How can you tell you have a inner ear infection?

How to Tell the Difference Between an Ear Infection and Ear Mites

• Answer:

  Diagnosing problems with your pets can be a challenging task. When your animal exhibits symptoms of some sort of condition, it is often easy to misdiagnose, especially since the pet is unable to correct you. Dogs and cats often have trouble with their ears, primarily a result of pet owners forgetting or not being educated in proper care for their pets ear health. Preventative attention is always ideal, but in the event that your pet falls sick with an ear infection or ear mites, it is to your benefit to know the difference and treat your pet accordingly. Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Examine your pet's ears. If it is an ear infection, there will likely be some discharge of a yellow or black color. There may be some inflammation, which may cause your pet to be sensitive to any probing of that area. Additionally, if an ear infection is left untreated, the pet may develop some deafness in its ears. If the pet is suffering from ear mites, the ear will most likely have yellow or black spots on it from a buildup of pus and earwax. Observe your pet's behavior. Typically, a pet will exhibit irritated behavior when afflicted with both an ear infection and ear mites. However, they are more likely to scratch at their ears if they have ear mites. If it is a bad case of ear mites, they may also be lethargic or feverish. Treat your pet for ear mites. If you're not sure what it is your pet is fighting, it does not hurt to try first to treat for ear mites. Use mineral oil and an ear syringe to massage oil into the inside, yet exterior, part of the animal's ear. Massage the mineral oil gently into the skin. This will smother any ear mites living on your pet's ear and also dissolve the earwax that has built up. You can use a cotton ball afterward to wipe out any excess oil, wax buildup or mites.