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Otodectosis, or ear mites in dogs. Ear mites in dogs: symptoms, transmission routes, treatment

But, this does not negate the fact that neglected and extremely neglected cases of otodectosis are regularly encountered in veterinary practice. Sometimes things are so bad that the dog is completely. In general, I would like to advise all breeders not to look “through their fingers” at a dog that furiously scratches its ears. The sooner you contact a veterinarian, the greater the chance of a successful outcome.

Females lay eggs and stick them with a special secret to the inner walls of the external auditory canal. The incubation period is about four days. The life cycle includes: larva, protonymph and deutonymph. The development time of each stage is from three to five days (depending on the season and other factors).

In the summer months, the entire life cycle of ticks can fit into a week and a half! But in winter - stretch for at least one month. It is quite logical that in the cold season, ticks tend to get farther into the ear canals, which is why the sick dog will have more problems (up to complete hearing loss).

But today, scientists tend to believe that female ticks (due to their high need for easily digestible proteins) also consume the blood of infected animals in considerable quantities. Of course, for an adult dog, blood loss in this case is still scanty, but weakened puppies due to such "taste preferences" of ticks can weaken even more, and in some cases it comes to death.

What does a tick look like

Symptoms and signs of infection

Many breeders rightly believe that with otodectosis, the main symptoms and signs of infection relate to the auricles and ear canals. But in fact, this is not entirely true. However, first things first.

It is believed that a pronounced clinical picture develops in cases where two thousand or more ticks accumulate in the auditory canals of one animal.

Primary accumulations of tick secretions appear in the auricles about two weeks after the initial infection. But! There are cases when deposits of waste products appeared after two months, and until that time, infected dogs simply scratched their ears (and even then not constantly). In this, dogs are very different from all the same cats, in which signs of the disease develop much faster.

Note that initially the secretions of ticks are light, but gradually, under the influence of developing fungi and secondary microflora, they darken. In addition, two weeks after infection, antibodies appear in the blood of animals, produced by the body in response to saliva and other waste products of ticks entering the bloodstream. At the same time, the animal develops severe itching, which is why the dog constantly begins to scratch its ears.

So, you can determine the presence of an ear mite in a pet by the combination of the following signs:

  • The surface of the skin of the external auditory canals is covered with a hard, waxy, crumbly coating.
  • In the same places it is possible (with palpation) to feel a noticeable thickening of the skin and its scalyness.
  • The activity of the sebaceous glands sharply increases, which is why the hair near the auricles sticks together, sags in the form of icicles, and an unpleasant odor comes from it.
  • A blood test reveals a significant increase in the number of macrophages and mast cells.
  • The blood vessels in the auricles and adjacent tissues are dilated, which is accompanied by hyperemia (redness) and an increase in local body temperature.
  • In advanced cases, the disease is complicated by purulent inflammation. The exudate is clearly visible in the ear canals, it is constantly released and pollutes the hair near the auricles.

Important! In severe cases of otodectosis, more than just the ears are affected. Perhaps the development of miliary dermatitis, often covering the abdomen and groin. "Harmless" otodectosis is fraught with the development of skin pathologies covering large areas of the animal's body.

Not only a dog furiously scratching its ears can be contagious - even a pet that looks quite healthy often has a hundred or two ticks. In any case, the main ways of transmission and infection are direct contact of animals with each other. The less often the dog will be in contact with relatives, the less the risk of infection.

Are ear mites transmitted to humans?

Diagnosis of otodectosis

The simplest diagnosis is visual observation of a sick dog. An infected dog will constantly shake its head and scratch its ears. In severe cases, the animal does this so frenetically that the auricles are quickly covered with deep scratches and even tears. In addition, all these injuries are quickly subjected to seeding with secondary microflora, which, accordingly, leads to the development of inflammatory processes.

The ears of such a pet smell bad when the dog shakes its head, droplets of brownish exudate (with a disgusting smell) can scatter in all directions.

