Question:
My dog Chico (Chihuahua) has ear mites. The poor thing is shaking his head all the time as well as scratching his ears. Is there something that will kill the mites? I am trying to avoid going to the vet. I would like to correct this problem with natural products and/or store bought. If I have no other choice, the vet it is. Other articiles that I have read, mentioned cats could be the problem. I have a cat as well.
Please advise......

Answer:
there are a couple of choices for you to use. there are a couple of species of mites and ticks that inhabit dogs. as they are all arthropod, all will respond in varying degrees to pyrethrins, ivermectin and then there is always sulfur. i have had very little luck with pyrethrins on dogs as it does not seem to be readily absorbed into the dogs' skin as it is with humans. the human form of pyrethrin is called Kwellada and is in a 5% concentration. Most canine versions of pyrethrins is in 0.15% concentration which is a 1:33 dilution. the human version comes in a white emolient while the canine version is usually in a shampoo or sometimes in a spray mist. the kwellada can be bought at any pharmacy for about 20 bucks. the sprays and shampoos can be bought at any pet store for about 12- 15 -20 bucks depending on the size. If you are good at dilutions you can attempt to use this product. Even though you say that the mites are localized specifically to your dog's ears, it may be good to cover his/her entire body. but focus on the ears. an overdose on pyrethrins cause the dog to have the 'blahs' for a short time. I have put the 5% solution on a dog's ear, then wash it into the ear canal with a little sterile water solution. if you have ever put pyrethrins on your own body, you will discover that it tingles after a while, especially around your ears.
Pyrethrins are indeed natural as this chemical is derived from a chrysanthemum flower. But it doesn't work very well.
sulfur is usually mixed in with petroleum jelly as a rub. it doesn't work well but people talk about it.
ivermectin is the product to use. if the vet is result oriented, one shot of ivermection will clear up the problem lickety split. it is an amazing product. many vets will insist on doing skin biopsies and samplings yet that will set you back 50 to a 100 bucks. there is little harm in doing one shot of ivermectin. if the scratching diminishes in either intensity or frequency you will know that you are correct. The most common dose is 200- or 250 ug ( micrograms) of ivermection per kilogram of your dog's weight. it may take 2-3 shots given 2 weeks apart to kill all the adults ( some of the eggs laid may have hatched in the interim thus producing more adults ). you will have to vacuum up the dog's bedding, toys and anywhere else and anything else with which the dog has come into contact. and then there is the possibility that you may have to do the all over kwellada rub as although the mites are not overly fond of humans, some of them may have gotten on to your clothes or in your hair as you play with your pooch.
ivermectin has been around for a long time; almost any horse vet or horse owner knows about ivermectin ( or selemectin ) as it is given to the horse to kill worms. it is called a 'dewormer'. you can buy this product in a pet store or vet supply store as a paste but it is almost too concentrated as it is for a horse weighing 600 kilograms. the vet should only charge you about 10-15 bucks for the shot each time. good luck

Answer:
Originally posted by mark
there are a couple of choices for you to use. there are a couple of species of mites and ticks that inhabit dogs. as they are all arthropod, all will respond in varying degrees to pyrethrins, ivermectin and then there is always sulfur. i have had very little luck with pyrethrins on dogs as it does not seem to be readily absorbed into the dogs' skin as it is with humans. the human form of pyrethrin is called Kwellada and is in a 5% concentration. Most canine versions of pyrethrins is in 0.15% concentration which is a 1:33 dilution. the human version comes in a white emolient while the canine version is usually in a shampoo or sometimes in a spray mist. the kwellada can be bought at any pharmacy for about 20 bucks. the sprays and shampoos can be bought at any pet store for about 12- 15 -20 bucks depending on the size. If you are good at dilutions you can attempt to use this product. Even though you say that the mites are localized specifically to your dog's ears, it may be good to cover his/her entire body. but focus on the ears. an overdose on pyrethrins cause the dog to have the 'blahs' for a short time. I have put the 5% solution on a dog's ear, then wash it into the ear canal with a little sterile water solution. if you have ever put pyrethrins on your own body, you will discover that it tingles after a while, especially around your ears.
Pyrethrins are indeed natural as this chemical is derived from a chrysanthemum flower. But it doesn't work very well.
sulfur is usually mixed in with petroleum jelly as a rub. it doesn't work well but people talk about it.
ivermectin is the product to use. if the vet is result oriented, one shot of ivermection will clear up the problem lickety split. it is an amazing product. many vets will insist on doing skin biopsies and samplings yet that will set you back 50 to a 100 bucks. there is little harm in doing one shot of ivermectin. if the scratching diminishes in either intensity or frequency you will know that you are correct. The most common dose is 200- or 250 ug ( micrograms) of ivermection per kilogram of your dog's weight. it may take 2-3 shots given 2 weeks apart to kill all the adults ( some of the eggs laid may have hatched in the interim thus producing more adults ). you will have to vacuum up the dog's bedding, toys and anywhere else and anything else with which the dog has come into contact. and then there is the possibility that you may have to do the all over kwellada rub as although the mites are not overly fond of humans, some of them may have gotten on to your clothes or in your hair as you play with your pooch.
ivermectin has been around for a long time; almost any horse vet or horse owner knows about ivermectin ( or selemectin ) as it is given to the horse to kill worms. it is called a 'dewormer'. you can buy this product in a pet store or vet supply store as a paste but it is almost too concentrated as it is for a horse weighing 600 kilograms. the vet should only charge you about 10-15 bucks for the shot each time. good luck


Answer:
I have been advised to try Caster Liver Oil, it is a natural product. This was used a lot in the old days when people could not afford to take there pets to the vet. I will keep everyone posted. Hopefully this will be the $3.00 cure.

Answer:
i am concerned for your dog. it is indeed true that SOME mites may be smothered by the oil, but due to the mites lifecycle, it is impossible to kill enough of them to make a difference. for this reason, all the home- folk- wildcraft- natural- homeopathic remedies tell you to do this "EVERY DAY FOR 30 DAYS ". this is much like "GRANNY'S' cure for the common cold from the tv show beverly hill billies: take this potion every day and zap! in 2-3 weeks your cold will be gone!"
another old time remedy when people couldn't afford 30 bucks was to cover the pet with engine oil. this didn't work out very well for either the pet or the owner. but it is cheap. people still mention this remedy when talking about mites/ticks/fleas. just like precipitated sulfur in petrolatum jelly.
if you do wish to subject your dog to this regime of treatment, please be aware that you dog will harbor the mites long past the treatment duration. and the itching and scratching will continue as the mites try to evade the oil by going into the dog's skin which is not normally what they do.
i do wish you luck with your choice. i do hope that you write in again to tell us that you oil treatment worked wonderfully and that you only had to do it the one and only time. i have had many people tell me over the years that they too tried these home style natural remedies for weeks on their dog's ear mites only to have the dog scratch and shake their head all the more. Only then did they go to the vet to get their one shot of ivermectin.
as it is now, i have no idea how it is that you made the diagnosis of ear mites other than the symptomatic shaking of the head and ears. does you dog have any exudate coming from his ears? sincerely, mark

Answer:
Now that I feel bad, my dog is going to the vet. Thanks for your input Mark. I don't want to hurt my dog or have him to suffer from these mites any longer. About 3 months ago I had Chico at the vet and he said he had mites, I gave him drops for 10 days and he still has them. He has black like residue in his ears, so I assume he still has the mites.

Answer: