Ear mites are tiny infectious organisms resembling microscopic ticks. The mite can hardly be seen with the naked eye as a small white dot with the naked eye and usually must be detected by examination of a sample of ear wax under a microscope. The infection usually produces a characteristic dry black ear discharge, similar to coffee grounds. Because of the classical appearance of this discharge, infection is often diagnosed based on the presence of such discharge though without visual confirmation of the mite under the microscope, it is possible to be led astray. The discharge is composed of earwax, blood, inflammatory biochemicals, and ear mites themselves.

Ear mite infections are contagious and readily transmit from host to host by physical contact amongst dogs and cats. Ear mites came from some other animal, mostly an outdoor cat, with whom your pet has been socializing. Because mites are easily transmissible by physical contact, treatment for mites often must include all household pets. The presence of the mites is very inflammatory and can generate very irritating ear infections, even skin disease. A sure sign for ear mites is your cat scratching the ears or the area around the ears excessively and violent shaking of the head.

Humans are not very likely to experience any symptoms when their pet is infected; though in some rare cases skin rashes have been reported.

Treatment: there are numerous over-the-counter products available, such as Mita-Clear or Eradimite. Over-the-counter medication does require a usage of at least 3 weeks, which might be repeated. Your vet might give you stronger medications that limits the treatment time to 2 - 5 days, depending on prescription strength. When applying medication to the ear make sure the animal cannot immediately shake its head violently. Most animals will, I can guarantee. Treat one ear, try to keep its head steady for about 2 minutes and then repeat with the other ear. That allows the medication to flow inside the ear instead of it being shaken off immediately.

For extra sensitive/difficult patients there is also a treatment with injectable Invermectin available. This product is not FDA-approved yet at the time. Please check with your veterinarian.

If the infection just does not seem to go away or re-occurs frequently and you have treated your animal with an over-the-counter product, you should then try to see your vet for a prescription of a different medication. Another reason might be that not all animals in the household have been treated, or your pet, again, got in contact with an outdoor animal that carried this disease.

If all precautions are taken, proper medication has been used and your pet still experiences inflammation have your pet checked by a veterinarian again. The cause might not be ear mites but another kind of ear infection.