Ear problems are the only reason why most dogs visit vets. Today one out of five dogs is predisposed to these problems. Thus, it is very important to check dog’s ears every week to prevent him from irritation, infection, dirt, and parasites. These home ear-care tips don’t take much time but can help your pooch live happy and healthy.
Taking care of dog’s ears is easier and handy than you think. All you need is to simply look at each ear of your pet to find redness, discharge, wax or any dirt particles. Some dogs also have skin infections and are prone to seasonal ear infections like swelling, inflammation, bleeding ear and much more.
How to Find the Problems in Your Dog’s Ears
Your dog’s ears are healthy if there isn’t a detectable smell and the ears aren’t painful to touch. Clean and pink coloured ears are mostly considered as healthy ears. A minimum amount of brown coloured wax and furry hair growth is normal. Any spots or crustiness could be the sign of serious infections and can give rise to sarcoptic mange.
Common Signs of Ear Problems
- Bald tips or crustiness on the outer line of ears
- Painful to touch
- Constantly shaking the head
- Continuous ear scratching or itching
- Stinky ears
If your pooch shows any of the aforementioned symptoms, then you should take your pet to the doctor as soon as possible. But if not, then let’s jog on what you can do to help your pup stay happy and healthy.
Keep His Ears Completely Dry
Having moist or wet ears will give a sufficient ground for the bacteria to grow, which in turn can lead to infections. Thus it is very important to keep your dog’s ears clean and completely dry to avoid any fungal problems.
Some Pet’s Ears are like magnets in which insects and debris start growing. If you have a dog that has floppy or fluffy ears, you should be extra cautious as floppy ears have the tendency to lock moisture, which further can lead to ear infections. However, with some extra care and a little time, you can dry out any moisture with ease.
Sniff Your Dog’s Ears
It is weird, but sniffing will help you know if your pet’s ears have a fishy odour. You should make sniffing a habit since you bring him home. This will help you know how your pooch smelled normally. If their ears have the smell of yeast and are stinking, it is possible that there are bacteria brewing in his ears.
But, if they smell good and look good, leave them. As long as your monster’s ears are healthy, they don’t need to be cleaned. If you still want to groom your dog’s ears, below is the step-by-step cleaning method, you can follow:
- Relax your pet and treat him gently.
- Gently hold the ear flap upright and fill the ear with some ear cleaner or oil.
- Hold the ear for few seconds and massage the ear softly aiming to mix the ear cleaner.
- Grab some cotton cloth or wet wipes, and wipe out the flaps.
Furthermore, there are few more things you should consider to make your pooch’s ears healthy:
- Keep a regular check, especially in warm and hot weather. If there’s any moisture, dry it out with some soft cloth or cotton balls. But don’t mess with cotton-tipped sticks. They can drive debris and dirt particles deeper in his ears.
- See if your dog is panting. Dogs mostly pant when they are hot or sweating, so if this is happening to your pet, it’s time to clean the moisture.
- If your dog loves swimming, then you, as a responsible owner, have the duty to dry him out thoroughly.
- Also, insert some cotton ball into your dog’s ears while giving him a bath to keep water out of his ears. But remember to use only large-sized cotton balls that won’t get stuck inside.
- You can also use ear solution prescribed by a certified vet to keep moisture at bay, or you can add a dash of white vinegar to easily clean debris.
Is Something Stuck in the Ears?
A dog that loves playing in the ground or in the fields that have large bushes and weeds are more predisposed to ear problems. They suffer allergies either from environments like grass, trees, dust mites, or from food like soy, fish, and much more. These microscopic organisms can lead to some serious problems. However, routine dog grooming or simple ear-flap cleaning can prevent them.
Are You Plucking His Hair? Stop!
Some dogs, especially poodles, have hair in their ears and many owners while grooming have the habit of plucking them. However, extensive plucking can trap airflow in between ears and lock moisture inside. The moist environment, in turn, leads to fungal infections.
In addition, when a hair is plucked, it leaves a small wound, which oozes out the liquid that creates a ground for the bacteria to grow. This bacterium then causes many fungal problems like skin irritation which when scratched by the dog, escalates more problems.
So What Should You Do?
It’s better to trim hair rather than plucking it out. But if you have a pet that has excessive hair in his ears, trim them and make sure to keep rest of the hair completely dry.
Are the Ears Still Infected?
If your pet’s ears are still a problem to clean or have oodles of dust and wax, which you are unsure to clean, consult your holistic veterinarian. Maybe that debris needs to be flushed which only a vet can do. Some dogs find it a very painful procedure and need anaesthesia to complete the procedure.
Ear infections are the bane of swimming dogs, long-eared dogs, puppies, old dogs and many others. Be it a common ear problem or a serious health issue, it needs to be cured. It’s your duty to take care of your dog’s hygiene and keep him healthy.