Dog ear infections are a very common plight of pet owners. Most of the time, the underlying cause is allergy. When we human have allergies, we get sniffly and sneezy with runny eyes, but in dogs, allergies can show up first as itchy ears. This can range from firstly a mildly itchy ear with a little discharge, after that can get severely red and inflamed ears with lots of wax and debris. Bacteria and yeast can increase in the ear and make the ear infection worse. Infected ears are very painful and unpleasant for your dog which means they need to be treated right away.
The first step is for us to gently check the ear and clean it out. At this time, Dr. Kathleen will check to ensure there are no other problems such as ear mites, polyps, or tumours. If the ear infection looks severe or complicated, we will recommend doing cytology. This is where a swab is taken from the ear debris and examined under the microscope to look for yeast or bacteria.
The next step is to start treatment with carefully chosen medication to go into the ear. We may also send you home with ear cleaner. Cleaning the ear is very important because it lessens the amount of debris and increases the effectiveness of the medication. For dogs that tend to have ear problems it is a good idea to clean their ears after swimming. For some dogs, routine ear cleaning once or twice a week is an excellent way to prevent recurrences of ear infections.
Is your dog scratching his ear?
The final step is to try and find out what your dog is allergic to. Sometimes it can be something in their food. The most common food allergies are proteins. Frequent/severe ear infections may signal a food allergy. We recommend trying special hypoallergenic diets. We have several in stock. Dr Kathleen, or our technicians, can help you choose one. Allergies usually at the same times of year can be pollen, plants, or mold spores. If you use ear cleaner regularly at this time of year can help reduce the chance of an ear infection developing. If it is year-round, it could be an allergic reaction to allergens in the house such as dust, house mites or indoor molds.
Dog ear infections are common, and above all unpleasant. We will help you make your dog more comfortable by treating and preventing them together.