Ear mites are a common parasite found in cats, dogs, and other animals. They are highly contagious and can spread quickly between pets living in the same household. While ear mites prefer to live in the ears, they can also spread to other parts of the body. Understanding how ear mites are transmitted allows pet owners to take steps to prevent the spread and provide proper treatment.
What are Ear Mites?
Ear mites, scientifically known as Otodectes cynotis, are tiny spider-like parasites that feed on ear wax and oils inside the ear canal. They are just visible to the naked eye measuring 0.3-0.6 mm long. Ear mites can cause severe irritation, crusty buildup, and skin inflammation. Pets with ear mites will shake their head and scratch their ears excessively. Severe infestations can lead to open sores and secondary bacterial or yeast infections.
Ear mites are highly contagious between animals and thrive in multi-pet households. Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, foxes, and other animals can carry ear mites. Cats appear particularly susceptible to ear mites, with kittens and outdoor cats at highest risk. Ear mites can be transmitted from wild animals as well, so pets that go outside are more likely to pick them up.
Life Cycle of Ear Mites
The ear mite life cycle lasts about 3 weeks from egg to adult. Adult female mites lay eggs inside the ear canal. These eggs hatch into larvae, which mature into nymphs, then adults. The adults mate and perpetuate the cycle. Ear mites can survive for 2-3 weeks off the host animal wandering on bedding or surfaces in the home. They cannot reproduce without a host.
The typical lifecycle is:
- Eggs hatch into larvae after 3-5 days.
- Larvae molt into protonymphs after 5-7 days.
- Protonymphs molt into deutonymphs after 5-7 days.
- Deutonymphs molt into adults after 6-8 days.
- Adults mate and lay new eggs to restart the cycle.
Transmission Between Pets
Ear mites quickly spread from pet to pet through close contact. The primary route is by direct contact with an infested animal. Cats and dogs groom one another during play or sleep next to each other. This allows easy transfer of ear mites crawling from one pet to another.
Ear mites can also be spread indirectly through shared bedding, furniture, and other surfaces. The parasites can survive for 2-3 weeks without a host. As pets share toys, bedding, furniture, and living spaces, ear mites can crawl onto these items then transfer to a new host later.
Some other ways ear mites spread between household pets include:
- Sleeping/cuddling together
- mutual grooming
- Shared food and water bowls
- Brushing up against each other
- Using the same litterbox (for cats)
- Shared bedding, toys, furniture
- Licking/biting during play
Can Ear Mites Spread to Humans?
Ear mites cannot directly live on or reproduce in humans. However, humans can carry ear mites temporarily. Close contact with an infested pet may allow mites to crawl onto a person’s skin or clothing. These mites will die within several hours without a proper animal host.
In rare cases, ear mites may briefly bite humans and cause itching or irritation. But they cannot complete their life cycle on human hosts. There are no reports of ear mites living long-term or reproducing on people.
Preventing Spread in the Home
Since ear mites spread rapidly between pets sharing close quarters, multi-pet households are at high risk. Here are some tips to prevent transmission:
- Treat all pets in the household. Use veterinarian-prescribed medication to kill mites.
- Separate pets during treatment. Confine treated and untreated pets to different rooms.
- Disinfect the home. Clean bedding, toys, carriers, and surfaces.
- Wash bedding weekly. Use hot water and soap to kill any lingering mites.
- Vacuum frequently. Dispose of the vacuum bag after use.
- Treat new pets. Assume rescue animals or new pets have ear mites.
- Check wildlife. Stray and outdoor cats can pick up mites from wildlife.
- Groom pets regularly. Remove debris and mites from ears.
- Schedule veterinary checkups. Monitor pets closely for early detection.
Treatment for Ear Mites
Several options are available for treating ear mite infections. Consult a veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Common prescription medications for ear mites include:
- Ivermectin: Administered orally or by injection to kill mites and eggs.
- Milbemycin oxime: Another oral medication to control mites.
- Selamectin: Applied topically to kill ear mites.
- Imidacloprid/moxidectin: Eliminates mites with monthly topical application.
- Lime sulfur rinses: Help dissolve debris and exoskeletons.
- Tromethamine/dioxathion: Irrigates the ear canal to flush out and suffocate mites.
Over-the-counter ear drops containing pyrethroids are also available but may not be as effective. Always follow treatment directions carefully. Most medications must be administered for 2-4 weeks to fully break the parasite life cycle.
In addition to medication, regular ear cleaning helps remove debris.activity in the ear canal. Mineral oil can suffocate ear mites. Always talk to your veterinarian before using any products in your pet’s ears.
The Bottom Line
Ear mites are highly contagious parasites that can rapidly spread between companion animals living in close contact. Cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, and other pets are susceptible. Mites transmit through direct contact, mutual grooming, shared bedding and surfaces, and more.
While ear mites cannot live long-term on humans, they may temporarily crawl onto skin or clothing before dying. To prevent transmission in multi-pet households, treat all animals simultaneously and disinfect the home environment. Consult a veterinarian for appropriate treatment with medications, cleaning, and follow-up care.
| Route of Transmission | Prevention Tips |
|---|---|
| Direct contact between pets | Separate and isolate infected pets |
| Shared bedding, toys, furniture | Disinfect household items and surfaces |
| Outdoor/stray animals | Check pets after contact with wildlife |
| Mutual grooming | Regular grooming and ear cleaning |
| New pets | Treat all new arrivals as infected |
| Medication | Method | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Ivermectin | Oral, injection | Two doses, 14 days apart |
| Milbemycin Oxime | Oral | Weekly |
| Selamectin | Topical | Monthly |
| Imidacloprid/moxidectin | Topical | Monthly |
| Lime sulfur rinse | Ear flush | Weekly |
| Tromethamine/dioxathion | Ear flush | Daily |
References
- Little, S. E. (2015). Ectoparasites in dogs and cats. Veterinary clinics of North America: small animal practice, 45(4), 681–698.
- Rosenkrantz, W. (n.d.). Ear mites in cats: Tiny pests can cause big problems. VCA Hospitals. Retrieved October 15, 2023, from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ear-mites-in-cats
- Ear mites. American Veterinary Medical Association. (2022, January). Retrieved October 15, 2023, from https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/ear-mites
- Wall, R., & Shearer, D. (2001). Veterinary ectoparasites: biology, pathology and control. John Wiley & Sons.
- Otranto, D., Dantas-Torres, F., Mihalca, A. D., Traub, R. J., Lappin, M., & Baneth, G. (2017). Zoonotic parasites of sheltered and stray dogs in the era of the global economic and political crisis. Trends in parasitology, 33(10), 813-825.