Dog Ear Mites Home Remedy

Dogs, like humans, suffer from various ear problems, one being the ear mites problem. This problem is more common in dogs who do not have flopping ears. They do not wash their ears like we do, and thus, their ears becomes a breeding ground for these mites. A dog with ear mites or various other dog ear infections, undergoes a lot of problems. Hence it's important for us to know at least one or two dog ear mites home remedy so that we can help our best friends when they face problems like this.

Causes and Symptoms

Out of some of the major dog illnesses, one problem is mites in ears. Ear mites are tiny parasites, which thrive on the outer surface of the dog's ears. They belong to the class of Arachnids. These mites mainly thrive in the ears of cats as they are the ones that generally romp around in garbage bins. It is from them, that dogs get these mites. Thus, ear mites are passed from one animal to the next. If your dog is suffering from this particular dog ear problems, then you do not have to worry about you or your family having it, because we are immune to ear mites.

Now there are various ear mites symptoms, which will let you know that your dog is suffering. If your dog keeps shaking his head frequently, that is the first sign that he has ear mites. Secondly, if he keeps scratching his ear, as if trying to get something out, then again, that is a sign that he has ear mites (it might also be some other infection, so better take him to the veterinarian). Another symptom is that you can smell a strong odor coming out from the ear. Several dogs also secrete brown or black colored wax from their ears. These are all symptoms that your dog is suffering from ear mites problem. If the mites are allowed to persist, then the infection will spread and your dog might lose its hearing ability.

Home Remedies

When your dog suffers from ear mites problem, instead of giving him some over the counter medicines, it is best that you try some of the dog ear mite home remedies. It's safer and it will also help get rid of the problem fast. Unlike humans, dogs will not be able to say that a particular medicine is not suiting them. Home remedies suits all, dogs and humans alike.

Cleaning the Ear
Before starting the treatment, one major thing that you have to do is clean the ear of your dog. This has to be done carefully, because one small mistake on our side, can damage the ear of the dog. There are several dog ear cleaning solutions that you can use. One of the best dog ear mite home remedy is the use of vinegar. Using an ear bud, or maybe a bulb ear syringe, take a small amount of this diluted vinegar and carefully put it in the ear canal of your dog. Gently massage that area and then, using an ear bud, carefully clean the ear. Do not try to go deep into the ear canal. Clean only the area that is visible to you.

Another dog ear mite home remedy is olive oil. If you want, you can use vegetable oil as well. This is again used for cleaning the ear. When the ear becomes ulcerated due to the infection, then vinegar will be painful for the dog. In that case, use these oils. Just pour some into the dog's ears and using a cotton bud, gently clean the ear. You can also mix the olive oil with vitamin E for better results. Repeat this process every three days for six weeks so that even the eggs of the mites are cleaned out.

Killing the Mites
The next thing that you have to do is kill the mites. Mix this with 1 tablespoon of water and put 8 to 9 drops in the ear. Hold the dog's head gently, as he will surely try and shake it out. Ask someone to help you while doing this. Massage the ear gently. This process has to be repeated after every three days for the next 6 weeks. Getting rid of the mites is a long process as one also has to get of the mites that have hatched from the already existing eggs.

Oregon grape is also a good home treatment for dog ear mites. It has anti bacterial properties that kills the mites. 9 to 10 drops at a time twice daily, will do the trick. Mullein oil and garlic oil, are also great home remedies for treating ear mites and various other ear infections in dogs.

Prevention is better than cure. Instead of making your dog suffer from all these problems, it is best that you do not encourage the growth of mites in their ears by taking proper care of your dog's health. This can be done by keeping their ears absolutely dry. Mites tend to flourish on moist surface. Also, let there be free flow of air in the dog's ear. Remove the hair that grows in the ear because that traps the dust particles and dirt, thus, causing infection. You can take the help of your vet in this case. Follow what they say. If you take proper dog care, then I am sure that you will not face any problems like this. Love your dog and take good care of him. He needs us, like we need him.