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Miss Potter
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Location: Dorset
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Female 
 
12-08-2006, 09:23 PM

? Ear mites - where do they come from - how to prevent them?

I think my setter Molly has ear mites. This afternoon she has been shaking her head alot and scratching her ears +++. Poor girl even grazed one and made it bleed a little .
I cannot see anything in the ear, though it does look inflammed in there. There was no gradual build up to symptoms , just seemed to start!
I did a web search and have found alot about treatment (Frontline) but not cause. I do clean their ears regularly (because of the shape you have to), they are never that dirty and were not today. Fleas were mentioned a couple of times , but my lot (cats and dogs) are all treated and up to date with Frontline. They were showing no signs of fleas. The next dose was due in 2 days for the dogs, so I gave it early.
She is settled atm. I will obviously take her to the vets if things do not improve or even worsen. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea where they come from, or if there was a 'common cause'. Also is there anything I can do to prevent it in future? This may be her 2nd time (she was def diagnosis of mites a couple of years ago).
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Foxy
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12-08-2006, 09:26 PM
Benji had a sort of mite in his ears which turned out to be sarcoptic mange - give Stronghold a try because it treats sarcoptic mites although you might have to give her a few treatments. Thornit is also meant to be very good for ear mites, you can only get it on the internet though - vets don't sell it cos it isn't licenced but it is good and a lot of people swear by it
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Ramble
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12-08-2006, 09:27 PM
Could it just be an ear infection??? A lot of dogs I know are suffering them because of the heat. Don't know much about ear mites I'm afraid...
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Miss Potter
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12-08-2006, 09:47 PM
Thankyou!
I will keep an eye on her and let you know!
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Katiecoos
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12-08-2006, 10:22 PM
If this has come on suddenly, I would get it checked to make sure it is not a grass seed in her ear, these are very painful and at this time of year are very,very common. It happed to my old dog three times.
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Meg
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12-08-2006, 11:03 PM
Hi Miss Potter you can usually tell if your dog has ear mites/ canker from the musty smell and excess of brown wax that they cause. Cats and rabbits get them and dogs pick them up easily in the grass particularly at this time of year when the grass is long and dry. The mites are best treated with drops from the vet.

If does sound more like a grass seed or foreign body in the ears and if Molly continues to shake her head the ear needs to be seen by a vet..
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Miss Potter
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13-08-2006, 10:44 AM
There is no real smell from her ears and they are staying clean. If it was mites would there be more brown wax forming? She is occassionally shaking her head today, but does not seem distressed, her ears are red and inflammed still
Will take her to the vets tomorrow and get them checked.
Thankyou
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Meg
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13-08-2006, 11:39 AM
Originally Posted by Miss Potter
There is no real smell from her ears and they are staying clean. If it was mites would there be more brown wax forming? She is occasionally shaking her head today, but does not seem distressed, her ears are red and inflamed still
Will take her to the vets tomorrow and get them checked.
Thankyou
Hi Miss Potter yes, if it was ear mites they do create a dark reddish brown substance and it smells musty (though this takes a time to happen and I suppose Molly could be newly infected),also as the mites are very contagious all your dogs would be likely to have them . If both ears are red and inflamed it is not really likely to be a grass seed and sounds more like an ear infection, I would get it checked by the vet anyway, a dogs ears are so sensitive and to have a problem with them must be very uncomfortable
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perrypooh
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13-08-2006, 10:36 PM
Yeah get the vet to check it out, and I can strongly recommend thornit for any canker etc in the ears it really is magic on our dogs,being cockers they can get musty ears we check them regularly and if anythin looks or smells a bit dodgy a pinch of that stuff and it clears right up.Its a little pricey but you need such a small amount it lasts forever
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eloquence
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13-08-2006, 11:10 PM
hi,

where do you walk your dogs - we walk in the fields and my younger setter has had ear mites twice and 1 ear infection.

you how there ears are!!! jazzie tends to get quite hot and sweaty behind her ears and i never even wet her head when i bath her for fear of another ear infection!!!

hope you find the cause.

also grass seed is a right pain in the back side - the problems i've had with them!!!!!!!!
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