Should i clean my dogs ears every time before giving ear mite drops?

Question

I have given my dogs Hartz Ear Mite drops for around 3 days now and I cleaned out their ears before I put them in the first time to remove the waxy brown debris that I saw. Should I do this every time even if I don't see anymore debris? Also does it take a few days for the ear mites to go away? I am worried and I don't want my pets to be uncomfortable for long!

Answer 1

Why are you using ear mite drops on your dog?? Especially an OTC product such as Hartz??? Dogs don't typically get ear mites and by self medicating especially with an OTC product you can be causing some very serious problems. If you are seeing debris, discharge, etc in your dogs ears get him in to the vet and get a proper diagnosis and the correct treatment.

Also be aware that Hartz medications are useless and also can be very dangerous to your dog.

People that self diagnose and self medicate their pets are often responsible for serious harm done to their pets including death because of incorrect diagnosis & treatments.

I deal with pets that have been self diagnosed and self medicated on a regualr basis and all too often the result is not good. Just this past week a lady decided to medicate without diagnosis or finding out if med was safe or being correctly used...because of this her dog is experiencing some very serious issues and may die as a result..even if it survives the treatment is costly to say nothing of pain & suffering to the dog.. As far as Hartz (and other OTC products) go we have to pick up the pieces all too often from these meds. It is unfortunate that meds of any kind are too readily available and people without knowledge of what they are doing or even treating grab them and use them just to save a trip to the vet or money on proper meds...way too often it is the pet that pays the ultimate price...pain, suffering and even death.

Answer 2

I would. This is why; when you clean the ears out, you are getting rid of any mites that might be dead in there. Also, it will take off the residue of the old medicine, leaving the ear clean, for a coat of new medicine. In this case, it isn't only the wax that you are cleaning out, so if it looks clear, I would still continue to do it as long as you are giving the dog the medicine. Continue for a day or two after the last dose.

The mites should die before the last dose is given. It is similar to you taking an anitbiotic. You tend to feel better and the germs start to die before you are supposed to end the dose. But, you still have to take everything. Same with your dog. Depending on how infested in the ear the mites are and what type of ears your dog has (floppy vs. pointed). With floppy ears, the air doesn't get in there as well. Same goes with really fuzzy ears. I'm guessing about 3-4 days before your dog feels more comfortable.

Answer 3

I don't know of ANY Hartz product that works well.

If your dog still has mites in a few days, please get him to the vet for some real medicine to cure the mites.

It does take a few days and you should keep cleaning out the ears - carefully, don't poke anything in, just a twist of cloth or paper - before you put the drops.

Good luck, but don't put too much faith in cheap stuff like Hartz, it's not very effective in most cases - the flea preventatives are completely useless.