A Common Cause for Itchy Ears

Ear Mites

            Veterinary examination of new pets, especially puppies and kittens, from pet stores, breeders, and pet adoption facilities is encouraged shortly after you acquire them.  This prevents you from accidentally bringing home parasites such as mites, fleas, ticks, ringworm, and intestinal worms which could be spread to other pets or to people. 

            One example of a very common external parasite is ear mites.  The veterinarians at Murphy Road Animal Hospital diagnosed ear mites on 40 patients in 2006.  These patients included cats, dogs, ferrets, and rabbits.  Especially common in cats, Otodectes cynotis infestations are spread by direct physical contact between animals and frequently affect all susceptible animals in a household or colony.  Rabbits are vulnerable to a related mite, Psoroptes cuniculi.  

            Animals most commonly show signs of having itchy ears by displaying head shaking, rubbing their head on the floor or furniture, or by scratching their ears with their feet.  Pets that scratch their ears and shake their head frequently end up with hair loss, cuts, and bruising of the ear flaps.  I also commonly see thick dark brown ear wax.  Heavy infestations may lead to a painful ear infection.   I have examined one cat with dizziness, stumbling, and refusal to move due to a severe ear mite infestation which led to a middle ear infection.  Rabbits with mange display a rough, dry, thickened skin on their ears with possible spread to the face and neck.

The mites are microscopic but can often be diagnosed during exam with a device called an "oto-scope", which is a magnifying lens attached to a specially designed cone and bright light source.  The Video VetScope at Murphy Road Animal Hospital provides a great way for everyone in the exam room to see the mites crawling around inside the ear canal by transmitting the image to a TV monitor.  Sometimes a swab of ear wax debris is examined under the microscope for confirmation.

Treatment is not difficult, but all pets in the household need to receive medication to prevent recurrence since ear mites are highly contagious.  Over the counter medications are available but take several weeks of regular application to be effective.  Veterinarians can prescribe a topical mite treatment that is effective in a single application.  A preventative prescription call Revolution is also available for pets at risk for repeat infestations.

Michael Lamping, DVM