# Ear mite remedy



## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

Today's inspection revealed some signs of ear mites so I'm on the "deal with ear mites" prowl.

So far it seems like a little borax mixed with mineral oil squirted into her ears might be the best. What products or remedies worked best for you?


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

I treat TONS of cats for earmites every week at the Humane Society. We don't see them in dogs very often though. The first thing I do for the cats is put a little peroxide in their ear, and then clean out all the gunk with cotton swabs. Then I put in 1-2 drops of Ivermectin. Repeat in 10 days, and that usually takes care of it. Occasionally it won't and a third treatment is needed.. For other cats though I have found using Otomite drops in their ears in the place of the ivermectin works well too. I have never tried Borax and mineral oil.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Yeah, my vet showed me how to use Ivomec for ear mites. It has always worked, and with only one treatment in most cases. I'll also use Revolution if the cat (my dogs have never had ear mites) doesn't like to have stuff put in his/her ears. That always takes care of the problem quickly and easily.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Why do you think your pup has ear mites?


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## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

She started heavily scratching her ears. When I looked at them, the inside skin was red and raw looking accompanied by some dark pockets of wax. 

Last night I tried the mineral oil and borax solution. Today her ears are looking much better. However, I'm keeping an eye on them in case it was mights and I didn't get them all or their eggs.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Sounds more like an ear infection. Since mites are microscopic an ear smear is the only way to tell if your pup has them. We have many client who come in thinking that their dog has ear mites when it is in reality an ear infection. For some reason we have been seeing a run on ear infections in the past month. Don't know if its the weather and the snow or what. Hope your pup is feeling better. She is really cute!!!


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## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

Still clean. I'll keep an eye on it over the next few days. If it's inflammed again in the next few days I'll put her on some antibiotics.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Use topical antibiotics rather than oral. The oral ones will kill off any beneficial bacteria in her body as well as the bad.. and since the infection is only in her ears you can get away with just an antibiotic ear ointment.


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## bigdog247 (Feb 7, 2011)

What we used was Dr.Dogs Ear Oil. Its all natural and works great it works for both ear infections and Ear Mites in dogs ,cats,rabbits, all kinds of animals from what they say. we used it with our dog and our 2 cats. Took care of all the mites no problems. you can find the stuff and read more about it for yourself of you want a t http://www.drdogs247.com


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

Binkalette said:


> Use topical antibiotics rather than oral. The oral ones will kill off any beneficial bacteria in her body as well as the bad.. and since the infection is only in her ears you can get away with just an antibiotic ear ointment.


This isn't necessarily true and whether you use oral antibiotics all depends on the situation. There are some ear infections in which a topical will be near worthless. 

I have to say, I'm not terribly thrilled at the idea of treating your dog for ear mites just going by how it looked to you. Why wouldn't you just let a veterinarian do a simple test and tell you what it is for sure?


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## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

Mr. V said:


> I have to say, I'm not terribly thrilled at the idea of treating your dog for ear mites just going by how it looked to you. Why wouldn't you just let a veterinarian do a simple test and tell you what it is for sure?


If her ears hadn't cleared up overnight the Vet is the first place I'd go. In my mind something that presents like ear mites with the possibility of a mild ear infection doesn't warrant a trip to the Emergency Room. If the symptoms increased or she dive bombed I would have taken her to after hours care. In this case the treatment I used was nontoxic to the dog and I monitored her through the night. Her ears cleared up after a few hours and have been clear for the last three days. At that point what would be the purpose of a visit?


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

storysunfolding said:


> At that point what would be the purpose of a visit?


I once took Sydney to the vet for what I was pretty certain was a UTI and an ear infection because she was leaving spots of urine and itching her ears. Turned out she actually had minor spay incontinence and some harmless fur in her ear canal. It's always a good idea to find out what's going on with your pup for sure by someone qualified.


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

Well, I didn't suggest the E vet. What I meant was that I thought a regular daytime visit to the vet should be in order. Why? Lots of reasons but here's one that is always on my mind when I talk to owners that start using different compounds and solutions for treating what appears to a simple ear infection (or in your case a simple case of mites) - If the dog happened to have otitis media(middle ear infection) and his eardrum was perforated you could open up a nasty can of worms with certain chemicals being introduced into the inner ear. Dogs have become permanently deaf or have developed vestibular disease as a result of this type of thing.


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## storysunfolding (Aug 26, 2008)

I understand your viewpoint. Most of my family is in medicine, and I'm starting medical school in the fall. My mother specializes in developmental medicine and I can't tell you how many times the parent's of autistic kids end up using "holistic" medications that are inherently toxic. It's no wonder their kids slow down since they're constantly poisoning them. 

Vet's can be a great resource and through their education, training and experience are a phenomenal SME. Still, a bit of research goes a long way. Any significant attack on the vestibular system typically presents with distinct symptoms. For instance, a dog with a perforated ear typicallyexhibits discomfort at the ear, loss of appetite, putrid discharge etc. In choosing a remedy I went with a "chemical" mixed at a level significantly below toxic thresholds assuming it had a pathway to the bloodstream. The toxicity level of borax in dogs has thankfully never been tested, but in rats is close to 2.5g/kg injested compared to say fipronil at 97 mg/kg. It's a fairly common treatment in the lab in regards to parasites used with the same dosage on everything from mice to orangatangs. With no documented complications from comparible treatments the worst that could occur from using the borax and mineral oil solution in the ear canal is negligible.

Again, if there was any persistance of symptoms by the morning, I agree with you that a daytime visit would be in order. I'd even add to that to say a recurrance of the same symptoms in a short time frame would warrant a vet visit. However, I don't agree that a vet visit is in order once an animal becomes and remains asymptomatic the same way I don't think a child should see the doctor after recovering from a minor cold.


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## Mr. V (Jan 28, 2010)

Looks like you've got it all figured out. Good luck in medical school.


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