Ear infections are sneaky things – you might not notice it at first, but by the tenth time you’ve been woken up in the middle of the night by your dog’s enthusiastic collar-jangling scratching, you’ll realize something is up. Ear infections are incredibly common and can affect dogs of any size or age, however certain breeds are more prone to them than others.
There are many reasons that dogs can get an ear infection, however the most common causes are dirty ears, hairy ears, food or environmental allergies and retained moisture in the ears. If you notice that your dog begins scratching at his ears in the spring just as your hay fever begins, there’s a good chance that he’s also suffering from environmental allergies. If your dog can’t resist any creek or lake he comes across, that is another common culprit – water gets into your dog’s ears and that trapped moisture is a breeding ground for yeast and bacteria. Floppy eared breeds such as cocker spaniels or hairy-eared dogs like poodles are poster children for ear infections because their ears don’t allow for adequate air-flow.
Prevention is relatively easy if done consistently. While our ear canals are straight, a dog’s ear canal goes down before turning and going straight into their head, so regular cleaning of the ears with a veterinarian-approved ear cleaner is key to flushing debris out. The easiest way to do this is to squeeze some ear cleaner into your dog’s ears, massage around the ear canal, then stand back and let them shake! This will help bring up debris from deep in your dogs ear, which you can then wipe away with a cotton pad – never stick anything like a cotton swab down the ears. If you have a poodle or any of their “doodle” relatives you may need (or ask your groomer) to regularly pluck their ears to remove the excessive hair in their ear canals that holds onto debris and moisture. After bathing or swimming make sure to dry your dog’s head and ears thoroughly – ear cleaner contains some drying properties, so this might be a good time to clean their ears as well. While regular ear cleaning can help prevent ear infections, excessive ear cleaning can cause other problems, so try not to clean your dog’s ears more than once every couple of weeks.
The most common symptom of an ear infection is scratching at the ears, however dogs may also rub their head across the floor or other surfaces, shake their head, or even hold their head tilted. You might also notice a yeasty smell coming from the ears. Some dogs are more stoic and may not show symptoms of an ear infection until it becomes quite severe. It is always a good idea while petting your dog to have a peek in the ears (or a sniff if you’re brave!) for any wax build-up, redness or smell that might indicate the start of a problem.
Treatment of an ear infection will vary depending on the cause. The veterinarian will begin by asking some questions to help determine any underlying causes while performing a physical exam which includes examining your dog’s ear canals. She will then take a swab of the ear which she’ll examine under the microscope for bacteria and yeast to determine what kind of medication is required Finally she will clean your dog’s ears (which is every dog’s favourite part!) to remove any build-up of waxy debris. Usually an ear infection can be treated with a round of ear drops, and the veterinarian will discuss preventative care to help avoid another infection in the future.
With consistent prevention and care, ear infections are easily kept at bay. Regular ear cleaning, ear plucking, and thorough drying of your dog’s ears and head after swimming will make sure your dog can keep doing what they love, and you both can sleep soundly through the night!
Snelgrove Vet (Brampton, ON) 