Practicing veterinarians offer a good home visual diagnostic tool:

  • It is necessary to take a cotton swab and warm saline solution.
  • Moistened with a cotton swab, wipe the inside of the dog's ear canal, and then cut off the cotton tip and place it in a sealed transparent glass vial.
  • After about an hour, the mites begin to massively leave the cotton wool and accumulate on the glass (this is very clearly visible even to the naked eye). The mass accumulated on the wall of the bubble (for reliability) is collected with a scraper and subjected to microscopic examination.

How to distinguish otitis media from ear mites: diagnostic nuances

When diagnosing, there may be a problem with how to distinguish from an ear mite. In fact, there is nothing particularly complicated about this:

  • Otitis develops much faster than otodectosis.
  • Inflammatory processes in the middle and inner ear are much more severe, accompanied by an increase in the general body temperature of the animal and a visible deterioration in its condition.
  • With otitis, the dog usually does not scratch his ears. She sits with her head constantly tilted to one side. So the animal tries to reduce the intensity of pain.

But! In many cases of advanced otodectosis, it makes no sense to differentiate it from otitis media: the problem is that in such situations inflammation of the middle and inner ear will develop in parallel with tick-borne invasion. So the pet will have to be treated immediately for two diseases. In a word, it is better not to bring otodectosis to advanced stages!

Home treatment: how to deal with ear mites

Fortunately, in many cases, ear mites can also be treated at home. But only on condition that the disease is not running. In other situations, you will have to seek veterinary help!

Drops for the treatment of otodectosis

Drops are the most popular. We would recommend using the following formulations:

  • "Leopard".
  • Aurican.
  • Decta.
  • Otoferonol Premium. This is one of the most powerful anti-tick remedies. The advantage of these drops is not only in the guaranteed destruction of ticks, but also in the relief of inflammatory processes.
  • Frontline.
  • Tzipam and others.

In a word, on the shelves of veterinary pharmacies, you can easily find dozens of names of drops from ear mites. There are no problems with the choice, respectively.

Ear mites spray

  • Ivermek spray. As it is easy to understand, the drug is made on the basis of ivermectin.
  • Acaromectin spray.

The use of drops and sprays is completely similar. The drugs in these dosage forms are instilled or sprayed directly into the ear canal. After that, it is imperative to massage the base of the ear so that the medicine is evenly distributed and has the maximum effect.

Healing ointments

Also, the following ointments can be used to treat otodectosis:

  • Vedinol plus.
  • Ointment Aversectin.
  • Oridermil.

You need to talk a little about the rules for using ointments. They must be used only after preliminary cleaning of the ears (peroxide, for example). You need to make funds inside the ear canal. To do this, use cotton swabs or swabs.

Folk remedies for the treatment of ear mites in dogs

Of course, pharmaceuticals are very "lethal" and reliable, but sometimes folk remedies can also show impressive effectiveness. Provided, of course, that they are used correctly.

Oil

Not just oil is used, but a mixture of three oils:

  • Lavender.
  • mint.
  • Tea tree oils.

The mixture is prepared in a ratio of 1:1:1, it has a wonderful aroma and no less pronounced therapeutic effect. Buried at the rate of three drops in each ear, three times a day. The course of treatment is at least two weeks, but more often this mixture is required to be instilled for at least 21 days.

Hydrogen peroxide

Of course, peroxide refers to medications, but in "folk veterinary medicine" it is used much more often. They just use it not for treatment, but for cleaning the ear before making the main drug:

  • Only 3% hydrogen peroxide solution should be used.
  • It is applied to cotton swabs or discs and carefully (but gently) wipe the inner surface of the auricles and ear passages.

However, in mild cases of otodectosis, regular treatment helps to cope with ticks, but at the same time, the treatment period is extended to several weeks and there is no guarantee that the development of the disease can be stopped in time.

Prevention of ear mites

Of course, it is impossible to prevent infection with a 100% guarantee, but it is still quite possible to reduce its probability. Prevention in this case is performed as follows:

  • The less often a dog is outside and in contact with its homeless relatives, the less likely it is to be infected (and not just with an ear mite).
  • From time to time (once a week) it is useful to treat the pet's ears with hydrogen peroxide, cleaning them from contamination. The less comfortable the habitat, the worse it will be for ticks (if they still get into the dog's ears).

