Otodectosis (ear scabies in dogs and cats), ear mites, identification and control methods. Ear mites in dogs: symptoms, treatment, prevention

As the disease develops, the pet simply tears its ears, moans, and begins to rub them on the floor or sofa. The owner should not neglect the disease and should conduct a thorough examination of the pet. Complications of this disease can be otitis media, meningitis, and inflammatory processes in the eardrum.

It is not uncommon for a dog diagnosed with ear mites to lean toward the affected ear. In advanced cases eyeball may fall inside. 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 the animal’s ears begin purulent discharge with a characteristic odor, outer side the ears begin to go bald.

As the disease progresses, the infected surface hardens and becomes crusty. From the outside it can be mistaken for dirt. If treatment is not treated in a timely manner, a secondary infection may accompany the inflammation.

Symptoms of otodectosis in dogs

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

Consequences of otodectosis

Causes of the disease

Treatment of ear scabies in dogs

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

Most often, Aurican and Amitrazine are used for treatment. Additionally, the ears must be treated with ointments that eliminate inflammatory process. The procedures are carried out only after the ears have been treated and cleared of dried crusts. To soak the crusts, you can use Mixstream spray. The dogs spray one ear at a time, then wait a few minutes and remove the scales with gauze treated with an antiseptic.

Processing procedure

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

You can also treat your ears with warm vegetable oil or drinking tea. This procedure is best carried out using cotton swabs. It is worth remembering that two ears are treated at once, regardless of whether there is a lesion on them or not. When cleaning the ear, use a new bandage or gauze each time. It is recommended to pour drops of “Tsipam”, “Bars”, “Surolan” into the pet’s ear.

The outer surface of the auricle is smeared with sulfur ointment, Vishnevsky ointment. The medication is first heated, lightly massaged, and applied to the affected surface. Medicines can only remove adult ticks. Therefore, the treatment must be repeated 7–10 days after the initial course of treatment.

It is worth noting that a contraindication for many medical supplies is up to 2 months old. Therefore, 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 have his ears treated

Of course, procedures and treatment are not the most pleasant event for any pet. Therefore, the owner needs to be nearby at this time and treat the dog with treats. During the procedure, it is recommended to stroke and praise her. Thus, the dog will treat the treatment much more simply and not pay attention to painful sensations. To absorb the medicine more quickly, you can lightly massage the ears and pet the dog so that it does not shake its head and the medicine does not spill out.

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Ear mite causes severe discomfort to the dog. A cheerful and healthy dog ​​begins to constantly scratch his ears and rub his head on everything. possible angles, run restlessly and periodically bark anxiously or whine pitifully. If this behavior occurs, the dog owner should carefully inspect the dog's ears.

Symptoms of ear mites in dogs

The first signs of ear scabies are the appearance of itching in the dog, which intensifies as the disease progresses. The dog shakes its head, rubs its ears on various items or corners, scratches the ears with claws, until abrasions form and deep scratches. Over time, a sick animal develops in the area of ​​the ears that do not go away. purulent wounds and bald patches form.

With ear scabies, exudate begins to ooze from the ears of a sick dog, first serous and then purulent. It mixes with ear mite feces and dries in the recesses and folds of the ear, forming crusts and scabs that are grey-brown and very unpleasant odor. The appearance of such discharge is the main sign of ear scabies.

Ear mite infestation

Ear scabies occurs in dogs as a result of infection with ear mites from sick animals (cats, strangers or stray dogs). The disease is often diagnosed in young animals under four months of age. In this case, most often the source of infection is the mother.

Complications of ear scabies

Incorrect or untimely treatment ear mites in dogs can lead to such serious complications as inflammation of the middle ear, perforation of the eardrum, labyrinthitis, meningitis (inflammation of the meninges), arachnoiditis (inflammation of the soft and arachnoid mater). All these complications can lead not only to complete loss hearing loss in a sick animal, but even cause its death.

Treatment for ear mites

Before starting treatment, you should make sure that the cause of your dog’s illness is an infection with ear mites. To do this, you should show the dog to a veterinarian, who, based on the examination and test results, will diagnose correct diagnosis and will also prescribe treatment. Most often used to treat ear scabies in dogs. the following drugs: Otovedin, Aurikan, Tera-Delta, Mastiet-forte or Otibiovin. Please be aware that the data medicines are not intended for treating dogs without the participation of veterinarian.

These medications contain: different concentrations various substances, have a detrimental effect on ear mites. All these substances are poisons! Therefore, never treat a dog without a doctor’s prescription, because by doing this you may not only not help it, but, on the contrary, harm it. In addition, during treatment, monitor the dog’s health and behavior very carefully. If there is the slightest change, be sure to inform your veterinarian. The first signs of concern are a rash, redness and increased itching.

Treatment of ear scabies in dogs in advanced cases takes much longer and, unfortunately, is not always effective.

How to instill drops for ear scabies

Before direct instillation ear drops you should clean the dog’s auricle from dried exudate, because otherwise the effectiveness of drug use will be very low. You can use regular cotton swabs to clean your dog's ear. Many veterinarians advise soaking cotton swabs in an infusion of green tea, and then using them to remove plaque and crusts that have accumulated in the auricle of a sick dog.

Separate sticks should be used for each ear to prevent possible transfer of ear mites from one ear to the other. Drops must be instilled into both ears, even if only one is affected by the disease. Do not exceed the dosage of the medicine prescribed to you by your doctor. After instilling the drops, massage the base of the animal's ear so that the drops are evenly distributed throughout his ear and into the ear canal.

If after some time the disease relapses, this may indicate either improper treatment or that the dog has a weakened immune system.

Preventing ear mite infestation in dogs

Prevention of infection of dogs with ear scabies is quite simple and consists in observing very simple rules:

— Regularly inspect your dog’s ears for any discharge, especially one that is brownish in color;

— Clean your dog’s ears in a timely manner using cotton swabs;

— Do not allow your dog to interact with other animals while walking, especially with stray dogs and cats;

— Regularly carry out drug prevention of otodecosis using special collars, sprays and shampoos. Most often, drops and sprays from such well-known manufacturers as Frontline, Merial, Bayer and Bolfo are used for such prevention. But speaking of efficiency drug prevention infection of dogs with ear mites, it is impossible not to say that all these drugs can cause varying degrees allergic reactions. Therefore, when using them, the owner must carefully monitor the dog’s health and, if the slightest deviation appears in it, immediately stop using otodecosis prevention products.

Otodectosis disease or ear scabies, is characterized by the presence of mites that settle and reproduce inside the auricle and in the ear canal of the animal.

The danger of otodectosis is that when improper treatment or in its absence, others develop dangerous diseases, for example, inflammation of the middle ear, inflammation of the pia mater, meningitis, Horner's syndrome, and in some cases, possible hearing loss.

What they look like

Insects are subtle to the naked eye, but can be seen under a microscope. Tiny white ear mites measuring only about 4mm. They have 8 limbs and reproduce incredibly quickly. Life cycle insect life is about 4 weeks, females are ready to reproduce within 3 weeks after hatching from eggs.

How can a dog become infected with otodectosis?

It should be noted right away that ear mites cannot settle on humans; they are not transmitted to people from animals. Dogs, regardless of age, are predisposed to otodectosis.

A pet can become infected with ear mites from other animals, including dogs. Most often, infection occurs as a result of contact with stray dogs, other people's cats, which more often than other animals suffer from ear scabies, as well as from rabbits and ferrets. Puppies can become infected from their mother.

Symptoms of ear mange in dogs

The animal experiences discomfort from itching, and with severe infestation, the pet intensively scratches the area around the ears and the ears themselves, resulting in purulent wounds, scabs, and bald patches.

When you touch the ears or try to examine them, the animal becomes restless, irritated, and may groan.

Treatment of ear scabies

You should not try to get rid of ear mites in a dog on your own if you have doubts that the disease has been correctly identified. The animal may have fungal, bacterial diseases, which have symptoms similar to otodectosis, and treatment with drugs against ear mites will only worsen the situation. Accurate diagnosis the veterinarian can diagnose as a result of tests, laboratory research, which involve taking a sample of ear discharge.

The treatment is usually prescribed ear drops, the best of which were recognized as “Stronghall”, “Advocate”, “Frontline”, “Tsipam”, “Anandin+”. The doctor can prescribe certain drops, and the dog owner can instill them, but it is necessary to visit the veterinarian several times throughout the course of treatment. The animal must be under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Before using medicinal drops, the animal’s ears are thoroughly cleaned with a cotton pad soaked in warm water or vegetable oil, to facilitate the removal of dirt. The gyrus can be cleaned with cotton swabs, which should not go deep into the ear.

