puppytales

1. Ear Mites can actually live anywhere on a dog, not just in their ears.

2. Ear Mites are extremely contagious. A mother dog can transmit them to her new puppies, and animals in the same household can easily transmit the mites to each other, including cats, rabbits, gerbils, etc. Humans however are not affected.

3. Ear Mites are very common but can be very serious if left untreated. Ear Mites can cause infecions and even deafness in an animal’s ears.

4. If Ear Mites spread out from the ears and move to other parts of the body, your dog may or may not scratch that area. Dogs and other animals will scratch at their ears if they have mites however.

5. Puppies and kittens with ear mites will scratch around their ears and/or shake their heads. The amount of scratching and shaking depends on the severity of the mite infestation.

6. In severe cases of Ear Mites, there can be bleeding in the ears. If you check your dog’s ears and see dried blood, it could be a sign of a mite infestation and you should take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.

7. Give your pet the entire course of the prescribed ointment or lotion. If you stop a few days short because the problem seems to have gone away, parasites and bacteria may still be present and multiplying, prolonging the infection.

8. Dogs with long, floppy ears are more prone to ear mite infections.

9. The most common signs of Ear Mites in Dogs ( and other cats! ) are :

• excessive and persistent scratching around the ears;
• head shaking;
• restless behavior;
• the ears are painful to the touch and the pet may cry out in pain;
• brown material present in the ears;
• a foul-smelling odor.

10. If you have more than one pet in your household, and one of your pets is diagnosed with Ear Mites, you should go ahead and treat all the pets at the same time as mites will move from animal to animal.

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