How to clean a dog's ear? Need to clean your dogs ears? keep your dogs ears clean.
One of the most common medical problems in Australian dogs is otitis externa, or
inflammation and infection of the external ear canal. Unlike people,
dogs have a very long ear canal which is divided into two parts: a
vertical canal that that travels downward to the horizontal canal which
goes straight across and terminates at the dog’s eardrum. The “L” shape
of the canine ear canal makes it difficult to visualize the entire canal
without the aid of a specialized piece of equipment called an otoscope.
Some breeds have characteristics
that predispose them to having ear problems (such as narrowing of the
canals in shar-peis and hairy ear canals which are common in poodles and
some terriers). On top of that, many breeds have pendulous ears that
cover the ear canal and make for a nice, warm and moist environment,
which in turn, promotes the growth of yeast and bacteria by blocking
airflow.
It is important to check the ears regularly to see if there is any redness or buildup within the canals. Inflamed ears have an angry red color
accompanied by swelling and narrowing of the ear canal. Discharges
are usually signals of infection and the type and color of the
discharge can give a strong clue as to what is causing the infection.
Yellow is seen with yeast, black crusts usually mean ear mites and a
thin brownish discharge is seen with bacterial infections.
These are just guidelines and it may require an ear swab taken by your
veterinarian and analyzed under a microscope to determine the cause.
Mixed infections are very common in dogs' ears.
The most common cause of otitis externa is a yeast infection. A yeast infection can typically be
recognized by thick yellow-tan exudates that build up within the ear
canal. It usually has a very pungent and characteristic odor. Treatment
involves cleaning the ear with a gentle ear cleaner and then application
of antifungal medication.
Bacterial infections are commonly associated with otitis externa.
Staphylococcus is the most common although other bacteria such as
Pseudomonas may be involved. It is important to note that bacterial
infections are secondary; they occur as a result of otitis and are not a
primary cause. Bacteria are normally found in the ear canal but
when the ear canal becomes inflamed the bacterial population skyrockets
and tends to get out of control. Treatment involves
determining the underlying cause of the otitis and application of an
antibacterial medication. If the infection is really bad then your
veterinarian may start your dog on oral antibiotics in addition to the
topical antibiotics.
Ear mites are typically seen in puppies and young dogs. They are very
itchy and the dog may scratch up the ear pretty bad in an attempt to
relieve the itching. Black or reddish brown crusts can be seen on the
earflap and sometimes on the neck as well. Ear mites are very
contagious if one dog in your household is diagnosed with ear mites any
other dog or cat in your household must be treated as well.
Treatment involves cleaning the ear with a gentle ear cleaner or mineral
oil and application of an anti-mite medication. The environment must be
treated as well; bedding should be washed, carpets should be thoroughly
vacuumed and consider use of flea bombs which are also effective
against mites.
Other causes of otitis are grasses,
food, or contact allergies and obstructions such as a growth, polyps or
too much hair in the canal. Recurrent ear infections are likely to have
an underlying cause such as food allergies or hypothyroidism. If your
dog keeps getting ear infections then a full work up is indicated to see
if an underlying condition is causing the problem.
Check the ears whenever you see your dog acting painful, scratching at the ears and shaking his head.
Head shaking can rupture the cartilage in the ear flap resulting in
bleeding under the skin, a hematoma can form and will feel like a fluid
filled pocket on the ear flap. This is very painful and needs to be
treated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. If not treated otitis
externa can spread to the middle ear causing problems such as a ruptured
ear drum and neurological signs such as head tilt, loss of balance and
circling because of disruption of balance centers in the ear. Long-term
changes to untreated or recurrent otitis include thickening of the canal
and increased activity of wax producing glands in the ear resulting in
conditions favorable for even more bouts of otitis. This is a vicious
cycle and sometimes surgical removal of the ear canal is necessary with
severe chronic cases. This is another good reason to check the ears
often and treat problems early.
Generally once a dog has a case of otitis I recommend the ears be
cleaned once or twice a month for maintenance after the otitis clears
up. Your vet may recommend something different depending on how bad the
otitis was. Cleaning the ears regularly dramatically decreases the
chance of it recurring.
General ear cleaners can be found in any pet
store or veterinary clinic or you can buy discount dog ear cleaners online. To clean the ear, apply a few drops
of cleaner into the canal and gently massage the base to spread it
around. Then take a cotton ball and swab out the canal. Do not use cotton tip cleaners as you may push debris deeper into the dog's ear or cause trauma
to the canal or eardrum.
If your dog has hairy ears then use tweezers or a forceps to grasp
and pluck the hairs. It is important to be gentle when cleaning ears and
not to be too overzealous while cleaning as this can irritate the ear
canal setting it up for infection and inflammation. Dogs that swim
should have their ears cleaned after swimming. Be careful not to get
water in the ear while bathing your dog. You can use cotton balls to
protect the canal while bathing, just remember to take them out when
you’re done. Make a habit of checking your dogs ears frequently and see
your regular veterinarian if you notice a problem.
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