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Signs include:
l
Smells
l
Scratching or rubbing
of ears
l
Discharge in the ears
l
Redness or swelling of
the ear flap
l
Shaking of the head or
tilting it to one side
l
Pain around the ears
Causes of ear
disease
Dogs can have ear problems
for many different reasons.
When we see a dog with ear
disease we need to think about
the possibility of:
l
Allergies
- often with a
secondary infection.
l
Parasites
- ear mites or
Sarcoptic mange.
l
Infections
- bacteria and
yeast.
l
Foreign bodies
, e.g., grass
seeds
l
Trauma
- often self inflicted
due to the irritation
l
Hormonal abnormalities
,
e.g. hypothyroidism
l
The ear environment
,
e.g., excess moisture and
ear anatomy
l
Hereditary or immune
conditions, and tumours
Diagnosis
Because there are many
potential causes of ear
problems, we cannot just say
it is a bacterial ear infection,
dispense antibiotics, and it will
go away. Often, more work is
needed. A full examination,
possibly with the collection of
swabs for culture, will allow the
correct diagnosis and therefore
the correct treatment.
Treatment
The treatment depends on
what caused the ear problem
and what secondary conditions
are present. Topical drops are
used for bacterial and yeast
infections. Glucocorticoids are
often included to reduce the
inflammation in the ear. Ear
problems caused by a systemic
disease such as a hormone
abnormality or allergy must
include a therapy that treats
the whole dog.
Cleaning ears
Cleaning is an important
part of both treatment and
prevention of ear problems.
Your dog's ear is more
L-shaped than yours, and
debris collects at the corner
of the L. To remove this
debris, apply an ear cleaner
into your dog's ear canal.
Massage the base of the ear
for 20-30 seconds to soften
and release the debris. Wipe
out the loose debris and
excess fluid with a cotton ball.
Repeat this procedure until
you see no more debris. Let
your dog shake his head to
remove any excess fluid.
Cotton bud swabs should
NOT be used farther down in
the ear canal since that tends
to pack debris in the ear
canal, rather than help to
remove it. After the ear is
clean, allow some time for
the ears to dry. Then you can
apply any ear medication
that was prescribed.
Some ear problems are
so painful, the dog must
be anaesthetised to clean
the ears.