I previously had 2 Lhasa Apsos who had terrible problems with ear mites. They grew really old and had to be put to sleep.

I got a my new puppy right before they were put to sleep. They met once, for a brief minute and never touched... (As you probably remember) I've had her around 3 weeks. She's been scratching at her ears A LOT lately and today I noticed they were starting to smell (just like my Lhasa Apsos did in the past).

We're going to the Vet tomorrow to get some more shots and I plan on telling him about it.

I was just wondering though, are the ear mites contagious? Did my Lhasa Apsos leave them behind for the new puppy?

She's also been whining a lot this weekend when she's scatching her ears. I know it must be uncomfortable. Poor baby!

Some breeds of dog are extremely susceptible to getting ear mites. It's actually very common. There are over the counter remedies that help fairly quickly at most large department stores. This should see some relief within just a day or two. Continue following the directions and keep dogs ears clean. It's king of like a common cold for people. It's going to happen for some dogs but can be taken care of... Congratulations on your new addition.

Yes, they ARE contagious, but dogs like Lhasa Apsos have hair that grows in the ear canal that must be removed. If you don't remove the hair, then there isn't any air circulation in the ear canal and bacteria blooms and causes ear infections. You can remove the hair either by plucking it out (only a few strands at a time, and gently!) with some ear powder or trimming it out. When you get your dogs groomed you should ask that your groomer be removing the hair (a good groomer would be doing it without you asking) and thoroughly cleaning the ears.

The dogs need to have their ears cleaned about once a week with ear cleaning solution, and have the hair removed every three or four weeks, depending on how fast the dog's hair grows.

So it might not be mites, it might be dirty ears. =)

I think your vet is a far more reliable source of information than any of the above.

Although I don't disagree with any of the above, Iluv, I am glad you already have an appointment with your vet lined up. Without the benefit of being able to examine your pup on line here, labman is right, your vet is the only one who can diagnose exactly what is going on. In the end, tigerfeather did answer your question correctly. Ear mites are contagious. They do jump from animal to animal.