Symptoms of Dog Mites
Because there are different types of dog mites, symptoms vary. The most common symptoms include:
Bear in mind that these symptoms can be caused by other conditions too. Allergies and hot spots, for example, can lead to hair loss or red skin.
Learn about the different kinds of mites to help you understand how to spot a mite infestation and what to do about it.
An ear mite infestation may also allow for a secondary bacterial or yeast infection to occur in your dog’s ears. Your vet can diagnose ear mites by looking at a sample from the ear canal under the microscope.
Close contact with other dogs is typically what causes mites to be transmitted to your pet, but some mites can also get onto surfaces in the environment (e.g. bedding) and infest a dog when they come in contact. Protect your dog from mites with NexGard or NexGard SPECTRA. Just one monthly chew helps keep dogs healthy by treating and controlling Sarcoptes mites, Demodex mites and ear mites.
Confirming a diagnosis of Sarcoptes mites can be difficult as the mites live within the skin. Your vet will need to examine a skin scraping under the microscope to identify the mites.
As a dog owner, it’s common to wonder how to spot mites, and what mites look like when they’re on your dog. The three mite species most commonly infesting dogs are Demodex mites, Sarcoptes mites and ear mites.
What Are Dog Mites?
Although it’s easy to mistake a mite for an insect, they aren’t classified as insects. Instead, mites are a type of arthropod (joint-legged invertebrates) that belong to Arachnida, which is the same class as spiders.
There are four types of mites that infest dogs:
Depending on which species of mites is bothering your dog, you’ll notice different symptoms.
Skin Mites-Demodex
What are dog mites? They are tiny creatures about a millimeter long that burrow into a dogs skin and cause inflammation and irritation. They are, in other words, parasites, and as a consequence, your dog may suffer from skin conditions, such as hair loss and dry skin. Mites sometimes live in the dogs ears or fur and can cause mange, a common canine skin condition. Keep reading to learn more about mites in dogs, including symptoms, treatment, and prevention.