Ear Mite Symptoms in Dogs

Ear mites are small eight-legged parasites that eat the wax and oils that are normally present in the ears. The mites live on the skin of the external and internal ear canals. The type of ear mites that infect dogs are rarely transferred to humans. Ear mites are very contagious and are transferred by close contact with an infected animal. As a precaution, if one animal in a household gets ear mites, every animal in the household should be treated. Ear mites can be difficult to get rid of, making strict conformance to treatment necessary. Symptoms of an ear mite infection are similar to the symptoms related to bacterial ear infections, yeast infections in the ears and foreign objects stuck in the ears.

Dogs are not as prone to ear mite infections as cats and rabbits. Presence of ear mite symptoms should not lead to the assumption that an ear mite infection is actually present. Only a veterinarian, through the use of a lab test, can differentiate between an ear mite infection, a bacterial infection or a yeast infection. With a proper diagnosis, a veterinarian is able to prescribe the correct medication for the ear condition.

Any dog that exhibits symptoms of ear discomfort should be taken to a veterinarian. Untreated ear mite infections and other ear conditions can lead to damage to the ears and possible deafness.

Scratching and Rubbing

The presence of ear mites causes a dog's ears to become itchy and sometimes painful. In an attempt to relieve the itching and pain, dogs often scratch and rub their ears. Occasional scratching and rubbing is normal and not necessarily a sign of a problem. Frequent scratching and rubbing on the other hand, is a sign that the dog is experiencing discomfort.

Head Shaking

Head shaking is a sign that a dog is experiencing ear discomfort. The sensation of ear mites moving in the ears, excrement from the mites and buildup of wax causes the sensation that something is lodged in the ears or a sensation of fullness in the ears. The dog shakes his head in an attempt to get the irritant out and relieve the discomfort.

Waxy Secretion

One of the symptoms of ear mites is a black or dark brown waxy secretion. The secretion is made up of a combination of mite excrement and ear wax. As the ear becomes more irritated from the mites, larger amounts of ear wax develop. If you look into your dog's ears, the wax looks similar to oily or wet coffee grounds. Usually, the presence of a dark waxy secretion that is visible to the naked eye is a sign that an ear mite infection has been present for a while and the mites have had the chance to multiply to levels that cause a significant amount of discomfort to the dog.

Odor

Ear mite excrement and excessive ear wax common to ear mite infections often cause a bad odor to develop in the infected dog's ears.

Inflammation

Scratching, rubbing, mite excrement and wax buildup can lead to irritation of the ear canals. When looking inside an infected dog's ears you may notice redness, swelling and even scratches. The scratches are caused by the dog's claws during scratching. Scratching and irritation can lead to secondary bacterial and yeast infections in the ears.