Ear Mites
By Dr. D. Tudge BVMS MRCVS
From issue 13 Charlie Chatter July 1989
Something that I think is of concern to owners & breeders of the King Charles Spaniel is very often the problem of Ear Mites.
Ear mites (Otodectes Cynotis), occur in the external ear canals of dogs & cats & can be a very common problem in breeding kennels.
The Mites have rounded bodies with very short legs & are usually white in colour. Like all other Mites, they have four developmental stages ~ egg, larva, 2 nymphal stages & adult. All these stages of the Mite reside in the external ear canal during their developmental period of 3 - 4 weeks.
Unlike other Mites, the Ear mite does not burrow but rather produces inflammation & erosion of the lining of the ear canal which can produce a severe hypersensitive reaction. The ears natural reaction to this trauma is to produce copious amounts of wax, in an attempt to protect the skin surface.
Signs of Ear mite infestation are irritability, acutely painful ear, manifested by scratching, head shaking & re/brown wax.
The Mites are usually visible through an otoscope, however if the condition has been prevalent for sometime, a further diagnosis can be made by the removal of wax from the ear & examined under a microscope.
Mites are transferred by the contact of an infected animal to another animal, young pups with their soft delicate skin are particularly susceptible to infection. Adults are more resistant to the problem but must be treated with pups to totally erradicate the infection.
The treatment for Ear Mites is simple but a rigorous programme & must be adhered to if the infection is to be eliminated from all animals.
there are several good insecticidal ear drops available, which should be instilled in the ear once daily for two weeks, then twice weekly for four weeks. In the kennel it is extremely important to treat all animals which have been in contact & especially the family cat. Although not living in the kennel, the cat may be a source in re-infection of the other animals.
With cases o f severe infection, it may be necessary to anaethetise the animal so that wax & debris can be adequately removed from the ear canal before treatment is started to prevent secondary bacterial infection occurring
Ear Mites have been particularly .prolific in the Melbourne area this year (1989), because of the ideal climatic conditions. Ear Mites thrive in damp moist conditions & especially in the long eared breed of dog.
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THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
Your dog is shaking his head, munching on his paw, chasing his left hind leg, rubbing the side if his head on your berber carpet or the grass or skittering allover the place on his backside. How often do you say, "We'll wait until tomorrow & see how he is". If the dog does these things or anything else, then he needs to go to the Vet as soon as possible. More often than not a delayed trip to the Vet has cost the dog & the owner far more than necessary for ailments that could have been treated before they become serious. Any casual observations made by you are important in helping the Vet diagnose the problem ~ fast action = fast cure ------- THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!