Ask the Vet About Ear Mites in Dogs and Cats
As a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Dym has over 19 years of experience and dedication to enhancing the overall health and well-being of pets. His commitment and passion for pet health continuously drives him to learn more about the art and science of homeopathy through ongoing training and education.
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Question:My german shepherd has ear mites.what is the best medicine to get rid of them!? Its really bad and i want my poor dog back to normal with healthy ears! I'm not even sure how he got them in the first place! Please help!!!
Answer:Dogs rarely have ear mites - usually when they have ear issues, it is an infection, which won't respond to ear mite medications and they can make an ear infection worse and be unnecessarily painful, so it's ideal for your veterinarian to check him out and tell you which he has. This is very fast and easy. Zymox Otic may help an infection. Here is a link to read about it: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Zymox+Otic+Enzymatic+Solution+with+Hydrocortisone-prod10622.html
Question:I need the best ear mite medicine ASAP for my dog
Answer:Dogs rarely have ear mites - usually when they have ear issues, it is an infection, which won't respond to ear mite medications and they can make an ear infection worse and be unnecessarily painful, so it's ideal for your veterinarian to check him out and tell you which he has. This is very fast and easy. Zymox Otic may help an infection. Here is a link to read about it: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Zymox+Otic+Enzymatic+Solution+with+Hydrocortisone-prod10622.html
Question:I have 4.5 month holand loop.He is steady itching his ears (the left one more than the right) I bought some Hemeo Pet Skin and Itch Drops and put them in his water bottle, that did not help. He even wakes up while sleeping to itch. He was lived outside when i got him. He stays indoors now, i only have taken him outside bout 5x’s for bout 30 mins since i had him. I read some online bout ear mites and allergies. I am not seeing any fleas. What can i do to help him with this?
Answer:I am solely a small animal (just dogs and cats) veterinarian so contact a veterinarian that specializes in exotics for help with your holland lop. You can often find them at your local veterinary school or on websites like Justanswer.com.
Question:I normally clean out my dogs ears every week but took a break because he had foxtail removed by a new vet clinic last week and I have to add ointment to his paw everyday. He has been antibiotics for that procedure (cephlaxin) and is shaking his head a lot especially at night. I got him to stop long enough to see crusty buildup. It doesn’t smell different than the other ear. I’m thinking since he’s already on antibiotics and it doesn’t smell that it is ear mites. Am I understanding the symptoms correctly? I began adding olive oil to his ear and it helped him plus we got a lot of gunk out. But his ear is incredibly inflamed. None of the vets can see him for 3 weeks and I don’t have much money to spend on him after the foxtail surgery for an ER visit.
Answer:With ear infections, it is always ideal for your veterinarian to take a look down into his ear canal to be sure his ear drum is intact before squirting medication into it. If that isn't immediately an option, the ear drum is usually intact, so many owners choose to go ahead and try medication that will hopefully get him feeling better. Medication to try first: Zymox Otic with Hydrocortisone - this is the best over-the-counter ear infection medication out there - make sure it is the one WITH hydrocortisone not without because it will work better. Here is a link to read about it: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Zymox+Otic+Enzymatic+Solution+with+Hydrocortisone-prod10622.html
Question:Nikki has ear mites, we recently moved from Chicago to South Carolina and I can't seem to kill this. She is miserable! I seem to be able to clear them up, she is fine for a few weeks and they are back. She is shaking her head, itching and miserable. Help!
Answer:I wish I knew if Nikki was a dog or a cat. Either way really, but more so for a dog: ear mites are VERY easy to get rid of, so if she is having recurrent ear issues it is probably an ear infection, which are treated entirely different. Ear infections secondary to allergies are most common but there are other possibilites, so seeing your local veterinarian for an exam is ideal at this point. If it is just ear mites they will have a quick one-time treatment that they can apply to get rid of them, like this product: https://www.1800petmeds.com/MilbeMite+Otic+Solution-prod11966.html
Question:So I'm not for sure but I do think my cat, KitKat has mites in his ears. He is not a fan of touching or holding he gets very mean an I've been doing my best for him but it's been getting worse an with covid I haven't had much money. I bought drops for his ears he just won't let me put them in or anything. What should I do? Are there meds I can buy to help relax an calm him maybe.
Answer:I would recommend just going ahead and seeing your veterinarian for 2 reasons: (1) it may be an ear infection which is treated entirely differently than mites (2) they should have a one-time treatment that they can administer like this product: https://www.1800petmeds.com/MilbeMite+Otic+Solution-prod11966.html
Question:what is the best treatment for earmites in cat..i use VCO and otiderm for almost 3weeks but nothing happen and the earmites are always there..thanks ?
