Ear Mites?? How do you know

[Slinkky]

My mini, Rico, is acting really weird. He has always been good with his head/ears but lately, that's not the case. Admitedly, I haven't messed with him much over the last 4 mths. Just quick pets at feeding time. Yesterday, I was petting him and as I was scratching from his shoulder up to his head, he went ballistic when I got close to his ears. I then tried to rub between his ears and he fought like crazy...and trying to cup each ear in my hand was even worse.

So could this be ear mites? If so, how do you treat them. How did they get them? Will all the horse eventually get them?

Help!

thanks,

 

[Katiean]

If he has ear mites you would see a very crusty black yuck in his ears. Kind of scabby. I have never seen a horse with ear mites. Not to say horses can't get them.

Kathy

 

[Slinkky]

His ears are so fuzzy, I really can't tell. Should I clip the inside of his ears? Or will that just aggrivate the problem? And since he's so determined not to have them touched I will probably have to resort to twitching him, which I've never had to do.

 

[JourneysEnd]

Much more likely you've got a tick in an ear. That's exactly the reaction you get with a tick.

Vets usually squirt a little ivermectin in the ears.

I had a kitten treated for ear mites today and the vet used ivermectin otic.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I asked my vet this question a couple of weeks ago, as I have a horse with a very sore ear. He said it is very unlikely that the hrose has ear mites.

I've been putting his eared fly mask on him, and swabbing out the ear with peroxide. SCAT, made by Farnam, has been working really well, too. I think it is a little black fly, or possibly a type of gnat, that could be causing the trouble. Hope you are able to give him some relief.

 

[mgranch]

My horses do occasionally get ear mites and I take my finger nail and gently scrape it inside the ear. If crusty black stuff comes out under my nail I put bag balm in the ear. My dad the cowboy taught me that and I've just continued to do it and it works for my guys!

 

[Slinkky]

great suggestions...thanks.

But what about clipping the inside of his ears? Is that necessary or will I just be causing him un-do pain?

 

[JourneysEnd]

Clipping can let the flys and gnats really irritate the inside of the ears.

Ask your vet about the ivermectin. If you can't get your finger in the ear to medicate, squirting the invermectin may be the easiest thing.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Oops. THe product is SWAT by Farnam. My dil said she had good luck with it and let me try hers. I will be buying some for myself.

I guess I confused cats and flies...

 

[Slinkky]

I decided against clipping the ears. Yesterday, I got the ivermectin liquid and I squirted a little in each ear and kinda of rubbed around the inside of the ear (trying to coat the inside of the ear). Then I squirted a little down into the ear. He did NOT enjoy this and fought me whole time. But today, he seems better. I can rub up his neck and between his ears and even scratch the outside of one ear, but he's still touchy on the other ear, and does not me to touch the inside of either ear. I think I'll wait until tomorrow and see if there is anymore improvement. If not, I think I'll try this again.

Thank you to all who gave me ideas.

 

[Sandee]

I decided against clipping the ears. Yesterday, I got the ivermectin liquid and I squirted a little in each ear and kinda of rubbed around the inside of the ear (trying to coat the inside of the ear). Then I squirted a little down into the ear. He did NOT enjoy this and fought me whole time. But today, he seems better. I can rub up his neck and between his ears and even scratch the outside of one ear, but he's still touchy on the other ear, and does not me to touch the inside of either ear. I think I'll wait until tomorrow and see if there is anymore improvement. If not, I think I'll try this again.
Thank you to all who gave me ideas.

Oh, do be careful putting any liquid DOWN in the ears.

I had a personal problem with my own ears. Was using a liquid medicine in them and got them too dry (it had a drying agent sort of like alcohol). Got it on the eardrum and have some hearing problems in that ear now.