Ear Mite (Otodectes cynotis)

What are ear mites? 

Ear mites are parasites that live on your pet, especially in the ears.  We see them most often in cats, although we occasionally see them in dogs as well.

How can I tell if my cat has ear mites?

Ear mites are extremely irritating and usually cause a large build-up of dark, crusty debris in the ears.  Ear infections can also occur.  Cats often scratch at their ears, even to the point of causing bleeding sores around the ears and face.  Imagine having dozens, if not hundreds, of little tiny bugs crawling around in your ear canal, munching away on your skin cells!  Eew!

Ear mites are very tiny—we take a sample from the ear and check under the microscope for the little critters and their eggs.  Sometimes, with the magnification of an otoscope (the instrument we use to look in your pet’s ears), we can see little whitish specks moving around in the ear.

There are other reasons dogs and cats have problems with their ears, so they should be checked by the veterinarian.  Ear mite infestations in dogs are fairly uncommon.

Can I get ear mites from my cat?

No.  Whew!

Will my other pets get them?

It is possible.  Very unlikely in normal, healthy adult dogs, but we may recommend preventative treatment for your other cats.

How did my pet get ear mites?

Ear mites do not live long in the environment–pets get them from direct contact from infected cats or dogs.  We see them most often in newly adopted cats.

How can I get rid of ear mites?

Ear mite treatment is much easier now—we don’t need to put any medication in the ears anymore.  We prefer treating cats with Revolution, a topical medication that also works in cats for some other parasites.  It is simple to apply and two doses are all that will be needed.

Cats (or dogs) with severe debris build-up may need to have their ears cleaned by the veterinarian, and those with secondary bacterial or yeast infections may need other treatment.

Please, do not put oil in your pet’s ears!

Class Clown

Another fun-filled first aid class!  Gooch made his debut as the demo-dog for the REI Canine First Aid class Dr. Benoit teaches.  Topics covered included prevention, accident & wound first aid, bandaging, restraint, and a list of recommended kit items.  Gooch helped demonstrate normals, gauze muzzling, ear and foot bandaging, and restraint techniques.  Otherwise, he was too busy trying to make friends with everyone in the room!

Canine First Aid class outline includes a list of recommended items to keep in your dog first aid kit.

Jessica’s fun-loving dog was selected as our staff pet of the month!  We are pleased to present Coco as Ms. April!

My daughter and I adopted Coco from Spokanimal in February 2009.  We aren’t certain what she is a mix of, but our best guess is Vizsla and Greyhound. She was named Coco because she looked like hot chocolate and marshmallows, which is fitting, seeing as she’s a great big marshmallow. If given the opportunity she will dive into your lap to snuggle, obviously unaware of her size. She loves to be warm, which is why you’ll find her in front of the heating vent every time the furnace kicks on.  “Crazy Coco Puff” is her nickname, and is well earned when you see her playing with tennis or soccer balls.  Coco regularly plays dress up with my daughter, and thinks anything she does to her, or with her, is wonderful.  Coco also loves to dance; she thinks it is such great fun! I can’t imagine pet better suited for our family than Coco. We love her dearly.

Besides being creepy, these ticks can cause medical problems for our furry friends.  So, we recommend applying a tick preventative during the warm months of the year.  We have found Frontline to be safe and work well for these ticks, so it is the product we currently carry for our patients.

You can also minimize the number of ticks your pet accumulates by checking them thoroughly after they have been in tick-infested areas.  Concentrate on areas around the neck and ears, but they can be anywhere.  Don’t hesitate to drop in if you have an embedded tick that needs to removed–we can pull it out for you.  You should also check yourself if you were also out!

She is doing a little better this week after that episode, and we hope with some activity restriction, pain management, and TLC she will be with us a little longer.  Dr. B says she gets steak and canned food from now on!

Please stop by and see her when she is in the clinic–she is happiest when visiting with her friends!

Honey is fully recovered from surgery, even the fur on her belly is growing back!  She was a little down in the dumps for a while, especially after her first chemotherapy treatment.  Since she had such a hard time with that particular treatment, we will be trying a different type of therapy when her blood cell count is back to normal.

She certainly has been acting like her old self, especially when the snow was falling!  What Labrador doesn’t love to play in the snow??  Honey and Gooch have been romping about in the snow, then come in and get us all wet when they ask for T-R-E-A-T-S.  I think they are even learning what we mean when we spell it.  Oops!  Here they come now!

Carl came to SouthCare as a stray in early January 2012.  During his short stay at the hospital, I absolutely fell in love with him and his laid-back temperament. After losing one of our cats the week prior, we easily decided to have Carl become a member of our family. Carl enjoys spending time snoozing on tables and strolling on countertops (while taking sips of water from faucets) and  never hesitates to let us know when he’s hungry (which seems to be ALL the time).  He’s extremely vocal (the Siamese in him) and affectionate… Carl is either weaving between our legs as we walk or is on our laps once we sit down. He’s also VERY patient with our daughter Luci!  Carl has been the best addition to our family and we’re all so willing to share and return all the love he gives to us.  Carl is one-of-a-kind!!

While in San Juan Del Sur, Dr. Coulson and Noelle helped with the spay & neuter campaign and provided animal health consultations and zoonotic disease prevention. Aside from direct veterinary assistance, they also provided training for Nicaraguan veterinarians and veterinary students in spay and neuter techniques and small animal medicine. World Vets is currently working on developing a surgical training facility in Granada, Nicaragua, which will provide free instruction to Latin American veterinary professionals.

Dr. Coulson and Noelle where also able to take some free time to enjoy excursions offered around the city! (All work and no play…) These included a day-long sailing trip to a private beach where they were able to swim, walk the beach and see wild monkeys lounging in the tree tops. They also were able to take surfing lessons, go zip-lining high through the tree tops, horseback riding on the beach, and snorkeling to see sting rays and an array of beautiful tropical fish.

World Vets was also recently featured in the Spokesman-Review!

Did someone say treat?

Honey is finally feeling better after her surgery!  She was perky today, though she still tires easily.  She really appreciated all your well-wishing (and all the extra T-R-E-A-T-S she’s been getting!).

Unfortunately, the news on her mass was not good.  It is a hemangiosarcoma, which has a poor prognosis.  We’re staying optimistic, though!  She has the best care she can possibly get and lots of friends and family to help her through it all.