How to Naturally Treat Your Dog or Cat’s Ear Mites at Home

Hello, I’m Dr. Andrew Jones, and in this edition of Veterinary Secrets, I’m going to show you how to naturally treat ear mites in your dog or cat. I’ll explain a little bit about ear mites, also known as Otodectes cynotis, and how you can treat them at home with simple, natural remedies.

Understanding Ear Mites

Ear mites are a type of microscopic parasite that lives its entire life cycle on your pet, primarily within the ears. In my veterinary practice, I’ve found that most of the animals I’ve treated for ear mites have been cats—over 97% of them, in fact.

These mites have a 21-day life cycle, going from eggs to mature adults capable of laying more eggs in about three weeks. This is important to know when considering treatment, as you’ll need to cover the full life cycle of the mites, which is why a 3-week treatment plan is necessary.

Signs Your Pet Might Have Ear Mites

The most common signs of ear mites in cats and dogs include:

• Shaking their head
• Scratching at their ears
• Hair loss along the base of their ears from scratching

If you take a look inside your pet’s ears, you’ll notice black debris, which is a telltale sign of an ear mite infection.

How to Diagnose Ear Mites at Home

To check for ear mites at home, gently take a Q-tip and dip it into the debris you find in your pet’s ear. You can examine it more closely by looking at the debris on a microscope slide with a drop of mineral oil. Under the microscope, you should be able to see the mites crawling around.

Treating Ear Mites at Home

There are several natural treatment options that you can try. Let’s take a look at some of the best ones.

1. Olive Oil and Calendula Tincture

My first choice for treating ear mites is olive oil. It’s soothing and effective. You can easily prepare this treatment by mixing olive oil with calendula tincture, a soothing anti-inflammatory herb.

Here’s how you can make the mixture:

• Add 8 tablespoons of olive oil to a small dispensing bottle.
• Add 2 dropperfuls of calendula tincture (about 2 ml) into the olive oil.
• Mix it gently and store it in a dark cupboard—avoid direct sunlight, but it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

To treat your pet, follow these steps:

1. Apply about 5 drops of the mixture into your pet’s ear.
2. Gently rub the base of the ear to work the oil down the ear canal. You should hear a squishing sound as the oil moves through.
3. Use a Q-tip to gently wipe out the excess debris. Be careful not to push the Q-tip too deep into the ear canal.

The olive oil will help smother and kill the live mites, while the calendula will soothe the ear. The first day of treatment will primarily involve cleaning the ears and removing debris, but after that, the main task is medicating your pet.

Treatment schedule:

• Apply the mixture twice a day for 7 days.
• Stop for 7 days.
• Repeat the process for another 7 days.

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another excellent option for treating ear mites. It’s not only beneficial for its medicinal properties, but it’s also safe for your pets. Warm it up to a liquid state, then apply it in the same way you would olive oil.

Treatment schedule for coconut oil:

• Apply twice a day for 7 days.
• Stop for 7 days.
• Repeat the process for another 7 days.

3. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is another option for treating ear mites. It’s a fine powder made from a sedimentary rock, and it works by drying out the mites.

To use diatomaceous earth, follow these steps:

1. Use a Q-tip to dip into the diatomaceous earth powder.
2. Apply it to the ear canal, gently rubbing the base of the ear to work it into the ear.

Treatment schedule for diatomaceous earth:

• Apply twice a day for 7 days.
• Stop for 7 days.
• Repeat for another 7 days.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining me in this edition of Veterinary Secrets. I hope you’ve found this information helpful for treating ear mites in your dog or cat. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to subscribe for more tips, and don’t forget to check out my free books and videos by clicking the links below. Stay tuned for more natural solutions for your pet’s health!