After cleaning, drops are instilled, strictly following the instructions. It is important to observe the dosage and timing of use of medicinal drops, and also take into account the age of the animal, because most similar drugs cannot be used to treat puppies under two months of age.

Your pet will feel relief immediately after starting treatment. After a few days, the animal will stop itching, because the adults and larvae will die. But 7 days after the first instillation, the treatment is repeated, because new larvae hatching from the eggs will appear. You can get rid of ear mites only after passing full course treatment.

By the way, after instillation, the dog should be praised and not allowed to immediately run about its business, but wait until the drug is distributed over the inner surface of the ear, otherwise the animal, trying to get rid of the unpleasant sensations, will begin to shake its head, thereby shaking the medicine out of the ears.

If there are other animals and dogs living in the house, then the pet infected with ear mites is isolated from them.

Pet bedding should be washed with detergent, do wet cleaning with disinfectant.

Prevention of ear scabies

Regular grooming, such as examining and cleaning the ears, can help prevent ear mite infestations.

Regular wet cleaning the premises where the dog lives, washing the bedding at least once a month, as well as cleaning other bedding.

The mite Otodectes cynotis lives in the external auditory canal of many carnivores (dogs, cats, ferrets, arctic foxes). It feeds on blood, lymph, earwax and skin particles, constantly releasing, of course, its waste products.

Ear mites affect animals of various ages, but young animals from 1.5 to 6 months suffer more.

How does infection occur, how is ear mite transmitted?

Ear mites are transmitted when healthy dog comes into contact with an infected person. Cases of infection through individual items (shoes, etc.) are recorded, but more often this is true for small dogs and animals with weakened immune systems. In young puppies, the source of infection is often the mother.

Symptoms

Ear mites cause an invasive disease in dogs, which, as a rule, is chronic. In the habitats of ear mites, the following occur:

• redness,
• swelling,
• during inflammation, a characteristic liquid is released, which, together with dead skin particles, earwax and mite waste products, forms black-brown crusts in the dog’s ear,
• when complicated by secondary microflora, the process moves to secondary and internal care and then - meninges(happens rarely).

• constant itching: the dog tries to scratch its ears on objects or intensively scratches them with its paw claws (often until it bleeds),
• the dog’s head position becomes unnatural: the head is lowered or tilted towards the affected ear,
• at neglected form diseases in the auricle, pus forms, which glues the hair on the lower edge of the ear,
• in the event of inflammation spreading to the meninges, they develop nervous disorders, during which the dog dies.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is made on the basis of signs characteristic of the presence of ear mites, as well as mandatory scraping. To do this, use an ear stick to collect dirt from inside auricle and place them on a glass slide. Press down on top with a cover glass and look under a microscope. If the dog really has ear mites, then it will be clearly visible, it will look like in the photo.

Once it is confirmed that the dog has ear mites, appropriate treatment is prescribed.

Treatment

Treatment special drugs carried out only after preliminary thorough cleaning of the auricle from all contaminants. Now exists big choice various means from a tick, which differ active substance, manufacturer and, of course, price. It will not be possible to remove ear mites immediately, so it is important to be patient and observe the specified interval between the use of various medications.

There are no folk remedies for the treatment of otodectosis in dogs. Applying various decoctions and infusions, you will only cause the dog unnecessary suffering and delay treatment, which will really help get rid of the tick.

Veterinary remedies for ear mites

How to clean a dog's ear?

Many dogs are not very fond of ear cleaning, so your pet will have to be restrained. Small breeds can be wrapped in a towel or blanket with only the head sticking out. To hold large dog Most likely, you will need a second person to hold the dog's body. The person who will directly clean the ears should sit on a comfortable chair and try to fix his head between his legs. If the dog is likely to bite, it makes sense to tie a tight bandage over the muzzle. It is also important to provide good lighting for more thorough and effective cleaning.

It should be noted that some pets, on the contrary, begin to worry more if they begin to be restrained and some kind of pressure is applied. Therefore, for starters, you can try to clean your ears without any coercive methods. At severe itching When cleaning its ears, the dog can reflexively make characteristic movements with its hind limbs.

