Signs, Causes of Dog Ear Ache:

Ear pain in dogs that is accompanied by a pus discharge and odor are some of the sure signs that your dog is going through an ear infection. This is one of the most common ailments in dogs and affects one in five dogs all over the world. Most cases of ear infections are caused due to a bacterial or a fungal infection. Sometimes, a hormonal imbalance in a dog can cause suppression of the immune system and this can further cause a pathogenic invasion in the ear of a dog. To make things worse, some breeds are prone to ear infections, especially those that have long and flappy ears. This is because the air inside the ear ends up getting trapped leading to a buildup of moisture. Some allergic conditions usually end up causing this problem as well.

The condition is medically termed as otitis externa and is a problem that human’s get as well and is colloquially called swimmer’s ear. The ear structure of a dog is slightly different from humans in that the ear canal curves upwards instead of being a near linear formation as it is in humans. This makes administration of medication a lot more difficult and also the expulsion of debris. It is also the cause of many ear mites finding a dog’s ear the perfect place to reside in. The typical symptoms of an ear infection in your dog are the dog tilting its head to one side, exudates coming out of the dog’s ear, a foul odor, and the dog always rubbing itself on some material. The dog would also be scratching the inside of its ear more often.

Treating the condition requires cleaning out the ear and using antibiotics and antifungal medication. Cleaning a dog’s ear is something that your dog will not cooperate with you for and must always be done with the help of a vet. The vet would anesthetize the animal and then use a hydrogen peroxide solution to clean out the ear. The vet would then apply some kind of ointment that is probably a corticosteroid or antibiotic combination solution. Ventilation is very important to preventing and treating the condition since a warm damp environment is what the pathogens thrive in. This can be achieved by lifting flappy ears for a few minutes every hour allowing for a change in air. Calming the dog during the entire illness is also important.