Dog Ear Infection
A dog ear infection can be maddening and painful. With proper diagnosis and treatment, your dog’s ear infection can be cured.
Dog ear infections are caused by many things. Wet ears not dried after swimming or bathing, buildup of ear wax, grass seeds and foxtails from running in brush, untreated ear mites, using cotton tips improperly to clean ears, and growths in the ear canal, can all lead to infection. If your dog is irritable, scratching its ears, rubbing them; if the ears look bloody, waxy or swollen; if a foul smell emanates from the ears; if your canine winces or cries when the ears are touched; all are signs of dog ear infection.
Dogs can become dizzy, exhibiting poor balance and coordination, if infection progresses to the inner ear. Untreated dog ear infections will progress deeper into the canine’s ear. Otitis media usually results from infection spreading from the external ear canal to the middle ear. Middle ear infection can be difficult to clear up, with weeks passing before the infection disappears.
Causes of dog ear infection include bacteria; yeast ear infections cause redness, swelling, discharge, and foul odor.
A dog’s ears are particularly susceptible, due to their structure. Dogs with floppy ears receive less air circulation and sunshine and have more problems than dogs whose ears stand up straight. Dogs are best able to avoid and recover from ear yeast infections if their overall immune system is healthy. A concern for dogs that are professionally groomed is the practice of plucking hairs from the dog’s ear. Veterinarians generally discourage plucking the dog’s ears.
Usual treatment of dog ear infections is administering medication and cleaning ears daily for 1-2 weeks. Dogs with these conditions often develop inflamed ears.
