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Ear mites are a common annoyance of dogs, cats, and other small and furry animals. They are very small white tick-like insects that live and feed in the ear canal.
Humans are rarely affected by these insects. If you have reason to believe that you have somehow contracted the infection however, you will want to visit your doctor to get it treated. Ear mites luckily do not burrow into the skin and so an infection of the ear canal is the only result.
Animals contract these mites through direct contact with another animal that already has the infection. This infection is very quickly spread so even brief contact can result in a transfer. Animals who live or go outdoors are the most likely to become infected. An untreated case of ear mites will lead to other skin infections, and eventual deafness.
The appearance of dark crumbly material in the ears is a good indication that your pet has become infected. If you look closely, you may even see the mites among the dirt. Other signs that your pets ears are infected includes scratching of the area, shaking of the head, sudden imbalances, and sores around the ears and sometimes the mouth.
It is important to remember that even if these symptoms are present, if your pet has not come in contact with another and lives in doors, then it is likely they have some other type of medical problem. Your vet will be able to help you decipher the cause of the problem. Be sure to tell the vet that mites are very unlikely so that they do not automatically jump to this conclusion and prescribe and unnecessary and ineffective treatment.
The infection is treated relatively simply. The vet can provide you with an anti-parasitic treatment that will kill the mites. The ears should be cleaned by removing any debris and then the treatment should be applied. There is also an oral and an injection treatment available.
The various treatment options vary in the amount of time that it takes to kill the infection. Over-the-counter topical treatments are of an older variety and take at least 21 days of application as they do no kill incubating eggs. Prescription topical treatments generally take only up to ten days and other options take only one treatment. As the infection and treatment can be quite uncomfortable it is recommended that a shorter treatment duration be used.
This infection can be quite uncomfortable for your pet and really requires medical attention. Early treatment will avoid further complications that can be quite serious and expensive to treat.
Darn those ear mites! They will not stop nipping. Wait a second, with the right treatment for ear mites, you can put a stop to them. Listen to your pet and get help.
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