As the disease develops, the pet simply tears his ears, moans, begins to rub them on the floor, sofa. The owner should not start the disease, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of the pet. A complication of this disease can be otitis, meningitis, inflammatory processes in the eardrum.

It is not uncommon for a dog diagnosed with an ear mite to lean towards the diseased ear. In advanced cases, the eyeball may sink inward. The consequences of this disease are quite serious. They can threaten your pet with hearing loss or even lead to his death. If the disease is not treated, then purulent discharge with a characteristic odor begins from the ears of the animal, the outer side of the auricles begins to go bald.

As the disease progresses, the infected surface thickens and crusts. From the outside, this can be mistaken for dirt. With untimely treatment, a secondary infection may join the inflammation.

Symptoms of otodectosis in dogs

The dog begins to eat poorly, and sometimes even loses its appetite. She becomes restless, tilts her head towards the affected surface. In order to understand the causes of anxiety, it is necessary to examine the ear by cleaning it with a cotton swab. After that, the cotton swab is brought to the veterinary clinic, where it is examined under a microscope. Diagnosis of the disease can only be carried out by a veterinarian.

The consequences of otodectosis

Causes of the disease

Treatment of ear scabies in dogs

After that, measures are taken to soak and remove the crusts. If the disease is in an advanced stage, then this procedure can cause pain in the dog. After that, medicine is injected into the cleaned ear. Medications are prescribed by a doctor individually for each individual animal. As additional measures, the veterinarian may prescribe ointments for a fungal infection, a course of vitamins, and anti-inflammatory drugs. A course of physiotherapy will be useful for the dog.

Most often, Aurikan, Amitrazin are used for treatment. Additionally, the auricles must be treated with ointments that eliminate the inflammatory process. Procedures are carried out only after the ears are processed and cleaned of dried crusts. To soak the crusts, you can use the Mikstrim spray. Dogs make one "zilch" in the ear, then wait a few minutes and remove the scales with gauze treated with an antiseptic.

Processing procedure

Cleansing the auricle from sulfur, pus and crusts can be carried out by moistening a piece of bandage with furatsilin or hydrogen peroxide and wrapping it around the index finger. Gauze wipe the inner surface of the auricle. But it is impossible for the antiseptic drug to flow inside the ear canal.

You can also treat the ears with warm vegetable oil or sleeping tea. This procedure is best done with cotton swabs. It is worth remembering that two ears are treated at once, regardless of whether they have a lesion or not. When cleaning the auricle, a new bandage or gauze is used each time. It is recommended to pour drops "Tsipam", "Bars", "Surolan" inside the pet's ear.

The outer surface of the auricle is smeared with sulfuric ointment, Vishnevsky's ointment. Preliminarily, the medication is heated, slightly massaging, applied to the affected surface. Medicines can only remove an adult tick. Therefore, the treatment must be repeated 7–10 days after the initial course of treatment.

It is worth noting that a contraindication for many medications is the age of up to 2 months. Therefore, the treatment of a puppy should be trusted only to professionals.

Preventive measures

From time to time, the owner needs to carry out hygienic treatment of the dog's ears. If you do not know how to do this, then you need to contact a veterinarian who will check the correctness of the procedure. Once every 6 months, the animal should be examined by a doctor in a specialized clinic.

If the dog does not want to treat the ears

Of course, procedures and treatment are not the most pleasant event for any pet. Therefore, the owner needs to be nearby at this time, to treat the dog with goodies. During the procedure, it is recommended to stroke and praise her. So, the dog will treat the treatment much easier and not pay attention to pain. For faster absorption of the drug, you can lightly massage the ears, pet the dog so that it does not shake its head and the medicine does not spill out.

What do you prefer to feed your pets?

