Dog Ear Fungus

When a dog gets an ear infection it can result in discomfort, pain, and hearing loss, and this can even lead to permanent hearing loss, if the problem is not treated.



Some of the symptoms of dog ear fungus or infection that you should be on the look out for include head shaking, swelling, itching and ear discharge. Vets often say that several dogs suffer from ear infections at least sometime in their lives. This is true for dogs with long, floppy ears or when they have fur in the inner part of the ear.



When moisture and bacteria accumulate in the inner part of the ear, then it can lead to fungal or bacterial infection.

There are two types of ear infections that dogs get, and each of these affects the ears in a different way. When an infection affects the outer part of the ear canal, then it is known as otitis externa. This infection can also affect the middle part of the dog’s ear.



When this happens, the infection is known as otitis media. In some advanced cases, the inner ear can get affected. When the infection spreads to the inner ear, then it can spread to the central nervous system, and this can cause systemic infection and can be fatal.

Dog ear infection can be a bacterial infection or a fungal infection. Each type of infection is treated with a different kind of medicine.

Dog Bacterial Ear Infection

This type of infection can be associated with pain, swelling, redness and discharge. Bacterial infections happen when there is a growth of bacteria in the dog’s ear and the immune system of the dog cannot combat the infection. Accumulation of moisture and lack of airflow can also cause chronic ear infections. If you don’t clean your dog’s ear regularly, then this can also cause bacterial infections.

Dog ear care to treat the infection includes antibiotic drops and cleaning the ear twice a day.

Another sign to look out for dog fungus is head shaking. If it is shaking head a lot, then it can also cause other health problems such as breakage of blood vessels and this can cause aural hematoma.

Dog Fungal Ear Infections

Fungal ear infections are caused by fungus. Fungal infections can spread to other parts of the body such as the paws and face. Fungi grow well in moist areas and floppy ears are more susceptible to ear infections.