Doesn’t your pet love it when you tell them that you’re going to take them out? They immediately start jumping around with joy. And if your pet is really smart, they may even bring you their leash and other items you carry when you take them out.

10 home remedies to get rid of ear mite infestation in your pets
10 home remedies to get rid of ear mite infestation in your pets

While outside, they can be worse than children playing. They roll on the grass and start excavating the mud, getting the adventurer in them out. They dig at every corner of the park, getting you all kinds of nasty things, which they think you would appreciate.

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While all of these activities are quite endearing, what is dreadful is the fact that they might return indoors with various kinds of parasites like fleas, ticks or mites. Mites are not as commonly recognized as fleas and ticks, but they are a common cause of ear infections in pets.

Symptoms of Mites in Your Pet

  • Excessively scratching the ears or around its head.
  • Frequently shaking its head.
  • Excessive hair loss due to profuse scratching.
  • Crusted lesion or dried blood in or around the ear canal.
  • Discharge from the ear that is a coffee ground-like substance.
  • Foul smell from the ears.
  • Whining or crying when touched around the ears.

Though it is rare, some extreme cases of infestation might lead to mites spreading to other parts of your pet’s body and causing skin irritation.

If left untreated, your pet can suffer from serious complications of an ear mite infestation. The profuse scratching and head shaking can rupture the blood vessels inside the ear flaps, making them look swollen and painful to touch. This condition is known as aural hematomas and often requires surgery to correct it. If you think your pet is at this stage, seek immediate veterinarian care.

Home Treatment for Ear Mites in Pets

While is it best to follow the treatment recommended by your vet, below are natural home remedies that can be used to treat mites in pets.

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Method 1: Garlic & Olive Oil

Garlic is one of the best solutions to help get rid of a mite infestation, as it has antimicrobial properties. The allicin compound present in garlic makes it a potential killer of mites. Olive oil is considered to be medicinal in nature and soothes the area that is itchy and red.

Things you’ll need:

things you'll need to make garlic infused olive oil to get rid of ear mites
Things you'll need to make garlic infused olive oil to get rid of ear mites
  • Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic cloves, minced – 5 to 7

Step 1. Chop the garlic cloves & mix them with olive oil

marinate minced garlic in olive and and dribble the infused oil into your pet's ears
Marinate minced garlic in olive and dribble the infused oil into your pet's ears
  • Mince 5 to 7 garlic cloves.
  • Drop the minced garlic into a container
  • Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the container and put the lid on.
  • Let the solution sit for 12 hours.
  • Fill a dropper with the garlic-infused olive oil and put 5 drops into each of your pet’s ears.
  • Massage the base of the ears, so that the solution spreads into each area of the ears.

Use this remedy every day for 21 days to help get rid of the ear mite problem.

Caution: Do not allow your pet to ingest any of this material as garlic ingestion can be toxic in unsupervised quantities.

Method 2: Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a colorless and odorless substance extracted from petroleum and is used in a variety of skincare products. It dissolves earwax or any shedding that might be clogging your pet’s ears, while also choking and killing the mites.

Single-Step Treatment: Put drops of mineral oil in your pet’s ears

dribble mineral oil into your pet's eat tor get rid of ear mites in dogs
Dribble mineral oil into your pet's ear to help get rid of ear mites
  • Use a dropper to put a few drops of mineral oil into your pet’s ears. It should be enough to coat as much of the inner ear as possible. Massage the base of the ears to help the oil spread better inside the ears.
  • Alternatively, use a cotton ball soaked with mineral oil to swab the insides of the ears.

Do this once daily for 3 weeks to get rid of the ear mites.

Method 3: Baby Oil

Baby oil has a drowning effect on mites, which smothers them and eventually kills them.

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Single-Step Treatment: Swab your pet’s ears with baby oil

wipe your pet's ears with baby oil to get rid of ear mite infestation
Wipe your pet's ears with baby oil to help get rid of ear mite infestations
  • Dab a cotton ball into baby oil and swab your pet’s inner ears and flaps with it.

Do this twice a week for 1 month.

Method 4: Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is strongly acidic and can help eliminate a mite infestation. It also helps get rid of the symptoms caused by the mites, such as itching and inflammation.

Single-Step Treatment: Dribble diluted apple cider vinegar into your pet’s ears

dilute apple cider vinegar with water and wipe your pet's ears
Dilute apple cider vinegar with water and wipe your pet's ears
  • Mix 1 tablespoon each of apple cider vinegar and water.
  • Dip a cotton ball in the solution and allow it to soak it up.
  • Squeeze the solution out of the cotton ball into your pet’s ears.
  • Massage the ears, especially the base of the canals, and hold your pet’s ear flaps closed for a few minutes.
  • Now let your dog do the job. It will shake its head, which will loosen the gunk in the ear and make it fall out.

Do this every day for 3 weeks to help get rid of the ear mites.

