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Looking For The Best Ear Mite Medicine For Dogs?
Here’s a look at our favorites, including our top pick – Mister Ben’s Ear Tonic w/ Aloe for Dogs.
Ear mites are more common in cats than dogs, but they’re definitely a problem for both animals. Ear mites are usually picked up outside, then brought inside to share with everyone in the house. They have a 3-week life cycle, and as the mites feed on the wax and oil in your dog’s ear they’ll cause inflammation and irritation of the internal and external ear canal. You probably won’t be able to see the tiny eight-legged parasites, but you’ll definitely see the symptoms:
- Excessive rubbing and scratching of the ears
- Shaking their head
- Strong odor
- Black or brown waxy secretion
- Inflammation
- Obstruction of ear canal with coffee ground-like discharge
Fortunately, ear mites are easy to treat and fairly simple to eradicate once you catch on to the symptoms. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the problem will just go away in a few weeks when the mites die—even if the mites don’t reproduce and grow the party in your dog’s ear (which they will), untreated ear mites can cause infection and other serious skin conditions. The best way to handle the problem is to administer a medication that kills the ear mites, clears the infection, and provides soothing relief for the inflammation and irritation.
What to look for in ear mite medicine
As you’re considering your options, here are a few tips on what to look for in a good ear mite medication:
- Insecticide vs. all-natural – this one is entirely up to personal preference. Insecticides are proven to work, though they can damage your dog’s sensitive ear canal if you apply too much or use it for too long. There are a ton of bogus all-natural solutions out there, so you’ll need to exercise caution in that arena, but there are a few good ones that are proven to work and are highly reviewed (we’ll talk about one of them in a bit).
- Pyrethrin – Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide that’s produced by certain species of the Chrysanthemum plant. Pyrethrins are fast acting and highly effective at eradicating cold blooded parasites like fleas and ticks.
- Piperonyl butoxide – this is an organic compound that’s commonly used as a component of pesticide solutions. It’s a waxy white solid, and it works as a synergist by enhancing the potency of insecticides like pyrethrins.
- Aloe – many natural solutions (and some synthetics with pesticides) will use aloe to soothe your dog’s skin. It won’t kill the parasites, but it’ll help to reduce the pain and sensitivity in the area.
Mister Ben’s Ear Tonic w/ Aloe for Dogs
If you’re looking for an all-natural solution, I’d highly recommend Mister Ben’s Ear Tonic with Aloe for Dogs. It’s actually the product that I use with my own dog (I use their all-purpose ear cleaning solution). Mister Ben’s Ear Tonic has five all-natural active ingredients including 100% cold pressed organic aloe to help soothe agitated ears, along with powerful antifungal and antibacterial agents to fight the mites, infection, and inflammation.
Even without using an insecticide, this product is proven to be the most effective ear treatment for all dog breeds and provides fast relief from mites, bacteria, fungus, odors, itching, infections, and yeast. After the first dose you should notice an immediate reduction of the inflammation, infection, swelling, redness, and irritation. Because the product is all-natural, you don’t have to worry about dropping too much or doing too many treatments—it’s safe to use as much as you need, as often as you need to.
As a bonus, this package comes with a free eBook on dog ear help, and the company will donate $1 to Last Chance Animal Rescue for every bottle that’s sold.
Eradimite – 1 oz.
Eradimite contains a 0.15% Pyrethrin solution that kills ticks and ear mites in dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, and rabbits. It also aids in ear wax removal and has a soothing agent to help control the itching and inflammation for your pet. You’ll apply 10 drops in each ear every other day until the ears are completely clear of inflammation and infection. However, you should not use this on nursing animals.
Miracle Care R-7M Ear Mite Treatment 4oz
The Miracle Care is another pyrethrin-based liquid applicator solution for spinose ear ticks and ear mites. Like the Eradimite it has 0.15% pyrethrin and 1.50% piperonyl butoxide, and should be applied to each ear every 2 – 3 days until the infection clears up. It’s cleared for use on both cats and dogs, and it works best when used in tandem with Miracle Care R-7 Ear Cleaner.
Hartz UltraGuard Ear Mite Treatment for Dogs
The Hartz UltraGuard Ear Mite Treatment is another highly reviewed ear-drop treatment that’s known to be a little gentler on your dog’s ears. It uses a diluted solution of 0.05% pyrethrin and 0.50% piperonyl butoxide (about 1/3 the strength of Eradimite and Miracle Care R-7M), so it’s a good product to use if your dog has sensitive ears, if the infection is fairly mild, or if you’re just concerned about putting something too strong in their ears.
Either way, this is a great pick. It also contains aloe help sooth their irritated skin, and cleaning agents to clear the dirt and wax that’s built up in their ears.
Remedy + Recovery Gold Medal Ear Mite and Tick Control for Pets, 4-Ounce
Here’s one more pyrethrin solution for you with a little extra kick. The Remedy + Recovery Gold Medal Ear Mite and Tick Control uses a 0.06% Pyrethrin solution, so it’s a bit stronger than the other solutions that we’ve discussed. It’s known to instantly kill ear mites and ticks, and it’s perfectly suitable for both dogs and cats.
Takeaways
Like I mentioned towards the beginning, I personally use Mister Ben’s products because I prefer all-natural solutions, so that would be my first recommendation. If you’d prefer to go with something stronger, you’ll want to use a Pyrethrin solution.
If you do, remember to complete a full course of drops so the infection doesn’t return—though you should be cautious about being overzealous and doing too much. Space the applications out every 2 – 3 days to avoid harming the ear canal. If the symptoms persist you should definitely talk to your veterinarian, as bacterial infections can often present as mites and could require prescription-strength medication from the vet.
