Dog Ear Infection Treatment
Dog Ear Infection: Treatment and Care
If you are considering a dog ear infection treatment, you must be worried about the possibility of your pet suffering from an infection. Some sure signs of ear infection in dogs are:
Unpleasant odor
Some discharge from the area – either gooey or crumbly material
Moaning or whimpering such as that associated with pain
Frequent scratching and rubbing of the area
Swelling and redness of the ear canal and the flap
Tilting its head to one side
Shaking the head frequently
Behavior changes such as irritability or even depression
If you see one or more of these signs it is very likely that your dog is suffering from an ear infection. This is a common problem for many pets and vets say that as many as 20 percent of all dogs face infections of the ear canal.
The dog ear infection treatment you choose will have to depend on the cause of the infection. Some of the common causes of infections include bacteria, yeast, ear mites, allergies to food or other triggers and the lodging of a foreign body in the dog’s ear.
Dogs also are affected by problems such as hypothyroidism and genetic conditions which can lead to susceptibility to ear infections.
Your pet’s doctor is likely to conduct a physical examination before determining the cause of your dog’s ear infection. An otoscope may be used to look down the ear canal and assess the level of inflammation and to detect whether the ear drum or tympanic membrane is affected. This will also help in figuring out whether any tumors or foreign bodies have caused the infection. Swabs from the ear are usually taken for microscopic analysis to determine if the problem is suspected to be caused by mites, yeast or bacteria. A health history will be needed to diagnose a hereditary, hormonal or allergy induced ear infection.
Once the cause is determined and the primary and possible secondary infection are isolated and identified the dog ear infection treatment will begin.
Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections which may sometimes have a yellow discharge and bad smell.
Antifungal ointments will be used for yeast infections.
Topical ointments may be used to reduce the swelling and inflammation of the ear canal.
If the infection is caused by an allergy, the root allergy will have to be figured out and the dog will have to undergo a process of immunotherapy.
Ear mites are one of the simplest problems to treat even though the symptoms of this kind of infection include worrisome dark crumbly discharge from the dog’s ears. All it takes is a thorough cleaning of the ear and a medicine to kill the mites. The treatment may have to be repeated more than once depending on the extent of mite infestation.
Yeast-induced ear infections are the ones which have a bad odor and a waxy residue in the ear. This is a tough infection to treat as antibiotics do not destroy yeast. You can help by cleaning the ears daily and by using the solution recommended by your doctor.
An ear infection if left untreated can lead to severe damage in the inner ear and affect the dog for life. So this is a problem to be taken very seriously.
Ideally no one wants to deal with dog ear infection treatments. The best way to prevent this is to maintain a rigorous cleaning schedule for your pet’s ears. Sometimes grooming rituals neglect this important part of the dog’s body and as the owner it is your responsibility to make sure that high levels of hygiene are maintained for your pet.