LEND ME YOUR EARS!

Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Have you seen your dog’s ears? Most people tend not to think about them until they see their pet shaking its head and scratching at them. However, proper vigilance and routine cleaning can prevent many problems and infections, especially if your dog has pendulous pinnae (ear flaps), like a cocker spaniel, labrador or poodle. Unlike humans, dogs have very deep ear canals. The canal is L-shaped, and the lower, or horizontal, canal can easily trap debris and moisture down by the ear drum, setting the scene for infection. So, what do you need to do?

First, be observant. Do your dog’s ears have a discharge or odor? Is there excessive hair in the canals? Do the pinnae feel thickened or swollen? Are there scrapes or scabs behind the ears? Is the fur matted near the ears? I you think that there is a chance that your dog has an ear infection of ear mites, then take it to your veterinarian as soon as possible. And speaking of ear mites, please do not assume that your pet has ear mites every time it has a discharge and scratches its ears. I have seen many infections that the owner presented with the complaint that they keep buying the over-the-counter ear mite meds and they just aren’t working. Hmmm.

Next, be sure to clean your dog’s ears out regularly. For most dogs I recommend weekly ear cleaning, but if there is a chance that moisture got into the ear canal, then they need to be cleaned out that day. So, basically, if your dog gets a bath, goes swimming, or just stays out too long in the rain, make sure that they ears are cleaned out before bedtime. The canal is already a nice warm place with its own bacterial and yeast flora. If you put a little moisture in the mix, then stuff starts to grow. If you pet goes to bed with wet ears, it will probably wake up with an ear infection.

The best product to clean a dog’s ears with is a good commercial ear cleaner, available at any veterinarian or pet store. Make sure that it has drying agents, to remove moisture, and cerumenolytic agents, to break up debris. Antiseptics and acidifiers are a plus. If you accidentally leave you ear cleaner at home when you go to the lake house and Rover takes a dip, rubbing alcohol will at least dry the moisture out of the canals. Never put water or peroxide by itself in a pet’s ears.

So if your pet has an ear infection, what can you do about it? First, take your dog to a vet. Your vet will want to do a cytology or culture to determine what is causing the infection. Bacteria, yeast and ear mites are the most common culprits. Once they figure out the cause, then they will give you medication to treat them with. There are many topical ear meds available, and the one your vet chooses will be based on the cause of your dog’s infection. You may also receive oral antibiotics, medicated ear cleanser, or a cortisone shot if indicated. Some pets will get ear infections secondary to allergies, so anti-allergy meds may also be indicated. If your pet has chronic or recurrent ear problems, your vet may want to pursue allergy testing, or look for other possible underlying causes, like hypothyroidism.

Finally, remember that you cannot treat an ear infection too long, but you can definitely not treat one long enough. Make sure that your vet rechecks your dog’s ears before you stop medicating them. Some infections can take weeks to resolve, and stopping treatment too early can lead to recurrence and microbial resistance. Just because it looks better from the outside doesn’t mean that it’s cured. Keeping your dog’s ears clean and healthy will prevent many painful and expensive problems in the future.