Nasal mites in dogs

Nasal mites, Pneumonyssoides caninum, are parasites that only thrive in dog noses. At present, the occurrence of nasal mites has been reported from pretty much all over the world, but the diagnosis is most common in Scandinavia.

Common symptoms of nose mites

• Sneezing and sneezing
• Inward pulls
• Worse sense of smell

Dogs with nasal mites can show different symptoms, but usually these are symptoms from the upper respiratory tract in the form of, for example, sneezing, snorting, inward drawing/sneezing and impaired sense of smell. Most of the time, the general condition is unaffected.

What do nose mites look like?

The mites are oval in shape and slightly yellow in colour. They are between 1 and 1.5 mm long and between 0.5 and 0.9 mm wide. If you look carefully and in good light, you can sometimes see the mite crawling on the dog's nose with the naked eye.

Diagnose nose mites

It is clever to diagnose nasal mites as there is no simple or completely reliable method. Diagnosis is therefore usually made through a probability diagnosis based on the dog's symptoms.

How are nose mites contagious?

It is not known for sure how the mites spread between dogs, but it seems likely that they become infected through direct contact between dogs. It may also happen that a dog becomes infected indirectly because the mites can survive for quite a long time outside the nose.

How to treat nasal mites

A dog that has clear symptoms of nose mites or if there is a strong suspicion of nose mites may need to be treated. A veterinarian can make that assessment and prescribe preparations to treat the nose mite infection.

In the past, the dog's nasal cavity was flushed with a physiological saline solution and inspected with an endoscope. However, it requires the dog to be put to sleep and is therefore very cumbersome. They are also not one hundred percent sure that you will find the mites using those methods.

Medication and side effects

Dogs with severe symptoms or suspected nasal mite infection may need to be treated. Most dogs are then treated with tablets, Milbemycin oxime is registered for the treatment of nasal mites. If there are more dogs in the home, they are usually all treated to reduce the risk of relapse.