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Ear Mite Home Remedies
by Sharon Hopkins
Ear mites cause a very irritating infection which is common in dogs and puppies and other pets like cats and kittens. The sooner you start dealing with this infection, the better it will be for them. Ear mites are highly contagious and the infection can very easily spread from one pet to other. The infection can spread either by direct contact or indirectly by human contact. If you own a pet, you must know the symptoms of this infection so that you can easily recognize it. Apart from the chemicals that are available for treating this problem there are a number of home remedies for curing the infection as well.
The symptoms of an ear mite infection are easy to observe and recognize. Ear mites can make your pets feel very uncomfortable, and the infection can be very painful for the pets. The common symptoms of infection are as follows:
- Scratching and rubbing of ears
- Shaking of head
- Waxy secretion from ear
- A strong odor
When ear mites infect pets, they scratch their ears and rub their face on the ground to try and get some relief. They feel excessive pain and sometimes also cry in pain when you touch their ear or while they are scratching it. Excessive scratching of ear is usually the first symptom of infection as it causes severe itching in ear. In an ear mite infection, ground coffee like particles obstructs the ear canal. Inflammation of ears is also a symptom of the infection. If one does not deal with the infection quickly, then the ear mites might cause the blood vessels inside the ear flap to rupture due to excessive scratching. This causes a swollen ear flap and is very painful. This problem usually requires a surgery to cure.
Ear mites are visible to the naked eye. If you feel that your pet has an infection, then you must look into the ear of the pet. You will see debris, which is reddish brown in color. The ear mites are present as white dots in the debris. The vets usually use an instrument called otoscope to get a magnified image of the inside of the ear of the pet.
A few suggestions of a homemade remedy which can help you to get rid of this infection in your pets are as follows.
- White vinegar: The acid content of white vinegar helps in getting rid of the debris in ear canal and also kills the mites present in the ear. You must first dilute the vinegar by adding water and then gently pour this solution into the ear. You must not use this treatment for pets with open wounds.
- Corn oil: Corn oil can act as multi-faced attack against ear mites. It is among the most effective cures for ear mites and is also cheap. One needs to massage the oil on the inside of the ear and make sure that no patch is left untouched. You must continue this treatment for at least 10 days. Corn oil drowns the ear mites and also heals the skin.
- Psorinum or sulfur: The ear mites cause severe irritation in the ears and to relive the pets of this irritation you can use a natural treatment of sulfur.
- Vegetable oil or olive oil: Administer olive oil or vegetable oil in the ear using a dropper and then properly massage the inside of the ear with oil. Use cotton balls to clean the ear surface of the mite dirt.
- Frequent application of shampoo: Sometimes the ear mites also travel out of the ear and travel to other parts like head or the body. So frequent shampooing will help in controlling the spread of ear mites. You can also use extract of yellow dock as the final rinse after the shampoo.
- Almond oil with vitamin E: Make a solution of almond oil and vitamin E and warm the content to room temperature. Use a dropper to apply the solution. This solution has to be administered every alternate day for at least 6 days to observe improvement in the condition. This oil combination kills the majority of the ear mites and also helps in healing the skin.
- Boracic acid: Boracic acid is a very common treatment for ear mites. You can use a solution of this acid to wash and clean your pet’s ear. Boracic acid has antiseptic properties and so is very commonly used for curing infections of ears. It in an effective homemade remedy which also helps is restoring the natural health of the infected skin.
To prevent ear mite infection in your pet, you must go for routine cleaning at least once a month. This will inhibit the presence and growth of ear mites. If you own more than one pet then you must seclude the infected pet so that the infection does not spread to the other pets.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
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