# Ear Mites



## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Little Charlie has been to the vets this morning because he keeps scratching his ears and the poor little thing has ear mites for a second time. The vet has given some drops for the ears and flea treatment which he said will help with the mites even though Charlie doesn't have fleas. Does anybody know how and why he keeps catching these and if there is anything I can do to help stop him getting them? They are very irritating to him. It's not easy putting drops in his ears, he wriggles around so much and won't keep still for the few seconds it takes to put the drops in.


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## Cockerpoo lover (Oct 15, 2009)

CarolineU said:


> Little Charlie has been to the vets this morning because he keeps scratching his ears and the poor little thing has ear mites for a second time. The vet has given some drops for the ears and flea treatment which he said will help with the mites even though Charlie doesn't have fleas. Does anybody know how and why he keeps catching these and if there is anything I can do to help stop him getting them? They are very irritating to him. It's not easy putting drops in his ears, he wriggles around so much and won't keep still for the few seconds it takes to put the drops in.


The vets normally give you Advocate which treats ear mites but also fleas and some worms.

If you want an alternative buy some Thornit powder ( get it off ebay) and you put a tiny bit on end of teaspoon and then dust around the outer ear.
It's great for getting rid and preventing ear mites and canker and dogs don't mind it as much as drops. It is very soothing if your dogs ears are irritated.

As your dog has pendulous ears they are prone to picking up debris etc...

Also if you go near fox poo that is a big one for transmitting ear mites.

If you key in Thornit powder you can have a read up.

HTH x


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

The life cycle of the Ear Mite is about 21 days, There are 4 different stages to the life cyle. Eggs are laid on the surface of the Ear Canal these take approx. 4 days to hatch. The next stage is larvae these feed for about 4 days, rest for about a day, then "molt" to produce the Nymphal stage. The Nymphs then feed for another 4 days, "molt" feed for about another 4 days before "molting" again to become adults. Adults then lay eggs and start the whole process again. The Adults feed on debris and skin in the ear canal.

First step of treatment is usually to clean the ears to remove debris and build up. Usual treatment is Canaural, this should be used for a further two weeks after, the ear mites look as if they are cleared up. Just to make sure all the life stages are killed as any stages left will start the process over again.

Ear mites, can actually be found on other parts of the body not just confined to the ears, so a complete "flea treatment" that includes mites should be used also to eradicate them from the body too. You should also wash and treat bedding regularly as any present there can re-infect the dog. Repeat the washing and treating the bedding 3 weeks later too, to make sure any life stages are completely cleared from there too.

It could have re-occured because, not all life stages were killed in the first place and also, he could have been re-infected from the environment or his bedding. Sometimes you can also get secondary bacterial yeast infection in the ears too, especially if they have had it awhile and been scratching, so sometimes you also need treatment for that too.


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> The life cycle of the Ear Mite is about 21 days, There are 4 different stages to the life cyle. Eggs are laid on the surface of the Ear Canal these take approx. 4 days to hatch. The next stage is larvae these feed for about 4 days, rest for about a day, then "molt" to produce the Nymphal stage. The Nymphs then feed for another 4 days, "molt" feed for about another 4 days before "molting" again to become adults. Adults then lay eggs and start the whole process again. The Adults feed on debris and skin in the ear canal.
> 
> First step of treatment is usually to clean the ears to remove debris and build up. Usual treatment is Canaural, this should be used for a further two weeks after, the ear mites look as if they are cleared up. Just to make sure all the life stages are killed as any stages left will start the process over again.
> 
> ...


Ok, so I probably did not continue the treatment for long enough after the earmites had gone the first time, I didn't know I had to do this (( wish people would give me all the information I need!), I didn't realise they took quite a few days in their whole life cycle. Not sure what meds the vet has given me as my husband took him alone this morning. Bedding - would it be ok to wash it all on a hot wash say 60 degrees? How often should I wash it say once a week is that enough or not? If a hot wash alone won't kill them how do I treat the bedding and what should I use? Poor little Charlie, we've had him 6 weeks and been to the vets 4 times now!


