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wikiHow to Identify Canine Ear Mites

Three Parts:Observing Your Dog’s BehaviorLooking in Your Dog’s EarsSeeking a Veterinary DiagnosisCommunity Q&A

Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) are tiny parasites that can cause mild to severe irritation in your dog’s ears. They are fairly common and affect dogs of all ages, with puppies getting ear mites most frequently.[1] If your dog’s ears are bothering him a lot, check for evidence of ear mites and take him to your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. The sooner ear mites can be identified, the quicker your dog can get relief from those pesky parasites.

Part 1
Observing Your Dog’s Behavior

  1. 1
    Watch your dog’s scratching behavior. Ear mites will cause your dog to scratch in his ears a lot. In addition, he may scratch around his ears if the ear mites have moved outside his ears.[2] Ear mites may also cause scratching around his head and neck if they have crawled to those areas. If the itching is intense enough, your dog may pull out his hair when scratching.[3]
    • Your dog may or not scratch other parts of his body where the ear mites have crawled to.[4]
  2. 2
    Observe head shaking. Ear mites can cause so much irritation that your dog will start shaking his head. This head shaking may be frequent, depending on the severity of the ear mite infestation. Frequent head shaking can damage the blood vessels in the ear, causing a pool of blood and formation of a hematoma (large blood clot).[5]
    • Head shaking is meant to relieve the itching, but may not be very effective at doing so.[6]
  3. 3
    Pay attention to changes in your dog’s behavior. The constant itching can leave your dog feeling pretty miserable, especially if he has a developed an infection in his ears from all the scratching. Mood changes to watch out for include depression and a bad temper. In addition, your dog may start running in circles in the direction of the most severely affected ear.[7]

Part 2
Looking in Your Dog’s Ears

  1. 1
    Check your dog’s ears for irritation. Ear mites affect the outer part of the ear canal (the part you can see), called the otitis externa.[8] They can pierce through the skin lining the ear canal, causing irritation.[9] Redness is a common sign of irritation.[10]
    • Your dog's ears may be very painful and sensitive, so use caution when touching them.
  2. 2
    Look for a coffee ground-like substance in your dog’s ears. If your dog scratches enough, the insides of his ears could start bleeding. When the blood dries, it would start to resemble coffee grounds.[11] Dried blood is a common indication of ear mites.
    • Ear mites also cause excessive production of brown wax. The combination of wax and dried blood create the look of coffee grounds in the ears.[12]
  3. 3
    Observe the skin around your dog’s ears. Since ear mites are not confined to the ears, you may see evidence of irritation and scratching (e.g., abrasions, scratches) around your dog’s ears.[13][14] In addition, you may see rashes on the skin around the ears.[15]
  4. 4
    Identify discharge coming from the ear. The intense scratching caused by ear mites can damage the skin in your dog’s ears and lead to an invasion of bacteria. A secondary bacterial infection can cause pus to drain out of your dog’s ears.[16] It would look yellowish or greenish.
  5. 5
    Smell your dog’s ears. Ear mites themselves do not have an odor, but the secondary infections caused by ear mite irritation could cause your dog’s ears to smell badly. If you detect a foul scent coming from his ears, a bacterial or yeast infection is likely present.[17]

Part 3
Seeking a Veterinary Diagnosis

  1. 1
    Take your dog to your veterinarian. If your dog is showing signs of an ear mite infestation, take him to your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.[18] Your veterinarian will perform diagnostic tests and then recommend treatments to kill the mites.
    • Do not delay in taking your dog to your veterinarian. The longer he continues to scratch, the more damage he will do to his ear, possibly leading to damaged eardrums and hearing loss.[19]
  2. 2
    Provide detailed information about your dog. The more information you have about your dog’s history and ear problems, the better your veterinarian will be able to treat your dog. Give your veterinarian a history of your dog’s overall health, when his ear symptoms started, the severity of the symptoms, and if your dog has been in contact with other animals.[20]
    • Ear mites are very contagious, so other pets in your home may have gotten ear mites from your dog.[21]
  3. 3
    Allow your veterinarian to diagnose your dog. Your veterinarian can diagnose ear mites in several ways. For example, they can use an instrument called an otoscope to look in your dog’s ears and see the mites. Interestingly, the mites would start moving around in response to the warmth from the otoscope’s light.[22]
    • Your veterinarian may also swab the debris inside your dog’s ear with a cotton-tipped applicator, then place the debris on a microscope slide with some mineral oil.[23] Under the microscope, mites appear to have round bodies with four front legs and four back legs.[24]
    • Large numbers of mites would be easily visible in the ear. However, if there are only a few mites, it would be easier to see them under the microscope.[25]
    • If your dog’s ears are extremely damaged and painful, your veterinarian may have to sedate him to get a closer look in his ears.[26]

Community Q&A

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    • In dogs with upright ears, an ear mite infestation could cause the ears to droop.[27]
    • Ear mites are less common in dogs than cats.[28]
    • Humans cannot get ear mites from dogs.[29]
    • Treating ear mites involves a few strategies: cleaning the ears, treating the ears with a miticide (mite-killing medicine), and flea control.[30]
    • Ear mites do not live in the environment for very long, so a thorough house cleaning may not be necessary to treat your dog’s ear mites.[31]


    • Some dogs can have hypersensitivity to ear mites, which can cause intense irritation and itching.[32]

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    Article Info

    Categories: Dog Parasites

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