ASK THE VET

Question: I have been treating my dog for ear mites and cannot seem to get rid of them. This last round of medication came from a vet's office and after using it for several weeks, he is still scratching his ears constantly. They have got all this dry, black wax that keeps coming out. What is the best treatment for ear mites?

Answer: Based on the way yo have worded your question, I wonder if the diagnosis is yours or your veterinarians. Getting rid of ear mites is usually not that hard. A few weeks on any of several good medications should kill the adult mites. However, most veterinarians recommend that ear mite medications be given for a minimum of six weeks to insure that all the eggs are destroyed. It may take this period of time for the eggs to hatch. Mite eggs are relatively impervious to medications, but when they hatch, the young mite dies quickly after exposure.

You may wish to try to the heartworm preventive "Revolution" which prevents ear mites as well as fleas, ticks, and sarcoptic mange. It is possible that your dogs does not have ear mites. Yeast otitis produces the type of wax you describe and causes the ear to be very itchy. Ear mites are tiny, and it is difficult to see them without magnification. Unless you see mites during examination of the ears with a magnifying otoscope or by examining ear wax under a microscope, you cannot be certain they are there.