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Cockerpoo lover said:


> The vets normally give you Advocate which treats ear mites but also fleas and some worms.
> 
> If you want an alternative buy some Thornit powder ( get it off ebay) and you put a tiny bit on end of teaspoon and then dust around the outer ear.
> It's great for getting rid and preventing ear mites and canker and dogs don't mind it as much as drops. It is very soothing if your dogs ears are irritated.
> ...


Thank you. Before I had something called Sedrondal or something like that. I did see some good reviews on an ear mite control med on Amazon, not sure what it was now. But you say dust roud the outer ear, if I hold his ears back I just dust where I see on the edge not actually inside do I? He isn't keen on anybody touching his ears so it's a bit of a wrestling match, I try and give him a biscuit to eat whilst we are doing it but he always seems to have an eye on me and he knows what is about to happen when I come near him with the bottle!


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

Found this a while ago and didn't know you could get rid of ear mites or simply keep the ears clean with apple cider vinegar.
Can I Use Vinegar & Water on My Dog? | eHow.com


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

it wouldnt hurt to give it a weekly hot wash, and then carry on doing it for another 2/3 weeks after treatment. You can get enviromntal treatments for fleas and mites. You must never use them on the dog though, just bedding carpets etc. When I had a cat, I used to use an enviromental spray called acclaim 2000 which is still going, although there are others on the market now. Boots used to do the acclaim and you can get those and similar from vet surgeries. I would wash the bedding, then spray it, but then let it air and dry throughly before you let your pup use it. You can use it on carpets too where he has laid, You usually going from memory do room by room, but dont use it or go in for half hour or so, then air the room first, before using it. Insturctions would be on the can anyway.

Canaural are ear drops, I used them in the past on the cat because he had them a few times and they are very effective, but you can only get them from vets. I think the ear cleaner the vet gave me was Epi-otic. Another one is Clean Aural dog, The Epi-otic is for cleaning and maintenace of healthy ears
the clean aural is spcially formulated for general cleaning and infected ears. Both are gentle though and you can use them for general maintenance. Your vet should be able to supply these too.

The Ear cleaners and the envirmental sprays you can get on line, Vet-Medic - the same medicines as your vet at consistently low prices. is where I get mine. Order line 0800 387348 you can pay extra for 1st class and usually get them in a day or two. probably be cheaper than the vet. But as I said the Canural ear drops are prescription only. So you cant hust order those on line.


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> it wouldnt hurt to give it a weekly hot wash, and then carry on doing it for another 2/3 weeks after treatment. You can get enviromntal treatments for fleas and mites. You must never use them on the dog though, just bedding carpets etc. When I had a cat, I used to use an enviromental spray called acclaim 2000 which is still going, although there are others on the market now. Boots used to do the acclaim and you can get those and similar from vet surgeries. I would wash the bedding, then spray it, but then let it air and dry throughly before you let your pup use it. You can use it on carpets too where he has laid, You usually going from memory do room by room, but dont use it or go in for half hour or so, then air the room first, before using it. Insturctions would be on the can anyway.
> 
> Canaural are ear drops, I used them in the past on the cat because he had them a few times and they are very effective, but you can only get them from vets. I think the ear cleaner the vet gave me was Epi-otic. Another one is Clean Aural dog, The Epi-otic is for cleaning and maintenace of healthy ears
> the clean aural is spcially formulated for general cleaning and infected ears. Both are gentle though and you can use them for general maintenance. Your vet should be able to supply these too.
> ...


Ok, thanks for all that. I have just purchased some Thornit. Would it be ok to use that and the other ear medication from the vet at the same time? Although it won't arrive for a few days yet.


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Malmum said:


> Found this a while ago and didn't know you could get rid of ear mites or simply keep the ears clean with apple cider vinegar.
> Can I Use Vinegar & Water on My Dog? | eHow.com


Thank you for that information. Never bought any of that before, does Asda sell it???!! It seems that I need to carry out weekly maintenance on Charlies ears to keep those irritating mites at bay.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

CarolineU said:


> Ok, thanks for all that. I have just purchased some Thornit. Would it be ok to use that and the other ear medication from the vet at the same time? Although it won't arrive for a few days yet.


