How to Treat Dog Mites

By Lisa Parris

Overview

Mites are insects that live on your dog. Microscopic members of the arachnid family, mites burrow under your dog's skin and lay their eggs. In small quantities, your dog won't even notice they are there. However, when the population begins to grow, the result can be inflamed, reddened patches of skin and incessant scratching. In the case of ear mites, a noticeable odor may come from the dog's ears, while the ear canals appear red and irritated.

Step 1

Treat ear mites with mineral oil. Using a small eyedropper, place 3 to 5 drops of warm mineral oil into the dog's ear canal. Gently massage the dog's ear to help work the oil in. Wait 2 hours, then wipe the dog's ear out with a cotton swab, tissue or cotton ball. Repeat this procedure twice a week for at least 3 weeks.

Step 2

Take care of skin mites with a soothing ointment. Combine 1 cup calamine lotion, 1 cup aloe vera gel, and 1 cup soluble sulphur. Mix until well blended, then transfer the remedy to a large pan. Add 1 gallon distilled water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and allow the contents to simmer for 30 minutes. Allow the contents to cool, then apply the resulting mite treatment to your dog's fur. Make sure the dog is well coated, including the feet and the skin between the toes. Do not rinse the treatment off; allow the dog to dry naturally. Repeat the procedure once a week for 3 to 4 weeks.

Step 3

Save yourself some money by washing your dog in medicated shampoo and then coating him with petroleum jelly. The thick coating of jelly smothers the skin mites and alleviates skin irritation. Shampoo the dog and reapply the petroleum jelly, ensuring you have completely covered the tail and exterior of the ears, every other day for at least 2 weeks.

Step 4

Rub an over-the-counter acne cream over the affected areas. Check the label to be certain the medication's active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide. A 5 percent concentration should be enough to kill any surface mites. Apply the acne cream three times a week for 2 weeks.

Step 5

Get rid of harvest mites with using a prescription preventative medication such as Revolution or Frontline. This medication is applied once a month and will protect your dog from mites and fleas. The contents are applied directly to the skin, between the dog's shoulder blades, and within 2 hours can be safely exposed to water with no need for reapplication.

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