Dogs and Ear Problems

No matter how much extra effort we exert in keeping our dogs clean most of the time with regular hygiene, there will come a point when they will contract ear infections especially if we neglect their ears. Your dog's ears require your careful attention as well because some dog breeds have ears that are structured to be prone to ear problems. It is important that we address this problem to avoid untoward accidents of dog's getting aggressive or biting their masters because they were not aware of their pets suffering from excruciating pain because of the ear problem. Usually these ear infections are mild and occur in the outer portion of the ear.

Signs that your dog is having an ear infection...

There are tell tale signs that your dog may be experiencing any ear irritation. You may observe that your dog frequently scratches his ears, rubs them against the carpet or your furniture. Your dog may also tilt or hold its head consistently towards one side or may shake it profusely most of the time. You may also notice some swelling or redness on your dog's ears. For other dogs, they may experience discharges that could range in color from yellow to brown and even black. Quite often, when your dog has ear infections, you may detect a foul smell. For those pooches that are quite unlucky, they have abnormally structured ear canals that make them prone to contracting ear infections.

Possible causes...

A common cause of ear infections is allergies. The dog may be allergic to a particular food, medication or shampoo. The ear infection is an off shoot of the allergy. Water getting into the ears could also be another reason for having ear infections. If your dog enjoys swimming a lot, it may be prone to getting ear related problems. It is important that you dry your dog's ears after every swim or bath to help prevent irritations and infections. Other causes may be due to ear wax build up, improper clean up of the ears especially with the utilization of cotton swabs or tips that often push debris further inside the ear, existence of ear mites and hair growth inside the ears.

Home remedies...

If your dog's ear infection is caused by a yeast infection as evidenced by the existence of pink brownish wax, you may clean your dog's ears with acetic acid or white vinegar. A mixture of the herb pau d'arco with mineral oil helps kill bacteria and fungi inside your dog's ears as well. Giving your pet also a dose of vitamin C can help alleviate the inflammation inside your dog's ears when it is experiencing ear infections. Remove also unwanted hair growth inside your dog's ears. If you are not too familiar or too sure on how to go about this without irritating your dog, you can seek the help of your vet or a dog groomer.

Visit your vet

It is advisable to always seek the help of your pet doctor to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment for your dog's ear infection. Usually your vet may recommend antifungal medication, antibiotics or other medication which can either be topical or oral. Surgery is always a last resort.