Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Canine Ear Infections

Brandy Arnold 01/21/2015

All dogs tend to have a natural amount of yeast and bacteria that grow in their ears. But, without regular cleanings and proper ear care, an infection can take place – especially in our floppier-eared friends. A yeast or bacterial overgrowth can result in an intense irritation for your pooch. The moment you discover the early signs that your pet is uncomfortable or in pain, it is your responsibility to deal with the situation properly. After all, your four legged friend relies on you completely.
Warning Signs of Canine Ear Infection
·         Discharge in the ears (usually yellow and pasty, or black and chunky)
·         Noticeably strong or chalky odor
·         Excessive rubbing or scratching of the ears
·         Swelling and redness in the inner ear flap and canal
·         Tendency to shake or tilt the head to the side
·         Pain or oversensitivity to the touch of Fido’s ears
·         Unusual irritable behavior
While bacterial infections normally involve redness, swelling, discharge, pungent smell, or pain; yeast infections, on the other hand, are often recognized by redness, swelling, discharge, chalky smell, dryness, scaling, and intense itching. The irritation can also spread to the other parts of a dog’s body like his face and feet.
Treatment Options and Preventive Techniques
· Before you assume that your pet is inflicted with ear infection, you need to rule out first the possibility of the symptoms being likely caused by ear trauma, fleas, ear mites, tumors, or foreign bodies.
· If you bring your dog to the clinic, your vet will most likely use a device called an otoscope to look down into your dog’s ear canal and find out the exact degree of inflammation your pooch is dealing with. A sample of the bacterial or yeast overgrowth may be pulled out using a cotton swab. The specimen will then be smeared onto a slide, stained, and examined under a microscope in order to determine whether the infection is caused by yeast or bacteria.
· For bacterial ear infection, your vet will most likely prescribe medications to kill the bacteria and restore your dog’s ear health. Common treatments include Otomax ear drops, Epi-Otic flush, Cephalexin antibiotic, and maybe Temeral-P which is a kind of steroid. For yeast infections, he might provide you with Mometamax ear drops, Epi-Otic flush, or even Temeral-P.
· To help you keep your pooch from developing any of the two types of ear infections, keep your dog’s ears clean, dry, a free of any debris. And, provide him with high-quality, healthy diet as well as adequate exercise. As much as possible, dry your pooch’s ears each time he has been exposed to water. There are specially formulated ear cleansers for dogs that both clean and dry out the ear canal which are a necessity for dogs that swim often and much.
· Most dogs will develop an ear infection or two in their lifetime. However, if your dog tends to develop these often, discuss possible food allergies with your veterinarian, as this is a known cause of frequent and recurring ear infections.