In all honesty I have never used thornit, so personally I havent got a clue. The only time Ive ever encountered ear mites, was when I had a cat, (Long time ago now) So the only treatment Ive personally ever used was the Canaural and washing the ears out with the ear cleaner too, which was via the vets instructions, that did work though. Hopefully someone who has used it can advise you regarding the Thornit.


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> In all honesty I have never used thornit, so personally I havent got a clue. The only time Ive ever encountered ear mites, was when I had a cat, (Long time ago now) So the only treatment Ive personally ever used was the Canaural and washing the ears out with the ear cleaner too, which was via the vets instructions, that did work though. Hopefully someone who has used it can advise you regarding the Thornit.


Thank you for your help as always. How come you know so much about keeping our pets healthy?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

CarolineU said:


> Thank you for your help as always. How come you know so much about keeping our pets healthy?


20 odd years, having dogs and cats (Mostly dogs 6 in total) Having had them from the cradle to the grave, between them they probably have had pretty much all the most common ailments (Plus a few not so common) Known to man. Plus I read quite a bit and am a bit of an anorak when it comes to Dogs in general:lol:


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## Paddy Paws (Jul 11, 2010)

Do you have a cat in the house that may be passing the mites to him? Have your vets actually seen microscopic evidence of mite in your dog (i.e have they examined a sample under the microscope) as dogs are more likely to get ear infections rather than mites. A once weekly clean with something like Clean Aural, Epi Otic or Ceruslove (all veterinary ear cleaners) can keep the ears clean and if mites truly are a problem, you can uses Otodex Ear Drops. All available without prescription online HERE


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> 20 odd years, having dogs and cats (Mostly dogs 6 in total) Having had them from the cradle to the grave, between them they probably have had pretty much all the most common ailments (Plus a few not so common) Known to man. Plus I read quite a bit and am a bit of an anorak when it comes to Dogs in general:lol:


Well you have been an invaluable source of information to me, being a new mum. Like I said before we had a dalmation for 6 years but she was all grown up and we didn't have toilet problems or ear mites, she had 2 cups of Eukanuba a day and a good walk and she was fine, so this really is a massive shock to the system. It is a full-time job at the minute. Charlie lost his first tooth yesterday too! I don't know your occupation but if you're not a vet then you should be!


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

Paddy Paws said:


> Do you have a cat in the house that may be passing the mites to him? Have your vets actually seen microscopic evidence of mite in your dog (i.e have they examined a sample under the microscope) as dogs are more likely to get ear infections rather than mites. A once weekly clean with something like Clean Aural, Epi Otic or Ceruslove (all veterinary ear cleaners) can keep the ears clean and if mites truly are a problem, you can uses Otodex Ear Drops. All available without prescription online HERE


No cats, I don't like them and I am afraid of them! They haven't examined a sample under a microscope but put the ear whatsit inside the ear to look. Does Otodex get rid of the ear mites in particular? I have some Thornbit coming so once Charlie's ears are clear I shall put a bit of that in his ears once a week to try and keep them at bay. Thank you for the advice.


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## Paddy Paws (Jul 11, 2010)

Yes it clears wax, is soothing and kills mites.


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## Cockerpoo lover (Oct 15, 2009)

Have PM you


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## CarolineU (Feb 2, 2011)

We have the Surolan and Advocate to use, 3 viles I have of that and it came to a grand total of £63!!!!!!! Can't afford to spend that every time I go and we have been 4 times in 6 weeks!!! I have washed the bedding on 90 degrees and I did find the Acclaim in Boots but it was £13.27 for a tin, which I thought was expensive, I think I now vaguely remember reading something about it working for 12 months? Must have got that wrong. So instead I bought some cheaper spray from Wilkinsons and have sprayed the bedding that is dry and the livingroom rug. I just need to keep them at bay for his comfort and also the costs, it's just too much money. Thank you everybody as always for your help and advice, I receive far more information from you than the vets x

I think the Thornbit has arrived, well I got a small package at lunch, I am guessing it is that because I didn't have time to open it. I shall have a read later.

I re-looked at the Acclaim and if you spray the whole house it works for 12 months so £13.27 is good value for that (I changed my mind, I am allowed, I'm female!). But stoopid question if I am washing the bedding which does need doing weekly anyway then there is no point in spraying the bedding with Acclaim because it will just be washed off?


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