Ear Infections. Is it Bacterial or Mites? How to Tell.

Some breeds are more prone to ear infections, such as Cocker Spaniels and breeds with long ears, as these tend to attract more fungal or bacterial infections ...A dog with a healthy ear will look as follows:

Notice that a clean ear has a light pink color with no specs of black or yellow.
Ears that look yellowish and waxy may be more than just a bit dirty. Longer ears hold in water and sweat that can turn into bigger issues. That's why it's so important to regularly maintain your dogs ears.
A bacterially infected ear can sometimes look as follows:

Routine Care is Key:

Routine cleaning of the ears weekly with some ear cleaner and a Q-Tip can help even in the worst bacterial cases to ease your pups suffering of itchy, gooey ears. If your pet already has problems it's best to treat it daily until the ear starts to resemble the picture above. Signs of bacterial problems besides the discoloring can include your dog shaking his/ her head and digging at its ears.
We recommend the following cleaner, which is non-prescription and can be purchased at your local pet smart for under $20.

• Cleans and dries the ear canal
• Effectively removes excessive wax build-up
• Helps eliminate head shaking and ear scratching

For use in cleaning dirt, wax and damaged tissue from ear canals of dogs. Creates environment for healthy tissue growth. Helps eliminate head shaking and ear scratching caused by dirty, inflamed tissue.

Active Ingredients: Purified water, isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, glycerin, docusate sodium, FD&C blue #1, lanolin, sodium benzoate, aloe vera, sodium hydroxide

Suggested Use: Apply a generous amount onto a cotton ball and swab in and around the ear canal. Gently massage the base of the ear to help dislodge debris and allow cleaner to penetrate necrotic tissue. Clean ear with cotton ball or swab and remove excess cleaner. Repeat 2-3 times daily until healthy ear tissue regenerates. Use weekly for maintenance of healthy ears.

For more specific instructions on how to clean your dog's ears the correct way see the video below:

In the case of Otodectes cynotis mites, most commonly called ear mites, the dog typically develops a blackened or dark brown appearance. Also, if you look closely with a magnifying glass or scope you may see movement inside the ear.

Ear mites are a common and relatively mild parasite infection.

 

The vet defines ear mites as tiny infectious organisms resembling microscopic ticks. The mite can just barely be seen as a small white dot with the naked eye but usually must be detected by examination of a sample of ear wax under a microscope. Infection usually produces a characteristic dry black ear discharge commonly said to resemble coffee grounds. Because of the classical appearance of this discharge, infection is often diagnosed based on this discharge although without visual confirmation of the mite under the microscope, it is possible to be led astray. The discharge is composed of ear wax, blood, inflammatory biochemicals, and the ear mites themselves. 

 

Dogs that are afflicted with ear mites will typically scratch at the ears excessively and shake their heads, even pulling out their own hair as they scratch. Some dogs will shake their heads so much that an hematoma of the ear will form (with blood pooling in the ear due to breakage of a blood vessel). Also a concern is when dogs will scratch at their ears to the point that damage is done to the ear canals or ear drums.

 

Ear mites are known for being highly contagious among other pets and between animals of different species but will not affect people. The mites may also spread to other parts of the body.

 

It is important to talk to your vet about the kind of care your pet needs for its ears. It is often difficult for pet owners to tell if their pet has bacteria that can be treated over the counter, or if it is ear mites because many of the symptoms are the same.

Symptoms and Types

•  Itching of the ears, head and neck
• Sometimes generalized itching
• Excessive scratching at ears and around head
• Frequently shaking the head
• Thick red-brown or black crusts in the outer ear
• Coffee ground like bumps in the ear canal
• Abrasions and scratches on the back side of the ears
• Crusting and scale on the neck, rump and tail

Although the cleaner used to regularly ensure a clean ear may help reduce some of the mites and to alleviate some of the dog's symptoms due to itchy, scaly ears it will not completely eliminate your dog or pet of it's ear mites. Mites are best treated by prescription medication that is used as specified by your veterinarian.

Single Use Products

There are currently several prescription products available that reliably eradicate an ear mite infection with one single use, although a thorough ear cleaning is still needed to remove the wax and debris from the ear. These may be applied directly in the ear or to the pet's skin behind the shoulders.

The two current products that are applied directly in a cat’s ear canal are: Acarexx, a topical version of ivermectin; and Milbemite, a topical version of milbemycin oxime, the same active ingredient as in the heartworm preventive Interceptor. These products are approved for cats only and are available only through veterinarians. A single dose should be all that is needed to clear the infection.

As for topical products that go behind the pet's shoulders, there are two that control ear mites (as well as fleas and intestinal worms: Revolution®, which uses selamectin as an active ingredient, and Advantage Multi® (called Advocate® outside the U.S.), which uses moxidectin as an active ingredient. Both selamectin and moxidectin are ivermectin derivatives. With either product, a single application is used on the skin; the product is absorbed into the body where it kills numerous other parasites and then returns to the skin to be concentrated. When these products are used as regular flea control, they have the added benefit of on-going ear mite prevention. Advantage Multi® only has approval against ear mites in cats. Both products are available by prescription only. In some cases a final ear cleaning is needed a month or so after the product has been applied to remove any dried or old ear wax still left in the ear.

See general information on Revolution® from the manufacturer.

See general information on Advantage Multi® from the manufacturer.

See more detail on Acarexx® from the manufacturer.

See more detail on Milbemite® from the manufacturer.

For more information on dog care check out the Golda's Grooming Website. Golda's Grooming

 "We Care About Your Pets" 3629 Western Ave. Knoxville, TN 37931 Right off of I-40. Or
Schedule an Appointment for a Pet Grooming via email here: Golda's Grooming Schedule Your Pet