How to Get Rid of Ear Mites in Dogs Using Home Remedies

Dogs get infested with ear mites when they come in contact with infested pets. Most commonly, dogs get infected by the Otodectic mite (Otodectes cynotis).

Ear mites generally reside in the ear canals of dogs. They usually take shelter on the surface of the ear canals but can be found on dog’s skin surface.

Ear mites usually have a three-week cycle and can remain active off the host for several weeks.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at how to find out if your dog has ear mites and some easy home remedies for eradicating them.

Common symptoms of ear mites

Ear mites are common in puppies, but can infest adult dogs too. Check out for the following symptoms to find out if your dog has ear mites:

• Excessive scratching of ear(s)
• Dark brown crumbly wax in the ear(s)
• Head shaking
• Painful, sensitive, and swollen ear(s)
• Bad odor from the ear(s)
• Hair loss around the ear(s)

The above symptoms may resemble other ear diseases like yeast infections. Therefore, it is important that you consult a vet for a proper diagnosis.

How to find out if your dog has ear mites

You can find out if your dog is infested with mites by removing some waxy discharge from its ears and using a magnifying glass to detect some white specks that move.

However, to get a proper diagnosis, it is best to take your dog to a vet for a microscopic examination.

Home remedies for ear mites

If your dog is infested with ear mites, you can consider using one of the natural home remedies that are kinder on your dog’s ears and can be administered pretty easily.

Below are the top natural home remedies for ear mites in dogs:

• Olive Oil

- Clean your dog’s ears with olive oil
- Extract as much debris as possible
- Repeat the practice every 3 days for 2 weeks

As ear mites hatch every 4 days, this will help you get rid of ear mites.

You can add 1-3 drops of one of the following essential oils per 1 oz of Olive oil to fasten your dog’s recovery:

- Peppermint (Has an anesthetic effect)
- Catnip (Controls mites)
- St. John’s Wort (Relieves pain)
- Calendula (Helps to heal the ear skin)

• Garlic Oil

Garlic oil is a good anti-parasitic as it contains sulfur which eliminates mites. Being a good antibacterial and antifungal, garlic can also help with secondary infection.

- Drop 2-3 drops of garlic oil into dog’s ears.
- Alternatively, prepare garlic oil by crushing a couple of garlic cloves in a cup of olive oil
- Let it sit overnight, remove the garlic, and store in a glass jar
- Apply the oil to the affected ear twice a day

• Green Tea

A natural antiseptic, green tea helps eliminate ear mites.

- Add a tea bag or a tablespoon of loose green tea to a cup of hot water
- Let it settle for a few minutes and strain
- Let the liquid cool down to room temperature
- With the help of a dropper, put 3-4 drops of tea in each ear
- Gently massage dog ears
- Dip a cotton call in the tea and wipe the inner part of dog ears

Repeat the schedule once a day for 4 weeks.

Prevention of Ear Mites

It is always best to try and prevent ear mites infestation in the first place.

The best way to prevent ear mites in your dog is by making sure that the animal is in its best health possible. It needs a robust immune system to make it less appealing to ear mites.

You can take care of your dog’s health by:

• Feeding your dog a wholesome meal.
• Vaccinating it with the shots that it genuinely needs.
• Minimizing chemicals in its environment.
• Making use of natural cleaning supplies in your home.
• Skipping the lawn chemicals and fertilizers in your yard.

You should also clean your dog’s ears regularly to make sure it is free of dirt and debris. Let’s have a look at how to clean your dog’s ears:

• Start cleaning your dog’s ears when it is calm to make the process easier.
• Fill your dog’s ear canal with a veterinary ear-cleaning solution and gently massage the ear’s base for 30 seconds.
• You will get to hear a squishing sound as the product washes out any debris or buildup.
• Let your dog shake their head so that the dirt and debris can come out.
• Once it has finished shaking its head, take a cotton ball and gently clean the ear canal. But do not go deeper than one knuckle.
• If your dog seems to be in pain during the cleaning process, stop and immediately get in touch with your vet.

Wrapping up

After having gone through the home remedies for ear mites in dogs mentioned in this article, it can get difficult for you to choose one. Though some of the solutions can be more time-consuming than others, however, all of them are effective against ear mites infestations. It is also important to act against this illness quickly to avoid its spread.