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  • Porridge with various additives 46%, 7293 vote

It is an otoacariasis infection. The disease is caused by the parasite Otodectes cynotis. It is also called "ear mites". It lives on the inner surface of the auricles of dogs or other animals, such as cats and ferrets. A person is not subject to this defeat. Of course, this is not the only insect that can parasitize here, but it is the most common.

Also, ear mites cause nine out of ten cases of subsequent infectious diseases, dog ears. Here are some photos of the treatment of ear mites in dogs at various stages of the process.

Ear mite, the nature of the disease

The total life cycle of an individual tick takes about twenty-eight days. Females reach sexual maturity in seventeen to twenty days. The eggs mature and hatch into larvae three to four days after being laid. Initially, this pathology manifests itself with severe itching in the ear canals and shells. The highest risk group includes dogs with closed and large ears with long hair. In conditions of pollution and high humidity, insects develop more actively. As a rule, the lesion is bilateral. This must be borne in mind, even when the symptoms appear only on one side. The following are the main causes of ear mites in dogs, the symptoms and treatment of this disease.

Possible routes of infection

Dogs become infected mainly through physical contact from their sick relatives or cats. Cats very often become carriers of ear mites. Therefore, if both animals live in the house, treatment of ear mites in cats and dogs should be carried out simultaneously.

Initial detection of symptoms

It is not difficult to detect the primary symptoms of the disease. The first signs of a pet’s illness will be severe itching in the ears. If your dog is constantly scratching his ears, this is a good reason to worry. The presence of itching in the auricles can be determined by the reflex reactions of the animal. If, when feeling, pressing, massaging the base of the auricle, the animal pulls the hind paw from the side corresponding to the irritated ear, as if trying to itch, itching is present inside the ears. It is most likely caused by otoacariasis.

Also, ear invasion is accompanied by visual changes in the skin. The formation of a characteristic dark plaque, damage and wounds on the skin of the ears and adjacent areas from the intense impact of the claws during scratching. The presence along the edges of the damaged tissue areas of the crust caused by re-infection. Perhaps the formation of inflammation caused by the ingress of dirt and staphylococci into open wounds.

Detailed diagnostics

With a serious injury to the animal and obvious complications, you should not rely only on visual inspection. Also, if after an independent course of treatment for your pet, his symptoms remain or recur, to identify the pathology and its exact causes, you should contact the veterinary clinic. Conducting laboratory tests will give a complete picture of the infection. In addition, veterinarians have more effective drugs at their disposal. Specialists can correctly prescribe complex therapy, and thereby significantly reduce the recovery time.

Ear mites in dogs, drug treatment

Treatment of otacariasis consists of several stages.

Next, you need to rid the animal of the consequences of exposure to ticks. In case of serious damage and the occurrence of wounds and abscesses, antiseptics and antibiotics should be used. Healing ointments and restorative preparations are also recommended. When treating, it is necessary to exclude as much as possible the poisoning of the animal when toxic agents enter the inside. After treatment, the dog will continue to itch and lick its paws. Here you should use a special collar. It will protect against additional injuries and will not allow poisons to enter the stomach of the animal. After four to five days after the first treatment, the process of treating ear mites in a dog must be repeated. The fact is that most drugs are unable to destroy already ripened eggs, but the hatched larvae will be destroyed during the second procedure.

Folk remedies for ear mites in dogs

The first drug is drops, which are a one percent oil solution. They are inserted into the ear canal, followed by a shell massage to evenly distribute the product. It is worth paying attention to the caution of using this drug in Collies and some other breeds, due to possible complications.

If the treatment of ear mites in a dog was started late, or the animal has reduced immunity, complications of the disease may occur. It should be noted that otodectosis is very often the cause of the development of a whole range of infectious diseases in dogs. In such cases, treatment should be approached comprehensively. It is necessary to use antiseptic drugs and broad-spectrum antibiotics. If the infection develops inside the ear canal, then otitis media may occur. Here it is better to contact a veterinarian, since such diseases are difficult to treat at home, but can lead to serious problems up to the transition of otitis into chronic and deafness of the animal.

