Is your pet suffering from ear mites? Have you given your dog several medications but the problem still reoccurs? If so, you must not be providing the right level of treatment necessary to fully eliminate ear mites from your pet. Ear mites have to be treated before they penetrate deeper into the ear, because at that point, they can be very hard to get rid of.

To treat ear mites, the first step is to take your pet to the veterinarian. There are other diseases that have symptoms very similar to ear mites. A good example is canine mange. If you accidentally use medicines for ear mites on mange and vice versa, the problem will only get worse.

With proper diagnosis, the vet will know what disease your pet has, and then can correctly prescribe the necessary medications. The veterinarian will ask you to regularly use ear ointments like Tresaderm on both ears of your dog. There are also medicines that can be injected into your pet's bloodstream. This medicine can be administered by the veterinarian right from the clinic.

However, before your use any form of medication on your pet, here are some pointers that you might want to use when providing ear mite treatment

1. Clean the ears of your dog properly before applying any medicine.

This is applicable to topical ointments and creams prescribed by the vet. Properly clean both ears of your dog prior to applying the cream. The dirt, wax, and debris found in the folds and the inner parts of the ear may block the medication, preventing it from fully destroying the ear mites inside.

2. Treat the entire body of your dog with antiparasitic powder or insecticide preparation.

During the course of treatment, it is possible that the mites will escape the ears and find solace somewhere in the dog's body, only to return back to the ear area again. To make sure that this doesn't happen, use a veterinarian prescribed insecticide powder or formula on your pet and use it right after administering the ointment.

3. Treat all other animals in your household at the same time.

To make sure that your other pets won't be affected by ear mites, perform the same procedure you do with the infected dog. Simply ask the vet for the proper dosage. You won't need as much ointment on your other pets as you will on the dog suffering from ear mites.

4. Make sure that your pet is clean inside out.

Subject your dog to its daily bath and regular grooming during medication. You should also change its bedding and wash its kennel daily. You want to eliminate all traces of ear mites in and around your dog for faster recovery.

Next: Natural treatments for dog ear mites