Dealing With Ear Infection In Canines

As different dogs have different ear structures, it is inevitable for some dog breeds to have a higher risk of ear infections than others. It doesn’t hurt for you to get familiar about canine ear infections, so you’ll know what to do in case your dog acquires it.

Common Causes of Ear Infection

Regardless of your dog’s breed, below are the most common causes of ear infection:

• Ear mites are parasites that feed on earwax and oil secretions. Although they are not deadly, their presence causes their host to get infected. These ear infections can normally result to brown discharge.
• If your dog consumes too much sugar and grains in its diet, it can lead to yeast overgrowth. When this occurs, it can result to dark, yeast-smelling build up in your dog’s ears.
• Moisture can be another cause of ear infection. This usually happens when water tends to accumulate in their ears. While good hygiene is important, excess water from taking too much bathes makes the ears moist and can provide a healthy environment for bacteria and fungi to thrive in.

Yet, some breeds are more susceptible to acquiring ear infection than others. Dogs with floppy ears tend to be more prone to ear infection, as their ears don’t allow for proper air circulation and therefore lead to increased moisture. The same goes for dogs that enjoy swimming in the water. Naturally, their ears are more prone to becoming moist, therefore making it an excellent breeding ground for bacteria.

Signs of Ear Infections Among Dogs

You can easily tell if your dog has an ear infection, if it shows any of the following signs and symptoms:

– If your dog keeps on scratching or rubbing the area of his ears.

– If your dog shakes or tilts his or her head often.

– If your dog’s ears are red or swollen.

– If your dog’s ears have scabs or crusts on the outer layer.

How To Prevent Ear Infection

One of the most effective ways to prevent ear infection is to clean your dog’s ears regularly. To clean you dog’s ears, you simply just need to purchase a gentle ear cleaner from your local pet supply store and gently dip it in a cotton ball before massaging it to your dog’s ears to loosen the wax and debris. You should also keep the hair around your dog’s ears trimmed, in order not to allow for moisture build-up to happen.

If it is likely that your dog has ear infections due to its diet, try changing the pet food you use. It is important to avoid corn or wheat, as these are typically the ingredients that lead to ear infections. However, if your dog has an ear infection that won’t go away, you should see your vet about the problem.  This can likely be a yeast infection and medication is necessary for treatment.

In the end, keeping your dog’s ears clean and making sure that it is fed a balanced healthy diet can go a long way in avoiding most ear infections.