Dogs who have ear mites may have an ear discharge with increased wax. Your veterinarian will take an ear swab to look at the discharge under a microscope, enabling him or her to identify an ear mite infections.

Most mite infections are treated with eardrops for a few weeks. If the discharge from the ear is really thick, your veterinarian may need to wash out your pets ears, then eardrops can be used and will have a better contact with the infected area. If the discharge is yellow to brown, a yeast or bacterial infection is more likely. Yeast can live in the ear normally, but sometimes yeast can get out of control if the environment is more moist than usual.

These types of infections cannot be passed onto humans. Treatments for these type of yeast and bacterial infections usually include a round of antibiotic eardrops along with an anti inflammatory drug.

Ear mites can also be present outside the ear. Flea control products will help to control the mite population outside the ear. Soon you should be able to use a treatment that you put onto your dogs skin instead of ear drops, a process similar to the tick and flea control products currently on the market.

The contagious nature of ear mites to the rest of your pets is good enough reason to have your pet checked out by your veterinarian, before being introduced to the rest of your family. Should your pet have ear mites, it is wise to keep a close eye on your other pets to make sure they don't spread.

Allergies, trauma and tumors can be other causes of itchy ears. Allergies can be caused by fleas, pollen, molds or plants. Dogs with allergies may lick or itch other parts of their body, such as the feet or face. Aggressive cleaning can cause trauma to the ear. Pet owners should never clean with cotton applicators any deeper than can be seen. Having a tumor in the ear is very rare.

Prevent your pet developing ear problems by being an observant pet owner and keeping your pets ears clean and dry. Check the inside of your pets ears periodically for abnormal discharges and remove and visible dirt. If your pet requires more frequent cleaning than normal, or is going through the scratching, head shaking routine, this could be a sign of an infection and you should contact your local veterinarian.

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