Use hot soapy water to wash your pet’s bedding. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions! Some bedding can simply be thrown in the washing machine, while others must be washed by hand.
Don’t use ear mite medication in your pet’s ears if your pet has pupils of different sizes or has a head tilt they cannot correct on their own. If this is the case, there is a good chance that the eardrum is ruptured, and you don’t want to place anything inside the ears that will make things worse. Consult your veterinarian right away.
Use a few drops of mineral oil in the ear canal; it will help break up the crumbly material when you massage the ear canal. [2] X Research source Use a cotton ball to wipe out debris after your pet shakes its head. After you clean its ears, your pet may try to scratch the ear. Do your best to prevent the scratching by using a towel to block your pet’s ability to reach its ears. An Elizabethan collar (aka e-collar) may be needed temporarily to protect your pet from self-trauma.
Tip the bottle or vial over and insert the applicator tip carefully into the ear. Squeeze the bottle until the proper amount of medication is deposited. The medication is more effective if you apply it deep into the ear canal. Note that your pet will probably shake its head after application, so you may want to administer the treatment outdoors or in the bathroom or laundry room to prevent the medication from getting on your furniture.
Gently squeeze the ear closed and use your fingers to massage the medicine thoroughly in the ear. Massage by using your thumb and forefinger on either side of the canal, just below the opening to the ear canal. Open and close your fingers together and you will hear a squishing sound. Most of the time, massaging the first ear keeps the pet occupied quite nicely so you can get to the second ear relatively calmly. Although one person can accomplish this treatment, it always helps to have another set of hands at the ready just in case.
This step is particularly helpful if you’re concerned about your pet getting medication on carpets or furniture.
Not all red and irritated ear canals are due to ear mites. Ear infections involving bacteria and yeast are quite common, particularly in dogs. These ear infections will not respond to ear mite treatment. Your veterinarian can determine whether ear mites are involved and, if they are not, prescribe the appropriate remedy for your pet. Treating your pet with the wrong product may do more harm than good.
Carefully remove a small sample of the dark brown/black debris (it should look like coffee grounds) from the ear canal with a cotton ball. [7] X Research source You may need to add a few drops of mineral oil to the material in the ear and massage to help loosen it up to get a sample. Your pet may shake its head after you’ve placed the mineral oil in its ear and likely some chunks will fly out. You can then inspect those samples. Look at the sample material in bright light and see if you can find tiny white “dots. ” They may even move. Those are likely ear mites. If you can’t see any in a bright light, try again in low light — it may be harder for you to see, but mites hide from light, so they may not be visible under the bright light.
Note that cats are far more prone to ear mites than dogs, but dogs can occasionally get them, particularly if there is a cat in the same household that has mites. The vet may place long-acting ear mite medication in your pet’s ears for you and send you home with something to help with the itching. It is not uncommon for a secondary bacterial or yeast infection to be present with the ear mites, so medication to treat that may be sent home as well.
