Ear mites are a pest that inhabits the ears. They can be found in horses, rabbits, dogs, and most often, cats. They live in the ears and cause intense itching, leading the infested animal to scratch at the ears. Understanding the life cycle of the ear mite can help get rid of them successfully.

The adult mite is small and white, almost microscopic, but can be seen by the naked eye if closely inspected. Ear mites almost exclusively live within the ears, although can occasionally migrate to other parts of the body, most often the head. They live by consuming debris, oils and tissue from the ears. Females lay their eggs in the ear lining. They can deposit up to five eggs each day.

After a four day incubation period, the eggs hatch into larvae, which also survive on material within the ear. After several days, they begin to molt into the next stage, which is the nymph. There are two stages to the nymph part of the life cycle, the first is the protonymph, and is followed by the deutonymph.

The deutonymph has an undetermined sex. Whether it will be a male or female is determined following it's mating with the male adult ear mite. Once mating has happened, the nymph will become a male, which then continues on to mate with other deutonymphs, or a female that will lay eggs as a result of the mating. This entire life cycle takes three weeks. The average lifespan of a mite is up to two months.

An ear mite infestation can look like coffee grounds within the ears. It is a combination of ear waxes and material, blood, mite feces, and the mites themselves. They can easily be spread from animal to animal, and can be a huge problem in shelters and kennels. They are troublesome in multi-pet homes, and for treatment to be successful, every pet in the home should be treated simultaneously.

Ear mites, once positively identified by a veterinarian, can be treated and eradicated fairly easily. Topical and oral medications are available that can kill the mites and stop the life cycle. If left without treatment, secondary problems like yeast and bacterial infections can present themselves and complicate ear issues. Pets can also scratch so much that their nails rip the skin in and surrounding the ears, and these open areas can lead to infection.

It is of utmost importance to ensure treatment for all the animals in the home, or reinfection is inevitable. Keeping pets away from strays and other unknown animals, and in particular, keeping cats indoors can help prevent an infestation of ear mites.

Tags: swiss mountain dog health, dog breed health problems, dog health symptomdog health problem symptom, dog breeds and health, boxer dog health, older dog diseases