If you notice your dog scratching his ears, shaking his head, or smelling discharge from his ears, chances are your dog has an ear infection. Ear infections are common on the inside or outside of the ears of dogs and cats. Ear infections usually begin with inflammation of the outer ear canal caused by bacteria or fungi. However, infections can also be caused by food allergies, parasites, foreign bodies, trauma, excess moisture in the ears, and heredity. If your dog appears to have an ear infection, take him to the vet for treatment. Then learn how to prevent ear infections and how to properly clean your dog's ears.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Caring for Your Dog's Infected Ears
Step 1. Find out the symptoms of an ear infection
Watch for unusual changes in your dog's behavior. The physical symptoms can be:
- Scratching ears
- Yellow, brown, or bloody stools appear
- Smelly ears
- Pink ears
- Swollen
- Hard skin or scabs around the earlobe
- Hair baldness around the ears
- Rubbing the ear area on the floor or furniture
- Shaking or tilting the head
- Loss of balance
- Unusual eye movements
- Walking in circles
- Hearing loss
Step 2. Know when to take your dog to the vet
If your dog has symptoms such as an ear infection, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible. Some dogs may become more aggressive or will signal you that they are in pain. Meanwhile, some of the other dogs did not show any pain.
However, prompt treatment is important because an ear infection that is left untreated can damage the ear
Step 3. Treat the ear infection
Ear infections are often caused by fungi, bacteria, or both at the same time. Your vet may ask you to apply topical or oral antibiotics to treat infections caused by bacteria. For ear infections, you will likely be asked to use antifungal ear washes, topical medications, and oral antifungal medications.
Step 4. Avoid removing any object stuck in your dog's ear
If you know or suspect a foreign object is stuck in your dog's ear, an ear infection may have occurred. The ear infection will not go away until the object is removed. Never unplug or remove it yourself. Ask your veterinarian for help to do this.
Since the dog's ear canal is L-shaped, the foreign body may not be visible. Special equipment and chemicals are usually required to remove the foreign body. Therefore, you need a veterinarian to treat it
Part 2 of 3: Treating the Main Causes of Ear Infections and Prevention
Step 1. Check if your dog has any allergies
Allergies are often the main cause of inflammation in the ear which makes the ear susceptible to infection. Determining the cause of the allergy can be quite difficult. Therefore, you should start considering other factors such as the type of food you have just given. If the food contains a certain type of protein, you should not give it.
Animal protein and dairy products in food can cause allergies compared to grains despite the opinion that a grain-free diet is said to be better for dogs with food allergies
Step 2. Do a trial diet on your dog
More specifically, give a diet program with a new type of protein that your dog has never consumed before. A new diet prescription should be given for at least 8 weeks and ideally a minimum of 12 weeks. Do not give snacks, leftovers, or other food sources during this diet.
This can help determine if it turns out that protein in the food is the problem. The best protein diet consists of formulas that have been prescribed by a doctor because the possibility of contamination with other proteins is small. But of course it is the most expensive option
Step 3. Test your dog's diet
If your dog does not show signs of inflammation or skin allergies (usually itchy feet and sometimes other areas of the body) at the end of the experiment, you can test your dog's diet with one type of food or food that has been given in the past. If you notice any signs of irritation near your ears, feet, or skin when you reintroduce an old food, you'll know that it-or any other type of protein-containing food-should be avoided.
If ear infections tend to recur at the same time each year, allergies to certain seasons may be the main culprit
Step 4. Limit your dog's activities
When your dog has an ear infection, make sure his ears are not too moist. Do not allow your dog to play in the water, swim, bathe, or get groomed until the infection clears up. Excess moisture will worsen your ear infection and make it take longer to heal.
Step 5. Follow up with your vet
Continue to check the infection at the vet until it is fully healed. Some less severe ear infections can be treated within 1-2 weeks with topical medications or cleansing. Some infections are more severe and require more time, examination, treatment, or procedures to heal.
follow your veterinarian's recommendations regarding re-examination times. The vet can determine if the infection has cleared or if other treatment is needed
Step 6. Prevent infection
Once your dog's ear is infected, it is likely that he will continue to have the infection for the rest of his life. The good news is that you can take the following steps to prevent the infection from happening again:
- Avoid swimming or bathing too often
- Plug your dog's ears with cotton before bathing
- Dust your dog's ears with a product containing salicylic acid (which can help dry out wet ear canals)
- Check and treat any allergies your dog may have
- Clean your dog's ears regularly
Part 3 of 3: Cleaning Dog Ears
Step 1. Know the right time to clean your dog's ears
Follow your vet's instructions for how often per day or week you should clean your dog's ears. If your dog has an ear infection, ask your vet to make sure the eardrum is not damaged or ruptured. Cleaning a dog's ear with a damaged eardrum can only make things worse. Cleaning your dog's ears too often can also have a negative impact on the health of their ears.
Characteristics of a ruptured eardrum are pain, the head is always tilted towards the ear that hurts, irregular eye movements, and dizziness
Step 2. Purchase a cleaning fluid
It would be better if you use a dog ear cleaner recommended by a veterinarian. However, there are also some that are over-the-counter at your local pet supply store. Powerful cleaning fluid for routine ear cleaning. But don't use it on infected ears because alcohol and other harsh substances can make your dog sick.
If your dog has an infection, your vet may prescribe an ear cleaner with a specific formula to break down earwax, bacterial cell walls, and infection-causing fungi
Step 3. Position your dog
Position your dog to sit in the corner of the room or with his back to the wall. This will prevent your dog from running away while the ears are cleaned. Ears can be very painful. Since you'll be dealing with the face, use a muzzle if he's likely to bite. By muzzling it you can keep the dog's head from moving.
Keep in mind that even if your dog is being nice, he may bite out of pain. You'll need someone else's help to keep the dog in place and make sure it doesn't move its head
Step 4. Apply cleaning fluid
Pour an appropriate amount of cleaner into your dog's ear canal following the instructions on the bottle. Massage the base of the dog's ear for 20 to 30 seconds to distribute the fluid and remove debris or debris.
Step 5. Plug and massage the ear
Use a cotton ball to plug the dog's ears. Repeat the technique of massaging the bottom of the ear opening. This will encourage the cleaning fluid to be absorbed by the cotton ball. The debris will also stick to the bottom of the cotton ball. Make sure the cotton ball is pressed into the vertical ear canal so that it clogs the ear opening but does not come off.
The anatomy of the dog's ear is different from that of humans. Dogs have L-shaped ear canals. You can see vertical canals. After the nearly 90 degree bend there is a horizontal canal (this is the area you can't see)
Step 6. Remove the cotton ball from the ear and observe
Remove the cotton ball and check for earwax on the underside. Use a cotton ball to remove any visible dirt on the outside of the ear. Gently clean the inside of the ear and its surroundings with a dry, soft towel to remove the wax and moisten the ear.
If there is a lot of debris on the cotton ball, repeat the previous procedure again
Tips
- Give your dog a snack (such as dog biscuits) after you've cleaned his ears to appreciate his good manners.
- If your dog is shaking his head while cleaning his ears, it's best to just let it go. In this way, debris will be released and excess fluid will be released.
- Give your dog lots of praise when his ears are cleaned. Never yell at him or punish him because he can't stay still or shake his head.
Warning
- Dogs with pendulous ears or furry insides are more prone to ear infections.
- See a vet before you treat your dog's ear infection alone.
