Dog ear problems can be painful for your dog and frustrating for you

Dog ear problems can have a few different causes which is why it’s so important not to try any dog ear infection remedy until your vet has had the chance to properly diagnose what is wrong with your dog’s ears. Although your dog isn’t able to tell you that he is in pain, he will show distress by shaking his head and rubbing and scratching his ears. There may also be a nasty smell coming from the ears which is a sure sign of an infection.

Breeds with floppy ears usually are more prone to dog ear problems and infections than breeds with small pointed ears. If not treated straight away ear infections can become chronic and reappear again and again despite regular treatment. This is both frustrating for the owner and painful for the poor dog. Anything you can do to prevent problems in this area will pay dividends in the long run.

Some dog ear problems can be caused by ear mites. These are comparatively simple to treat although over time these mites have become resistant to many over the counter ear mite treatment containing such chemicals. as for example pyrethrin. Your vet will be able to provide a suitable solution. All purpose monthly treatments used to kill fleas, heartworm etc can usually also deal with ear mites quite successfully.

Allergies are a common cause of dog ear problems. Unlike humans who typically respond to allergies with respiration symptoms, dogs mainly suffer with skin allergies and ear infections. The problem here is finding out what caused the allergy in the first place. It could be insects; some animal can be very allergic to fleas for example. It could also be caused by pollen or mold.

An ear infection can also be caused by a food allergy. Locating which food/s are causing the allergy can be time consuming. This can be done with a hypoallergenic diet for about 8 weeks to make sure all typical allergy causing foods are cleared out of the dog’s system. Foods can then be added back one at a time to see which on caused the allergy. Unfortunately blood test for food allergies in dogs have found not to be effective so there is no short cutting this process.

Some chronic dog ear problems can also be caused by yeast infections or bacterial infections such as staph or other more serious bacterial strains. This is why a visit to the vet is so important. Your vet can examine the ear drum to see if there is any damage and if not, he can gently clean the ear and show you how you can do it at home. If the infection is severe or chronic, your vet may prescribe oral antibiotics to cure it. Milder infections may respond to topical treatment. Your dog may also need antihistamines for irritation.

Dog ear problems are frustrating and expensive

As you have probably gathered, ear problems in dogs can be complex, frustrating and expensive, not to mention painful for your dog. To prevent dog ear problems it is vital to keep the ear canal clean. This will help prevent some of the problems from starting. A dog who is in good health generally will also be less prone to ear problems or indeed infections of any kind.

Cleaning a dog’s ears as a preventative measure is not difficult and is best done using a natural solution such as Ear Dr which maintains a healthy balance of flora in the ear. This will ensure that your dog, whatever his ear shape, will have a better chance of never having to endure dog ear problems such as a painful ear infection and the harsh chemical treatments that go with it.