Ear mites are highly contagious parasites that can cause your dog to experience an intense urge to scratch, often coupled with an unpleasant infection at the site of the scratching. Aside from continuous scratching, other symptoms include:

• Dark discharge from the ear
• Red and/or inflamed ears
• Headshaking
• Strong odor from the ears

These symptoms can cause great discomfort for your dog and should not be taken lightly. The problem must be treated before it worsens. Use the following guide to eliminate your dog's ear mites and prevent an ear mite infestation from occurring in the future:

Begin by cleaning your dog's ears. This will remove debris and help sterilize the area, which helps the ear mite medication work.

Squeeze ear mite solution into your dog's ear canal, then gently massage his or her ear using your thumb and forefinger. Depending on the severity of the ear mite infestation, you may have to re-treat your dog's ears after seven days.

Giving your dog ongoing treatments such as Revolution or Advantage Multi controls ear mites and also kills fleas, ticks, and some worms.