Health Network News

When does your pet need a home remedy ear mites treatment? Well, the chances of him having an infestation needing treatment are high - if you notice things like brown ear gunk that comes back after you clean it off, and the fact that he won’t stop scratching his ears.

Ear mites are parasites that feed off an animal’s blood supply, and are easily passed between those living in close quarters. Although known to infest dogs, they’re more common to cats and other types of pets, such as ferrets and rabbits. Left untreated, the pests continue to multiply, and feed off the blood and tissue. Not only does this cause pain and make the ears bleed, but in the long run, permanent damage, such as hearing loss, can occur from bacterial infections.

It’s important to have your companions treated for any mite infestations immediately - however, for some, a visit to the vet isn’t always an option. But luckily, there are some home remedies you can use to get rid of the mites, that have proven to be quite effective:

Using corn or mineral oil - Mineral oil works well for temporary mite control as it smothers them. Not only does corn oil so the same thing, but it also soothes irritated tissue, and contains properties that aid in speeding up healing time. Just take a few cotton balls, and put some corn oil on each. Carefully clean the ear - inside the canal and around the sides, every day for three days.

Olive oil - Olive oil has been proven to be beneficial to the health in many ways - and it’s also very good for killing off mites. If you’d prefer, almond oil can be substituted in its place.

To make a solution, take 400 IU of vitamin E oil and mix it with one half ounce of olive oil, and administer through a dropper. You need to be sure the solution is room temperature - and no colder - when you squeeze the dropper into the animal’s ear, or he’ll probably physically show you his discomfort. Clean the ear area and the canals carefully, with several clean cotton swabs. This treatment needs to be repeated every other day, for a total of 6 six days, then allow the ears to rest for three more. Upon resuming the treatment, repeat the same “every other day” protocol, this time for six weeks - as this breaks the reproduction cycle.

Mix yellow dock root extract and water - Using this combination has proven effective in vanquishing ear mites. Mix 9 drops of yellow dock root extract with a tablespoon of water. Before you insert the solution into the ear canal, make sure it’s room temperature. Because home remedies must often be repeated for a while in order to kill mite eggs, repeat this procedure every other day for six or seven weeks to make sure the eggs have stopped hatching.

White vinegar swabs - Swabbing with white vinegar diffused with water, works miracles in removing dirt and debris from an animal’s ears, however, keep in mind it’s very acidic and could sting a pet with irritated tissues or opens sores. Don’t use this treatment if your pet has these conditions in his ears, or you will probably pay the price with a sharp nail or two to the hand.

Shampoo - Shampoo your furry companion, and then make the final rinse an infusion of yellow dock tea and water. This is an effective way to rid the coat of mites that have traveled beyond the “head zone”.

So even if paying a vet for treatment isn’t an option for you, one of the home remedies you’ve just learned should be able to help. In treating your friend, keep in mind that it won’t exactly be a “treat” for him, so you may want to have someone standing by to assist you when you do it.