The Three Reasons For Dog Ear Infections

One of the most common ailments of dogs is ear infections. Using a good quality ear cleaner once a month will keep dog ear ailments at bay. What are the symptoms of a dog ear infection? Head shaking, scratching at the ears, holding one ear flopped over and even rubbing their head and ears on the carpet or furniture are all symptoms of an ear infection.

 

Some ear infections have a powerful odor to them, anything from a sweaty sock smell up to a foul rotten nasty stench. Use your nose to determine where the smell is coming from, whether the skin, mouth or your dog's infected ears.

 

Here are the three most common reasons for ear infections in dogs.

 

1-     The natural shape of your dog’s ear canal. There are three components to a dog’s ear. The outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The middle ear is basically a vertical canal and the inner ear is a horizontal canal. The deeper the infection, the harder it is to treat.

2-     Underlying allergies. If you think your dog might have a food allergy, try a hypoallergenic diet.

3-     Inadequate drying after moisture has been introduced into the ear. When you bath your dog the safe thing is to not put water in your dog’s ears. Always use an ear cleaner to clean the ears. Put the cleaner in, massage the base then wipe the excess off with cotton balls. If your dog takes to water or likes to swim, always use an ear cleaner at the end of the day.

 

If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, see a veterinarian right away.