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Is it ear mites or just dirty ears? When should my dog see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 7 months and 25 days old

How can I tell the difference between dirty ear and ear mites ? Also is it possible to have ear mites in one ear and not the other? Also my dog has had ear mites before, is it ok to put his ear mites medication if I suspect he has it again? I can't go to the vet to check

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 6th, 2017

The only way to know for sure if Hunter has a dirty ear or ear mites is to look at a sample of the debris in his ear on a slide under a microscope. It is possible to have an ear mite infection in just one ear and not the other. No, it's not safe to put his ear mite medication in his ears again without having it confirmed that he does have ear mites. It's never recommended to self treat your animal, and it's never recommend to treat them without knowing the exact cause of their symptoms. In both cases, you may accidentally do harm to your dog, and make the problem much worse. I'm not sure why you can't go to your vet to check, but if it's due to finances, I can give you some resources that may help you afford a vet for Hunter. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/

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