It is also possible for skin infections to spread to other areas of the dog's body. First of all, the neck, back, and head suffer. The animal is covered with abscesses and ulcers. Here, too, you definitely need to seek help from professionals. Traumatic complications are also possible. The occurrence of hematomas and lymphoextravasate. Treatment is also best done in the clinic in an operable way.

Therefore, it is impossible to ignore the symptoms of ear mites in dogs. If these are detected, treatment should be started as soon as possible. Timely disposal of the dog from ticks can lead to perforation of the eardrum, meningitis, hearing loss and in some cases death of the animal.

Without treatment, the disease can develop into a chronic form and result in deafness or even death of the dog. For the treatment of otodectosis, special preparations have been developed that are easy to use at home. For an accurate diagnosis and prescription of medication, you must consult a veterinarian.

What is an ear mite and how the disease manifests itself

Large clusters of mites infect the insides of the ears of small breed dogs and cause them serious anguish:

  • inside the auricle, dogs feel a constant unpleasant itch;
  • as a result, they painfully comb their ears and the space nearby - in front of the auricle, behind the ear;
  • animals often shake their heads, try to rub their ears against the corners of walls and furniture;
  • on the body and delicate skin tissues, in the process of furious combing, dogs can leave deep scratches that do not heal well, as the place itches constantly;
  • hair loss behind the ears is often observed, skin scabs are possible;
  • the dog's appetite may worsen, he becomes nervous and irritable.

Diagnostics

It is impossible to diagnose otodectosis on your own, dog needs to be taken to the veterinarian for inspection and analysis. Some symptoms of otodectosis are similar, for example, with otitis media. For a correct diagnosis and the appointment of effective treatment, scrapings of discharge from the auricle, examination with a microscope are necessary.

Treatment methods for a little friend

For the treatment of ear mites in veterinary pharmacies, a large arsenal of all kinds of drops and solutions for treating the auricles of dogs is offered. It is forbidden to use any drug to treat an animal without a doctor's prescription.

Rules for processing auricles

A calm animal is picked up and seated on its knees. It is necessary to relax the pet, gently stroke the dog, talk to him during the procedure. Restless dogs are wrapped in a thick blanket or blanket (since the procedure is painful, the dog can break out and defend itself).

Instructions for processing the auricle:

  • With clean cotton swabs, the ear cavities are cleaned of scabs, sulfur secretions, tick excrement. Cotton wool can be moistened with hydrogen peroxide. As they get dirty, the sticks are replaced with clean ones.
  • Drops (prescribed by a doctor) should be at room temperature. If the medicine is stored in the refrigerator, it is taken out in advance so that the solution warms up.
  • Medicine is instilled into each auricle (in the dosage recommended by the veterinarian). For a small dog, 3-4 drops of the solution in each ear are usually sufficient.
  • For a better distribution of the medicine over the auricle, a local massage is performed. To do this, the ear with the dripped medicine is pressed against the head (closing the inner part), the outer surface of the ear is gently massaged (especially the part at the base).
  • At the end of the procedure, it is better to hold the dog in your arms for a while, since, having freed themselves, the animals immediately begin to shake their heads and try to extract the solution from their ears with their paws.

For some breeds of small dogs (for example, the Yorkshire Terrier), the hair that grows abundantly there is plucked from the ears before treatment with the drug.

A contraindication to the use of drugs may be a very small age of puppies (up to 2 months), the period of pregnancy of a dog (or feeding newborns with breast milk). Some medicinal formulations are contraindicated for use in certain breeds of dogs. Individual allergic reactions to the chemical composition of the product are possible, it is necessary to carefully monitor the reaction of the pet after applying the drops.

Important! The ear mite is transmitted from animal to animal. If several dogs (or cats, which are also susceptible to otodectosis) live at home, treatment is carried out immediately for all animals.

Medications

  • Otibiovin;
  • Otoferonol Gold;
  • Otovedin;
  • Tzipam;
  • Oricin;
  • Leopard.