Method 5: Vinegar

Just like apple cider vinegar, plain white vinegar is acidic in nature. It changes the pH levels inside your pet’s ears and suffocates the mites and their eggs, helping to kill them.

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Single-Step Treatment: Swab your pet’s ears with diluted vinegar

clean your pet's ears with diluted vinegar
Clean your pet's ears with diluted vinegar
  • Mix together 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of warm water. Dip a cotton ball into the solution and swab the dirt, wax and ear mites out of your pet’s ears.

Repeat this remedy every day for at least 1 week to get rid of mites.

Method 6: Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a very safe and effective treatment for an ear mite problem. It has anti-inflammatory properties and soothes the skin, reducing the itchiness and redness caused by incessant scratching. It also reduces the pain associated with sores and helps in quick healing.

Single-Step Treatment: Extract fresh aloe vera gel & apply it directly to your pet’s ears

apply fresh aloe vera gel in your pet's ears to get rid of mite infestation
Apply fresh aloe vera gel in your pet's ears to help get rid of mite infestation
  • Extract 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and apply it directly into your pet’s ears. (Use only a ½ tablespoon of aloe vera gel if it is a store-bought variety.)
  • Wipe off the aloe vera and any dirt and mites from your pet’s ears using a cotton ball.

Do this every day for 1 month to help get rid of the ear mites.

Method 7: Hydrogen Peroxide

The 3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide breaks up the wax buildup and debris in the ear. It might also prevent the mites from spreading to any other parts of your pet’s body.

Caution: This remedy can prove harmful if the hydrogen peroxide gets in your pet’s eyes. Apply it using a cotton swab to avoid any accidents.

Single-Step Treatment: Soak a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide & clean your pet’s ears

swab your pet's ears with hydrogen peroxide to get rid of ear mites
Swab your pet's ears with hydrogen peroxide to help get rid of ear mites
  • Soak a cotton swab with 3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide.
  • Gently wipe the ears of your pet with outward strokes.
  • Wipe only the part of the ear that you can see.

Use this remedy every day for 1 week.

Method 8: Hand Sanitizer

We generally use a hand sanitizer to remove germs from our hands. Have you ever thought it could also help you get rid of an ear mite problem?

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Yes! It can. If you do not have other items handy, hand sanitizer is worth a try. It is believed to eliminate the mites causing discomfort and dry out your pet's ear.

Single-Step Treatment: Squirt a dollop of sanitizer into your pet’s ears & massage the base of the ears

squirt a dollop of hand sanitizer directly into your pet's ears
Squirt a dollop of hand sanitizer directly into your pet's ears
  • Squirt 2 dollops of hand sanitizer in your palm and administer it into each of your pet’s ears. Massage the base of the ears to ensure the sanitizer evenly coats the inside of your pet’s ears.
  • Alternatively, you can squirt the sanitizer directly into your pet’s ears and massage.
Caution: Do not use this remedy if your pet has a raw lesion. The alcohol content in the sanitizer will cause a burning sensation.

Method 9: Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It effectively kills the mites and their eggs by drowning and smothering them.

Melt the coconut oil for this remedy.

Single-Step Treatment: Drop melted coconut oil into your pet’s ear & massage the base of the ears

put coconut oil into your pet's ears and massage
Put coconut oil into your pet's ears and massage
  • Fill a dropper with melted coconut oil.
  • Dribble the oil into your pet’s ears and gently massage the base of the ears.

Repeat every day for at least 1 week to get rid of the ear mites.

Method 10: Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a powerful way to help kill adult mites. However, to get rid of the mites completely, you’ll have to use this remedy for at least one month.

Ensure that you are using food-grade diatomaceous earth and not the one used for pool filtration.

Single-Step Treatment: Put drops of diluted DE in your pet’s ears

dissolve de with water and dribble the mixture into your pet's ears
Dissolve DE with water and dribble the mixture into your pet's ears
  • Combine 1 tablespoon of the food-grade diatomaceous earth with enough warm water to make a runny solution. Fill a dropper with the solution and dribble it into your pet’s ears.
  • Alternatively, you can put a pinch of the diatomaceous powder directly into your pet’s ears.

Do this once a day for 1 month.

Tips to help your pet suffering from ear mites

  • Make sure the problem is ear mites before using these treatment options.
  • Make sure the ear drum is intact before placing anything in the ear.
  • Wash all the bedding regularly.
  • Administer any of the above remedies according to the steps given. If your pet isn’t relieved from the mite infestation after using these remedies for the specified period, or gets worse at any point, consult your vet immediately.
  • Be careful using apple cider vinegar, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide, as these may harm your pet’s eyes.
  • You can also administer castor oil and vegetable oil to help treat the mite infestation.
  • Check your pet’s ears regularly for any mite infestation symptoms.
  • Take them to the vet regularly to identify any infection promptly and curtail it at an early stage.
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