March 7, 2010

Uncovering Special Ear Mite Treatment For Pets

by Wendell Ruben

A pet who continually scratches its ears is signaling that there is something wrong that is causing discomfort. One of the most common cause of this is problem is ear mites. While a veterinarian can treat them, it is also possible to provide some treatment at home. Determining if this is the problem may be made by removing debris from the animal's ear. Cotton swabs should not be used for this purpose as they can cause damage to the ears, cotton balls are suggested intead.

These mites spread very easily from one animal to another and, if there are more than one animal in a house, they should also be examined to see if they have this same problem. Living in the ear canal, they live on ear wax and sometimes blood in that area. When chewing up this material they produce a brown, crumbly, coffee-like material. After removing this from the ear, careful examination will show small, white mites. They are as small as a typed period.

A mite lays its eggs, which hatch in only four days. This makes it obvious that if treatment is not initiated at the first sign of trouble it can worsen very rapidly. Feeding on the earwax it quickly becomes an adult, mates, and produces more mites. These can very soon spread to the head and eye areas causing further problems.

Ear mites are miserable for a pet and are most common in cats, rarely in dogs. They cause itching and redness of the ears and are comparable to a yeast or bacterial infection. They can cause other diseases if not identified and treated. Once the problem has been identified, the next step is finding some kind of treatment to eliminate this problem.

All medication for ear mites requires removing as much of the ear debris as possible. Medication on the market consists of veterinarian prescriptions or injection and over-the-counter brands. Some applications are one time, take 10 days or 30 days depending on which type used. Whichever is used completing the length of treatment, even if the symptoms seem to be gone, is essential if the problem is to be completely eradicated.

Some one time treatment medication contains Acarexx and Melbnite; some ten day treatment uses Tresaderm and medication which is injected contains Ivermectin. The majority of the over-the-counter medications contain certain insecticides. These are by no means the only kinds of medication available for treatment of this condition and a pet owner should research to determine the best possible medicine for their pet.

Placing a few drops of warm oil in the pet's ear has been suggested. This will soften the debris and make it easier to remove. It will also immobilize the mites for a brief period and make them more removable with the other material. When the substance is removed, it is suggested that it be burned or destroyed in a permanent manner to avoid the mites transferring to another location.

Pets often become very dear to their owners and their comfort and good health is a number one issue. Ear mites are not only uncomfortable but are health threatening. An ear mite treatment for pets should be carefully research to make sure it will bring relief and clear up the problem as soon as possible.

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Filed under Dog Health by Wendell Ruben

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