Ear Care for Pets:

Having an ear that is painful can be very unsettling for any pet. Ear infections in your pet can range anywhere from mild to chronic. Some of the symptoms of an ear infection include discharge from the ear. This can be black or yellow in color. Other symptoms include the pet being unnaturally lethargic and irritable and persistently scratching its ear. Also, soreness of the ear canal or redness underneath the ear flap along with bad odor emanating from the ear, vigorous shaking of the head or constant tilting of its head to the side can all indicate the presence of a ear infection. The exact nature of the problem can be ascertained by closely inspecting the ear under magnification and further by taking a microscopic smear of the ear wax. A thorough examination and scrutiny would be needed to look for any foreign objects like ticks or cotton balls that might have got into the ear canal, or for growths, cysts, pus, inflammations and canal wall changes.

Mild ear problems can be caused by ear mites called Otodectes cynotis. Their presence can cause a fair amount of discomfort and hence leads to excessive scratching of the afflicted ear.  This is among the easier infections to diagnose and similarly easy to cure. Chronic ear infections make the animal extremely irritable and even if it improves it can recur.  If an ear infection is left unattended it can perforate the ear drum before it proceeds to travel to the brain, where damage caused can be extensive and severe. Some other causes include dank, moist environments leading to the ear canal then becoming a perfect breeding ground for microorganisms like yeast and bacteria to multiply. Staph bacteria are the predominant bacteria involved in most ear infections. Excessive or low secretion of hormones can further harm your pet’s constitution, thereby leading to various other ear infections. Some pet’s ear problems can be hereditary. Diseases like Primary Seborrhea, Dermatomyositis and some types of tumors in the ears fall into this category.

Some common remedies involve clipping and trimming excess hair present near the ears. Try to prevent debris of any kind accumulating in the ear. Ensure you clean it regularly. In the case of yeast infections a proper antifungal can be prescribed to eliminate the problem. Antibiotics can also be recommended depending on the severity of the infection. If the problem is hormone related or due to allergies, then various kinds of therapies or medical treatments can be undertaken. In the case of dogs specifically, it has been noted that a high percentage of them who suffer frequent ear inflammations or ear infections suffer from some kind of food allergy.