How do you tell if your dog has ear mites or just dirty ears?
Mercedes Labadie
2025-08-03 02:31:49
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: 20
Ear mites can rarely be seen by the naked eye. A microscope is normally needed to confirm if your dog has ear mites. Dogs with ear mites will often shake their heads excessively and scratch their ears. An ear mite infection will cause your dog’s ears to itch, which often results in them shaking their head excessively, or scratching at their ears with their paws. Ear mites can also cause your dog's ears to produce wax, become irritated, causing them to look red and inflamed, produce a dry black ear discharge, smell unusual. Irritation in your dog's ear can be caused by many other things, allergies are a common cause of ear irritation, but it can also be caused by a bacterial or yeast ear infection. It's important to book an appointment with your vet so they can determine whether ear mites are the cause of your dog's irritation. Ear mites are very difficult to detect with the naked eye, so your vet will need to confirm their presence by looking inside your dog's ear. It's not always easy to confirm the presence of ear mites in a dirty ear, so ear drops are useful as they can also be effective against yeast and bacteria infections.
Fern Rau
2025-08-03 00:56:19
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: 17
Ear mites in dogs typically look like tiny, moving dots in the ear canal, but are so tiny that you may not be able to spot them at all. It takes a vet with an otoscope or microscope to properly spot an infestation. If you want to know how to check your dog for ear mites, it is best to look for signs of ear mites rather than the parasites themselves. Signs of ear mites in dogs include scratching around the ears, head and neck, skin irritation, head shaking, the presence of an ear discharge that is dark and waxy, and an unpleasant odour from the ears. Ear mite infestation may also allow for a secondary bacterial or yeast infection to occur in your dog’s ears, which can increase the severity of these signs. The first thing you may notice is itching or irritation of the ears. Ear mites aren’t the only reason your dog might have discomfort in their ears and so it’s best to consult with your vet who can examine your dog and rule out other potential causes.