So, you think your dog may have an ear infection. Do you
know the signs? If you are going to a good dog groomer, they should notify you
if they find any of the following symptoms.
·
Scratching or rubbing their ears. A scratch here or there is nothing to be
concerned about. However, if you dog is scratching the ears constantly, chances
are it has a infection. Also, watch for your dog rubbing the side of his face
on the floor. This is another sign.
·
Shaking his head. My Cocker used to do this a lot. Constant
shaking of the head, followed by scratching. This combination is enough to
drive both the dog and myself crazy.
·
Strange Odor. When cuddling with your 4 legged
fur baby, you may notice a strange odor. It is hard to explain the odor. It
smells bad. Lift your dog’s ear and it will be an instant odor that tells you,
your dog has an infection.
·
Redness and Swelling – I have seen it, where a
dog’s ear will be swollen. Not only on the inside but on the outside as
well. When you lift your dog’s ear the
inside will be really red and possibly swollen.
·
Hot to the touch. Along with the redness and
swelling, you may notice the dog’s ear is also very hot.
What Causes Ear
Infections?
In older dogs, the biggest cause is yeast and bacteria. In
puppy’s it could be ear mites. (a blog for another day) Dog breeds with long droopy ears, can get a
lot of ear infections. A couple examples are, Cocker Spaniels and Basset
Hounds. With the droopy eared dog the air flow is limited. Anything that gets
in their ears, will remain there until you clean them. That is not to say that
other breeds do not get ear infections. If your dog is a swimmer there is a
high chance water will get in the ear canal, if you don’t remove it with a
cotton ball, this can also cause infection.
How do I prevent an
ear infection?
The answer to this is keeping your dog’s ears dry and clean.
If water gets in the ears, put a dry cotton ball in the ear canal and rub at
the base of the ear. This helps absorb the water. I suggest you use a gentle ear cleaner. I
put the ear cleaner on the cotton ball and wipe out the inner ear. I never put
liquid into the ear. These few steps once a week should keep your dog healthy
and happy.