Does my dog have ear mites?

Ear mites in dogs are not only uncomfortable for your dog, but may be for you as well. Mites are small parasites that can live on, or within, the skin of your dog.  Even though they are a relatively small, common parasitic infection, mites are big pain. In fact, if your dog could talk, he’d tell you that mite bites come close to fleas in terms of discomfort, so prevention is key to helping keep your dog happy and healthy. 

Dogs can be infested with several different species of mites all at once, with ear mites being just one type of mite.  All species of mites on dogs can cause unpleasant symptoms. Mite symptoms typically include a combination of skin irritation, scratching around the ears, head and neck, head shaking, discharge from the ear that can be dark and waxy (resembling coffee grounds) and a foul odour from the ears. 

Ear mites in dogs are highly contagious and can be easily transmitted to other dogs through social interactions, such as sleeping or playing together. 

<h2>How to spot ear mites<h/2>

One way to check for ear mites is to collect a piece of debris from your dog’s outer ear canal on a dark background. Live mites appear as tiny white, moving specs. Seeing them helps confirm your dog has ear mites. If you can’t see moving white specs, your dog may still be infested, but  the sample you took may not have contained live mites. So, it’s always a good idea to repeat the steps if you suspect your dog has ear mites. 

Learn more about mites here