the dog’s ears no more than one drop per day.

You can also use essential oils, including mint, eucalyptus, orange.

When ear mites appear in domestic dogs, they provoke the development of scabies. The disease is called otodectosis. The size of the pest is no more than 0.6 mm. Body color is light yellow. Considering external features, in dogs, ear mites are detected only by signs of vital activity; the pest cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The pest grows in a short period of time - 30 days. The offspring develops under the skin in the ear of a domestic animal, for which the adult gnaws through many passages. Eggs are laid here. Incubation period lasts 5 days. Before the onset of molting periods, 7 days pass from the moment when the larvae emerge from the eggs.

As a result of infection, ear scabies develops in dogs. The disease manifests itself gradually, which is facilitated by an increase in the number of pest colonies. If you do not get rid of ear mites, otitis will develop, hearing will deteriorate, and the process of suppuration begins in the affected areas. The situation is aggravated by persistent itching. As a result a pet scratches ears frequently and quite severely.

Obvious signs are: itching in the ear area and black discharge from the auricle.

If the owner of the animal does not know how to treat the disease and does not take any action to improve the well-being of the pet, the inflammatory process will begin on the membrane of the brain. For dogs, such a disease is fraught with unpleasant, even painful sensations. Sometimes death occurs.

If suspicions arise that a dog has ear mites, and the symptoms confirm the fears, treatment is prescribed. First of all, the drug is used different shapes: drops, aerosols, ointments. In addition, secondary (auxiliary) chemical agents are used (for example, Vishnevsky’s anti-inflammatory ointment).

If a dog has ear mites, treatment is allowed folk remedies. However, before using the product, the auricle and ear canal are cleaned. It is necessary to free the ear from plaque, for which they use a cotton swab and an antiseptic.

Don’t wait for your pet’s condition to worsen – go to the veterinarian when the first symptoms of otodectosis appear.

Chemicals - overview

When deciding how to treat your pet, you should consider drops, ointments, and aerosols. The first group of funds is represented by the following options:

Decta. Contains dexamethasone and propolis. The regularity of taking this product is lower than most analogues.
Amit ( active ingredients amitraz, prednisolone).
Tsipam. Contains amitraz, cypermethrin. This is another acaricide.
Aurican – helps cure inflammation. Kills pests thanks to diazinon, prednisolone.
Otovedin is an acaricidal drug, contains alpha pinene, phoxim. Destroys adults and offspring.

First, thoroughly clean the affected ear, removing exudate, scabs and crusts using a swab.

Drops are used in accordance with the instructions. When selecting treatment for ear mites in dogs, it is often recommended to use Amidel-gel, as well as Aversectin ointment.

Popular remedies for the treatment of canine otodectosis

The first option contains icecaine, methylurcil, amitraz. The second of these drugs is not intended for use in puppies under 2 months, as well as in weakened pets and females during the feeding period. Aerosols include Bio-Groom products (for example, Ear Mite Treatment).

Very often, veterinarians prescribe the following drugs: Bars, Amit, Dekta, Otibiovin, Aurikan, Tera-Delta.

Folk recipes

Having figured out for yourself what ear mites look like in dogs, and having made sure that it was this pest that attacked your pet, you can use safe means at hand:

Green tea. It is brewed and processed into the ears.
Olive oil + garlic.
Alcohol solution of iodine and vegetable oil. The components are taken in a ratio of 1:4.

Good to know: Ear mites in dogs, treatment