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  Discussion on Ear Mites?
Author Message
Member:
george76

Posted on Friday, Oct 10, 2008 - 9:06 pm:

My horse seems to be having some issues with his ears. Over the summer, I have found ticks in his ears and have been able to remove them successfully. For about a month, he has been very irritable about his ears, not wanting me to touch them, especially on the inside. He has been rubbing the outside of his ears on fence posts and shakes his head often. I have checked NUMEROUS times for ticks and have not found anything in his ears. Three days ago, I felt around in his ears and pulled out some gunk (very similar to when a dog/cat has ear mites - it's very dark, but when you spread it out, it has a red hint of color to it). So, I put some alcohol on some cotton and cleaned out his ears. That didn't seem to help, though. Today, I checked again, and still no ticks and no gunk. All that I notice is that both of his ears are hot to the touch, especially on the inside, the deeper I run my fingers. I'm not sure of the anatomy of a horse's ear, but toward the bottom of the ear, on the inside, I feel this large piece of flesh and feels round and "squishy." Is this a part of the ear, our could this be a swollen portion? I don't know what to do for him. Does he have mites? Should I use some sort of medication in his ears to try and relieve his discomfort? He looks miserable, especially when his ears aren't perky and they just flatten out to the outside.

If you need any more information, please let me know.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Oct 10, 2008 - 10:45 pm:

Hello Ashley,
From your description I am unable to say what is wrong with your horses ears but the discomfort you describe suggests you should get veterinary help to get a good diagnosis and proper treatment. Without knowing what is wrong it is hard to say what sort of treatment might help. Ear mites are very rare in horses: have you had animals around your horses that have had ear mites. The most common cause of ear irritation is biting flies.
DrO
Member:
cspanhel

Posted on Monday, Oct 13, 2008 - 8:36 am:

A few of my horses are doing the same (rubbing ears, shaking head). I haven't checked inside the ears yet, but was intending to...what part of TX are you in?
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Monday, Oct 13, 2008 - 3:36 pm:

Have had black stuff in the ears and the other symptoms that you describe be due to a fungal infection, which can actually be encouraged by the instillation of alcohol or peroxide into the ears for cleaning purposes, as it kills the good bacteria and creates a different environment. You will need a Veterinarian to do an exam to make this determination and to prescribe the appropriate remedy.
Member:
george76

Posted on Monday, Oct 13, 2008 - 6:37 pm:

Cynthia, I'm located in Central Texas, in the North Austin area.

Dr. O and Vicki, I'm having the vet come out on Friday to do an examination of his ears. I feel so bad for him. I was checking inside his ears yesterday, being very gentle, and his eyes were tearing up, which I assume is a reaction to pain. Poor thing.

I will let everyone know what the vet comes up with on Friday.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Monday, Oct 13, 2008 - 7:32 pm:

Oh Ashley. I am glad that you are getting this checked out professionally.

Please let us know what you learn.
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