Answer:At this point I would go ahead and see your veterinarian for a diagnosis - ear mites and ear infections are treated differently and treating for one when they have the other can make them worse.
Question:Hi. I have a 6 year old Maine Coon who has never had any ear issues. I am presently treating him with ear mite medication, but wanted to know if stress could bring on this problem? I had recently started taking him for walks in a pet stroller and he seemed to be ok with it but wasn't sure if this could be what brought on this condition. He is strictly an indoor cat and has not been exposed to any other pet. Thank you for your time!
Answer:He would have to come into contact with another cat to get ear mites, so he probably has an ear infection which you can make worse with ear mite medication, so see your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis and specific treatment. If that isn't immediately an option, the best over-the-counter medication for ear infections is Zymox Otic with Hydrocortisone. Here is a link if you would like to read about it: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Zymox+Plus+Advanced+Formula+Otic+Enzymatic+Solution+with+Hydrocortisone-prod12065.html
Question:How do i effectively eliminate earmites in my dogs ears
Answer:Most dogs will have ear infections not ear mites which are treated entirely differently. If it is truly ear mites though, prescription products from your veterinarian will work better like Milbemite (https://www.1800petmeds.com/MilbeMite+Otic+Solution-prod11966.html). Over-the-counter medications are more noxious to them and more labor intensive for you but can work if they are used exactly as prescribed like this product called Eradimite (https://www.1800petmeds.com/Eradimite+Ear+Mite+Treatment-prod3311.html) But, again, don't assume your dog has ear mites because ear infections are much more common.
Question:Hello there Doctor, I'm wondering what I could put in feral cats food to treat his ear mites. I treat him every month with flea medication that comes in a capsule. Any ideas would be appreciated as this cat must be in pain. Behind his ears are red and raw. It's very sad. Thank you again. Best, Robin St Germain
Answer:Nothing edible will help with ear mites - getting topical Revolution on him is probably your best bet. https://www.1800petmeds.com/Revolution-prod10265.html
Question:I have a 7 week old puppy with ear mites and i have an ear mite medicine but it's for 12 weeks and older would it be okay to use it on her?
Answer:I can't recommend that - I would need to know the exact active ingredients, but even then, probably would have to say No on this platform. Call and speak directly to the manufacturer.
Question:Hello, I believe my cat has ear mites and I read that olive oil is a good natural remedy to use to help with that and dirt in the ears. I wanted to make sure it was safe before I tried it.
Answer:No, defintely don't put olive oil in your cats ears - it won't kill the ear mites and may cause an infection. Get a product approved for ear mites. There are many over-the-counter products like this one: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Eradimite+Ear+Mite+Treatment-prod3311.html These have to be given multiple times and are fairly noxious to the cat. Your veterinarian will either have or be able to prescribe a one-time treatment like this one that works better and is far less noxious - they can also confirm that it is ear mites and not an infection which would need totally different medication so see your veterinarian: https://www.1800petmeds.com/MilbeMite+Otic+Solution-prod11966.html
Question:Can ear mites cause puppies to whine except for when receiving a treat or food?
Answer:Possibly, but so can MANY other things. Have your veterinarian check out the pup if it continues or worsens.
Question:My dog has ear mites and I don’t know how to get rid of the infection. What to should I do?
Answer:It is ideal for your veterinarian to look and make sure the ear drum is intact before putting anything in the ear & be sure there are no ear mites - they are treated differently, but you can try cleaning the ears with a cleaner like Epi-Otic Advanced (http://www.1800petmeds.com/Epi+Otic+Advanced+Ear+Cleanser-prod11109.html) and/or applying Zymox Otic (http://www.1800petmeds.com/Zymox+Otic+Enzymatic+Solution+with+Hydrocortisone-prod10622.html). Both of these are over-the-counter. This combination of cleaning and/or Zymox Otic will work for mild ear infections, but for moderate or severe, you usually end up needing the stronger prescription medications that you would have to get at your veterinarian. Chronic, recurrent ear infections are secondary to something else (allergies usually, but can be other things) so you and your veterinarian must find and treat the underlying cause, not just the secondary infection.
Question:I’ve ordered revaluation plus for 11 plus lbs. I have one very old and skinny cat should I give the full dose or spelt it up.
Answer:Give just half - that is the dosage for a 5.6 to 11 pound cat so she should fall in that range. Certainly if she is less than 5.6 pounds, see your veterinarian to see what is going on before applying.
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