It is vital to ensure your dog is free from such ear infections for the well being of dog and owner alike. Imagine you had pain in your ear day in, day out and could not tell anyone. That’s the dilemma your dog could be in if you do not monitor and treat such a condition. It’s possible if in a human someone would get bitten so do not forget a dog reacts to being in pain and discomfort but has no voice.
Signs
Excessive scratching of the ears and shaking of the head as if to suggest he is trying to shake something out. Observe your dog and notice they way he holds his head and as you will easily notice something not right about him.
Remember he cannot tell you, you have to read his body language as in many ailments.
Build up of ear wax that smells is another sign to be watchful of as well as bleeding.
If you observe any of these signs then quickly take the dog to a vet and avoid his suffering from being prolonged.
Also if he reacts negatively when you touch his ear then obviously he is in some discomfort and it is likely to be ear infection of some kind.
A dog may even exhibit signs of giddiness and walking in circles and even vomiting.
Causes
The causes are numerous. Not drying the ears after a bath, excessive ear wax is also a cause, ear mites or bacteria. They take one of two forms, bacterial or fungal.
Fungal infections may extend to other parts of the body such as face and paws. As the infection grows it will travel deeper into the ear making it harder to treat and cause even greater discomfort for your dog. Please do not delay.
Ear infections are sometimes associated with protein based food allergies causing skin allergies and the source needs to be eliminated. Sometimes they will go away naturally but more often they will need the help from a vet.
There are three areas that can be infected outer (otitis externa), inner (otitis interna) and middle ear (otitis media). Outer ear infections are easier to spot as inflammation and ear discharge that can smell will be observed. Inner and middle ear infections are more serious and will only get worse if left untreated. It may even result in hearing loss.
What to do?
Well the first thing is arrange a visit to your vet. In some breeds, air circulation can be a problem and it’s advisable to trim hair around the ear to increase the airflow.
Never use cotton buds as this can simply push the bacteria deeper down the ear canal. Use cotton wool instead and an ear cleaning solution that a vet will sell.
Prevention
Excessive ear cleaning is not advisable as most dogs can take care of it themselves. In most breeds, over cleaning can actually do more harm than good.
Certain breeds are more prone, especially large floppy eared breeds may need a little help with cleaning.
Treatment
Usually ear drops are prescribed by the vet and twice daily ear cleaning can be enough but let your vet establish what kind of infection your dog has and let him advise you on the necessary treatment. Dietary concerns are not going to be easy for the pet owner to diagnose so leave it to the expert and proceed with the right course of action as prescribed by your vet.
Just remember that ear pain is classed as one of the most painful conditions in people and it’s no different for your dog. Seek help immediately. Don’t leave him to suffer any longer than need be.