Folk remedies

  • sea ​​buckthorn oil (it is permissible to add a drop of garlic juice to the oil);
  • strong green tea (cooled to room temperature, unsweetened).

On the page, read the information on how to quickly and painlessly trim your dog's nails at home.

Why it is impossible not to treat otodectosis

In the chronic form, the ear mite leads to serious diseases:

  • otitis (inflammation of the middle ear);
  • destruction of the eardrum;
  • inflammation of the brain, meningitis.

The result of a negligent attitude to the disease can be deafness of the animal and even death.

At the first symptoms of the onset of the disease, it is necessary to immediately take measures to treat the animal.

To combat otodectosis, there are now a lot of effective insectoacaricidal preparations. These are various drops and ointments with an acaricidal component. At the initial stage of the development of the process, all drops that are used to kill fleas and ticks can be used. Video - veterinarian recommendations on how and how to treat ear mites in dogs:

cases self-healing with ear mite infection was not observed so you can't expect everything to go away on its own. Late treatment or non-compliance with the doctor's recommendations leads to the development of complications and the chronic phase.

What's happening

ear mites using powerful jaws of chelicerae destroy the surface of the epidermis and feed on excreted tissue fluid and lymph.

Otodectosis is divided into three stages:

  • weak - itching, redness of the skin of the auditory canal lasts 4-5 days, crusts occupy a quarter of the ear area;
  • medium - brown crusts spread to half of the auricle, exudate with an unpleasant odor is released from the ear, local body temperature rises;
  • strong - the dog is in a depressed state, there are strong scratching of the muzzle and submandibular region, purulent discharge appears, difficulties with chewing food.

running the disease leads to otitis, inflammation and perforation of the eardrum, hearing loss. In severe cases, surgery is required. Hematomas and wounds in the area of ​​the auricles are not uncommon. In a chronic process, inflammation of the external auditory canal flows into the tissues of the middle and inner ear, and from there to the meninges. As a result, the dog may die from meningitis.

Ear mites in dogs




How is the diagnosis made?

If a the dog shakes its head or rubs against the surface, combs the ears with its claws, means, it is necessary to be ready to the unpleasant diagnosis. Otodectosis should not be confused with the usual inflammation of the ear, in which ear discharge is not so large.

The basis for the definition of the disease are:

How independently at home to find out if the dog is sick if you can't see a doctor? To do this, secretions are collected from the auricles and placed on a white sheet of paper. With otodectosis, dark blotches are visible. These are the waste products of mites. If there is no inflammation and fever, you can start treatment yourself.

Treatment and prevention

First of all, a dog affected by a tick should be isolated from other animals for the duration of treatment until complete recovery. It is important to clean the ear very well and the ear canal, otherwise the mites will survive and the treatment will not work. Both ears are thoroughly washed with a cotton swab soaked in chlorhecidin.

How to treat at home

Preparations against ticks are used in strict accordance with the instructions. Home treatment includes:

Medicines for treatment

Means for the treatment of ticks available in the form of aerosols, ear drops, ointments. In veterinary pharmacies and pet stores there is a large assortment of insecticides that quickly relieve the symptoms of the disease.

Treatment of a complicated form is carried out with antimicrobial drugs of a systemic nature. Such drugs are administered to a sick dog subcutaneously or intramuscularly. However these drugs are highly toxic therefore, treatment should only take place under the supervision of a veterinarian. After the symptoms disappear, the auricles are treated with acaricidal preparations for prevention.

When working with acricides comply with personal protective equipment- the treatment of the dog is carried out in a ventilated room, make sure that the medicine does not get on the mucous membranes of the animal and human.

Prevention

The dog should not come into contact with sick animals. It is necessary to ensure (especially in the summer in the country) that she is free-range as little as possible.

Before treatment, to avoid re-infection, all animals must be treated with acaricides- preparations for combating ticks in the form of powders and sprays for topical use. In pet stores, you can buy shampoos with insecticidal properties.

Disinsection (destruction of ticks) should be carried out in all places where the sick dog was.