Cooper went to the vet this morning. Right before we left home I noticed his ears looked dirty. They're really fluffy so you don't notice right away. He hadn't been shaking his head but I still asked about ear mites. She swabbed (it was gross!) and tested...and poor Cooper does have ear mites.
I know they're contagious but I don't think Newman should be at risk since they haven't had contact. Cooper gets ear drops twice a day for a week so I guess he has to stay in his "safe" room until then. The vet seemed to think it would clear up and be just fine. Is that usually the case or can it be really hard to get rid of them?
Mites are very contageous so I'd watch Newman very closely for signs and have him checked at his next apptmt. If you're using something like Tresaderm which kills the mites as well as the egg, then you can get rid of them within one lifecycle. But keep in mind that they can live outside the ear as well. I think the best bet after taking care of this breakout would be to use Revolution once a month on both Cooper and Newman which is designed to kill all types of parasites, including ear mites.
Thank you both. Newman had Advantage a week ago so I don't think I can treat him with Revolution in a week when Cooper is done with his meds.
Would you suggest treating Cooper with Revolution in 1 week when he finishes this medicine and Newman 3 weeks later since he had Advantage last week?
Any tips if my vet doesn't carry / use Revolution so I can still get it?
I forgot to say she gave Cooper Tresaderm.
Tresaderm is a good med. Very effective. But you have to clean the ears daiily before applying the meds so that it can get all the way down there.
I'm so glad you told me that! Should I buy an ear cleaning product at Petco / Petsmart or use something else?
Rely on the vet's instructions on how to medicate. If you have a question, call them before implementing. Meds can be in different forms and may need different use instructions. Good to know to ask, but speak to the vet or vet tech before adding something to how you understood you were to do it.
We bought a product called Otic-calm from our vet. I would call them.
I called the vet and they don't use Revolution, just Advantage and Frontline (which don't help with ear mites). She seems confident it will be cleared up in 7 days but I liked the idea of Revolution as a back up plan / step 2.
Poor Cooper! I hope he gets rid of that really soon!!!