Ear mites live in the ears and on the skin of pets infected with them. The
mite lives its entire life on the pet and it takes about 3 weeks for a mite
egg to develop into an adult mite. The adult mites are very mobile and can
live for some time off of a dog or cat, which enables it to be fairly
contagious.
The most common sign of ear mite infection is shaking of the head and ears.
Dogs may also scratch at their ears, rub their face and in severe cases may
even cause bleeding sores behind their ears in their effort to relieve the
discomfort from the mites. The intense itching associated with these mites
is thought to be due to a hypersensitivity reaction, which is similar to an
allergy. Some pets can be infected without showing signs of itching or head
shaking, apparently because they don't develop the hypersensivity reaction.
Ear mites are more commonly diagnosed in cats than they are in dogs but they are a significant cause of ear infections in dogs, too. Dark brown to black debris accumulates in the ears of infected pets and the mites may be visible as small moving white specks on the debris.
Most flea and tick products will kill ear mites on the skin.
__________________ Kimberly |