Ear mites can infest both dogs and cats.

Ear mites are a common cause of ear infections, or otitis, in dogs and cats. They infect cats more often than dogs and can also infect other types of animals as well, including rabbits.

What are ear mites?

Ear mites are parasitic insects which infect the ears and sometimes live on the skin of infected pets as well.

Ear mites are a contagious parasite which can easily be passed from one pet to another.

What are the symptoms of ear mite infections in dogs and cats?

Ear mites make the ears of infected dogs and cats extremely itchy, resulting in behaviors such as scratching at the ears and shaking the head. The scratching may become so intense for some animals that areas of scabs and hair loss begin to show up around the ears, head and neck of the infected pet due to the excessive scratching.

Ear mites cause the accumulation of a dark brown-to-black colored discharge within the infected ear canal. This discharge is often described as resembling "coffee grounds".

How are ear mites in pets treated?

Ear mites can be treated in several ways. There are numerous medications available which can kill ear mites in infected dogs and cats. These medications include Revolution®, which is a topical spot-on medication which is applied to the skin between the shoulder blades monthly and is also effective in preventing fleas and heartworm infections. Acarexx® is another acaracide (a mite-killing medication) and is a ivermectin-based topical medication which can be applied directly to the ears to kill ear mites. There are numerous other medications which may be used with varying degrees of success to kill ear mites as well.

In some cases, these medications may be all that is necessary to effectively kill and treat the ear mites. However, in other cases, cleaning the ears to remove the discharge and debris may provide more immediate relief for the infected dog or cat. Cleaning, however, is unlikely to be completely effective in removing the mites without the concurrent use of an effective acaracide (such as Revolution®, Acarexx®, etc).

Often, medications designed to decrease inflammation and sooth the infected ear are recommended as part of an effective ear mite treatment as well. Medications such as Tresaderm® (and numerous others) are frequently used for this purpose.

As ear mites are not the only cause of ear infections, it is advisable to have a pet which is suffering from the symptoms of an ear infection examined by a veterinarian in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis before beginning treatment. The veterinarian will be able to examine the discharge from the ears microscopically, if necessary, to determine whether ear mites are the cause of the problem.

Ear mites are a common cause of otitis (or ear infections) in dogs and cats. Ear mites cause a great deal of discomfort in the form of itchy ears for the infected animal. Medications are available which act directly to kill the ear mites. However, cleaning of the ears to remove debris and treatment with other soothing ointments or drops may be recommended for dogs and cats which have suffered damage to the ear canals due to the ear mites. 

The copyright of the article Pet health 101: What are ear mites and what happens to dogs and cats who are infected? is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Pet health 101: What are ear mites and what happens to dogs and cats who are infected? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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