• What to clean with? You can clean your dog's ears with regular ear sticks or with a cotton pad wrapped around index finger. The use of medical instruments (for example, a clamp is convenient to hold cotton swab) requires some experience.
• How to start? With your left hand, holding it, straighten the dog’s ear. Right hand begin to clean out impurities from all anatomical recesses in the ear, gradually going deeper towards ear canal. The movements should be from top to bottom so that the dirt is lifted outward and not pushed even deeper. Don't be afraid to stick the ear stick too deep, a dog's ear is designed differently than a human's and eardrum you won't hurt.
• To cleanse the ear of dry debris A cotton swab can be moistened in a solution of hydrogen peroxide or Chlorhexidine bigluconate 0.05%. It is also permissible to use these drugs if the dog has abrasions in the ear from scratching with its claws.
• Use of lotions. There are many special lotions for hygienic cleaning of pet ears. Such lotions have a softening effect: they reduce itching and redness in the ears. Certainly, correct application They will greatly facilitate the cleaning process, but they are more expensive than conventional products (peroxide and chlorhexidine). A few drops of lotion are placed inside the dog's ear and massaged into the auricle for a minute. The components of lotions soften all accumulated impurities, and they fall away almost by themselves. The dog is allowed to shake its head, after which the remaining lotion and dirt are carefully removed with a cotton pad.

Ear hygienic cleaning products

Lotion Bars for cleaning ears, Russia. Price 110 rubles	Lotion 8 in 1 EXCEL, USA The cost is about 270 rubles.	Otifry, Poland Price 480 rubles.
Price 900 rubles.	Hydrogen peroxide solution Price from 10 rubles	Chlorhexidine bigluconate solution 0.05% Price 20 rubles

How to apply ear drops or ointment?

In long-haired dog breeds, it makes sense to cut the hair from the inner surface of the ear during treatment, otherwise medications will not fall into anymore deep sections and the meaning of treatment disappears.

The dog's auricle is straightened towards the back of the head (as if turned inside out). The nozzle from a tube of ointment or from a bottle of drops is immersed as deeply as possible, but so that you can see how much of the drug you will inject. After which the ear is returned to its natural position and massaged for a minute to distribute the medicine evenly.

Some medications may cause your dog discomfort(burning), this is especially true if there are wounds in the ear. Therefore, it is necessary to be patient with the dog and at the end of all procedures, reward the pet with a treat or distract it with a toy.

Is your dog scratching its ears? Constantly shaking your head unnaturally? Do you see these symptoms causing significant discomfort to your pet? Don't put off going to the veterinary clinic. Most likely, the animal has otodectosis. The disease is better known as “ear mites.” On early stages can be easily treated, but in order to save your pet from unpleasant consequences, up to deafness, a course of therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

Causes of otodectosis in dogs

It is impossible to completely protect a dog from the possibility of contracting otodectosis. You need to understand what ear mites in dogs are, where they come from, and what actions should be taken to minimize the risks.

Ear mites are most common in cats. But it is not uncommon in dogs either. The younger the individual, the greater the risk of disease. For example, a puppy will become infected one hundred percent from a sick bitch. At the same time, the disease can have a detrimental effect on the mental and mental development baby.

The more advanced the disease, the more noticeable the symptoms. Over time, the dog will begin to lose hearing, and toxic secretions can generally lead to fatal outcome. Lesion may also develop arachnoid brain, meningitis, Bernard-Horner syndrome. Yes, ear mites, if not given proper attention, will cause a lot of suffering to your pet.

Diagnosis of otodectosis in dogs

First of all, the doctor will collect anamnesis, conduct visual inspection ear cavity, take a smear and examine its contents under a microscope. In most cases, this is enough for diagnosis. At advanced stages diseases may additionally require: x-ray, bacterial culture or CT scan. Without holding all necessary research Treatment of otodectosis in dogs is not worth starting.

Photo of otodectosis in dogs

Otodektos mite in the microscope lens.

Microscopy of scrapings of discharge from the auricle is the main method for diagnosing this disease.

Treatment of ear mites in dogs

How to treat otodectosis in a dog? There is no clear answer to this question. Each specific case may require its own course of therapy. It will depend mainly on the severity of the disease, breed, age and size of the animal. But still, there is a certain algorithm of actions.

Prevention of otodectosis in dogs

To minimize the likelihood of a diagnosis of “ear mites” in dogs, the symptoms and treatment of which are unpleasant for both pets and owners, you should adhere to several rules:

Remember: effective prevention Always better treatment. Try to prevent the disease from occurring. And if you have already detected symptoms in your dog, contact your veterinarian immediately!