Ear mites are tiny white insects that live in the ear canal. They most commonly find their way into the ears of cats, dogs, and other small and furry animals.

It is not common to find an infection of this type in humans. If it is suspected that you may have mites, visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Luckily if you do, they do not burrow and instead stay in the ear canal and feed off wax and skin oil.

These mites are spread through direct contact with another infected animal and the infection spreads quickly from animal to animal. It is for this reason that animals who go outdoors are the most commonly affected. If left untreated, they cause ear infection, skin disease in places other then the ear, and eventual deafness.

The symptoms of infection are highly recognizable. The most telltale sign is the appearance of dark crumbly dirt in the ears. If you look closely, you may even see tiny white mites among this dirt. Other signs of ear infection include scratching, shaking of the head, sores in the area of the ears and the mouth, and imbalance.

If your animal does not go outdoors, and has not had contact with other animals but still shows some or all of these symptoms, they most likely are suffering from something else and should not be put through what will turn out to be an ineffective treatment. A visit to the vet is recommended to discover the cause of the symptoms. Be wary if your animal did not have contact with another animal that could have given them the infection, and the vet diagnoses ear mites.

The infection is treated relatively simply. The vet can provide you with an anti-parasitic treatment that will kill the mites. The ears should be cleaned by removing any debris and then the treatment should be applied. There is also an oral and an injection treatment available.

The various treatment options vary in the amount of time that it takes to kill the infection. Over-the-counter topical treatments are of an older variety and take at least 21 days of application as they do no kill incubating eggs. Prescription topical treatments generally take only up to ten days and other options take only one treatment. As the infection and treatment can be quite uncomfortable it is recommended that a shorter treatment duration be used.

This is a very uncomfortable infection to have as an animal and requires medical attention. It is important that it is treated relatively early in the infection so that complications do not manifest themselves as a more serious and more expensive medical problem for your pet.

Darn those nasty mean old ear mites! They won't stop biting. Wait a second, with the right treatment for ear mites, you can put a stop to them. Listen to your pet and get help.

Written by Wendell Ruben using tags: ear mites

Mange is a skin condition that includes scabies, red mange, ear mite infections and cheyletiella which is caused by mites in mostly dogs and cats. The veterinarian can offer the right advice and provide the correct Mange Medicine for your pet.

Some of the more severe manifestations of Mange, Sacoptic Mites, Demodex Mites and Ear Mites, need to be closely checked by a veterinarian otherwise your pet may face severe health issues. Although these cases are the most severe, there are many other types of Mites that can be dangerous to not only dogs and cats but livestock as well.

One of the first symptoms that a dog with Scabies will present is a crusting of the skin on the ear. Intense irritation can be caused by the Notoedres Mite and Sarcoptic Mange can also affect humans. With all of the intense itching it is possible for the mites get transferred to humans and cause them to itch as well, however, the symptoms will disappear in a couple of weeks if the pet is disinfected.

It is important to treat these conditions as quickly as possible, as the discomfort can become quite severe. Seepage, scabs or boils may begin to appear as well as balding skin patches. If that happens, the vet will likely have to do a biopsy to check for other types of infections that may have developed.

The vet will need to give the pet periodic injections of Ivermectin for a up to four weeks. Bath your pet with dandruff shampoos and dab the affected area with insecticides recommended by the pet. The steroid cortisone and antibiotic creams would relieve the redness and itching.

The Demodex variation of the infection is not contagious, but you still want to get it checked out and treated as quickly as possible, because you run the risk of causing a secondary infection in your pet if you don't. With Demodex, your pet will experience the same itching, irritation and discomfort as with the other types of Mange, so of course you want to relieve your pet from that in the fastest time.

Not all dogs and cats are affected by this mite but some of them are severely affected and this is caused by hormonal changes, suppressed immunity system or a genetic disorder. This disorder is seen mostly in pups going through hormonal changes and most animals recover from it without treatment.

Baths are excellent for treating and soothing a pet who is afflicted with Mange. You should also use any tonics or vitamins that you get recommendations about from your veterinarian. There are several vitamin choices that will help boost your pet's immune system and make him less likely to suffer for too long.

Ear mites cause intense itching and discharge in the ear in dogs and cats. Cats are more sensitive to chemicals hence it's important to consult the vet in how to safely treat the feline.

Homeopathic treatments are a popular choice for many pet owners and they can be a good choice for pets that have sensitivity to certain medications. But, again, the first course of action is to talk to your vet. Of course the most important thing is the proper care, nutrition and cleansing of your pet to help prevent him from getting any of the varieties of Mange ever again.

If your dog has mange and needs a remedy or medicine to help, you should find a mange spray. There are tons of mange medicine that you can find on the Net that could help.

Written by Becca G. Taylor using tags: ear mite treatment, ear mites, ear-mites-symptoms