Dog ears. What Causes Ear Diseases in Dogs?

Pets may experience health problems. In this regard, cats and dogs are no different from humans. Our four-legged friends get sick too. Therefore, the treatment of animal diseases is a problem that their owners sometimes face.

How do you know if your dog has an earache? Owners need to carefully monitor the behavior and condition of their pets. The presence of health problems in an animal can be judged by certain symptoms. If the dog often scratches his ears and shakes his head, then the animal is sick and needs to be treated.

Other symptoms of diseases are purulent discharge from the ear. Sometimes they appear in the form of ichor, dark-colored flakes or sulfur with an unpleasant odor.

How to treat dog ears at home

Ears in dogs occur for a variety of reasons. They can be caused by an allergy to certain dog food or other foods. The disease can be caused by an injury or a bite from another dog. Sometimes mites, harmful bacteria, start up in the ears of an animal. In addition, a dog can get sick if cold water gets into its ear.

Dog ears need to be treated depending on the nature of the disease. One of the most common canine ailments is otitis externa. This is an inflammation of the outer ear that causes itching in the dog. Therefore, the animal begins to shake its head, scratch its ears, rub them on furniture and roll on the floor. The main symptom of otitis externa is the presence of a certain smell from the ear. It will be cloyingly sweet or fetid. Discharge from the ear in this case will be in the form of sulfur or pus.

This infection can be caused by bacteria or a foreign body in the dog's ear. Otitis externa often occurs against the background of chronic diseases. Dog owners should take the treatment of this disease seriously. Its danger lies in the fact that inflammation of the external ear quickly becomes chronic. Then it will be almost impossible to defeat the disease. The main means of combating this type of otitis media will be prevention. But this disease can be treated with the help of special drugs.

Sores on the ears in a dog can be associated with inflammation of the middle and inner ear. These are more serious problems. When otitis media and internal otitis occur, the dog has trouble walking. She can lose her balance and even fall. In the case of otitis, the treatment of the ears in a dog should be carried out with a medical method. Treating a dog's ears at home with otitis media and internal is not worth it. Here you need the help of a veterinarian who will prescribe the right treatment. In such situations, antibiotics are required. Much will depend on their correct choice.

If a dog's ears hurt due to ticks, pet owners can help him cope with this ailment at home. To do this, it is enough to drip a few drops of vegetable oil into the dog's ears. But you need to do this for three weeks. Since ticks in dogs often appear from cats, you need to drip the ears of these animals in the same way if you have one or more cats (cats) in addition to the dog. Dogs can develop ear bruises. In this case, it is necessary to treat the ears of a dog after examining the animal by a veterinarian. Let the specialist prescribe the necessary treatment.

Ear treatment for dogs

The thesis that the best treatment is prevention is also relevant for pets. Owners need to treat their dog's ears regularly. You can do this 1-2 times a week. To do this, use a regular napkin. Ears should be cleaned as they get dirty. Do not do this too often.

You can also treat the dog's ears with the help of a special preparation. Usually, certain lotions are used for this. If your dog shakes his head while sleeping, that's a good reason to use lotion. After you have poured it, give the dog an ear massage. Remove all unnecessary with a tissue and let your pet shake his head again.

What should I do if my dog ​​has an earache? This question sooner or later becomes relevant for many dog ​​breeders. In some cases, you can do without the help of veterinarians. But you need to approach the treatment of pets responsibly and seriously.

• Veterinarians estimate that 20% of dogs suffer from ear infections, making it one of the most common diseases among pets. But, if you are attentive to your pet, you can protect the dog's ears from such an ailment.
• All sorts of manipulations with this hearing organ begin at an early, still puppy age, when the owners try to put ears on their pet, they say, this is how it should be according to the breed.
• And violent activity begins - they insert matches, wrap them with a plaster, then this plaster is torn off from the poor ears almost with skin.

• Gina's ear doesn't get up

  
  Gina's ear doesn't get up
• We, out of ignorance, also got into this business of setting the ears. My friend brought a cute puppy - German Shepherd Dzhinochka, but one ear did not want to rise. And what do you think, we - two dark, unenlightened fools, managed to cling clothespins to our ears and wound a band-aid, but we did not achieve success and left this occupation. As they say - everything has its time, and this time has come, and the dog's ears stood up without our efforts (this happened a very long time ago).

• Our efforts

  
  Our efforts
• Now, having gained a little experience, we no longer repeat such gross mistakes. You can find out how to properly and painlessly glue your pet's ears.
• The ears of dogs are different: long and short, standing and hanging. But, whatever they are in size and structure, you need to look into them and, if necessary, take action. No, if the ears are pink and clean, you have nothing to poke around in there, well, if the dog constantly scratches behind the ear, shakes his head - it's time to sound the alarm.
• HOW TO PREVENT TROUBLE.
• The best way to prevent ear problems is to keep them clean. Regular weekly cleaning will keep sulfur from building up. A small amount is not a problem, but if the ears look abnormal, smell bad, the dog does not let you hold the ear, it hurts, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

• Ears are hanging

  
  Ears are hanging
• WE CLEAN OUR EARS.
• The dog's ears are a very delicate organ in structure, so you need to be careful and careful not to damage anything.
• You should start by wiping the ear canal with hydrogen peroxide or any disinfectant liquid.
• Then take a cotton swab, paper towel, or piece of gauze and clean the inside of your ear. This will have to be repeated several times until all accumulations are removed. A cotton swab can be used to clean the outside of the ear, but never the ear canal. Cotton swabs can push all the dirt further down into the ear, which can lead to a ruptured eardrum. To avoid causing trouble, you should only clean the parts of the ear that are visible.

• Ears are upright

  
  Ears are upright
• SIGNS OF DISEASE.
• Ear disease manifests itself in several ways, ranging from physical changes to changes in mood. The most common symptoms are:
• - Discharge from the ears;
• - Strong, unpleasant smell;
• - Dark, dry dirt in the ears;
• - Red or swollen ears;
• - Shaking or tilting of the head;
• - Scratches on the ears or head;
• - Painful ears;
• - Behavioral changes such as irritability or depression.

• And they are the largest on the planet

  
  And they are the largest on the planet
• Luckily, these problems are usually easy to treat, and if you clean your dog's ears regularly and keep an eye out for any abnormalities, you'll prevent complications and keep your dog happy and healthy.
• You can read what the owner needs to know about walking, and you will learn how to brush your pet's teeth on.
• And in conclusion, I propose to look at the dog with the longest ears.

Such dog pathologies are very common. It is difficult not to notice signs of ear diseases, because an unpleasant smell is felt from them, the dog combs them with its paws, and discharge appears. Sometimes the ear problems of their wards are discovered by the owners only when the dog combs its ears until it bleeds. So, we learn about the causes of pathology. We will understand the clinical picture of ailments and therapy.

About the causes of ear diseases in dogs

Veterinarians say that most often dogs with hanging long ears are prone to ear ailments. We are talking about representatives of the breed of dachshunds, setters, Afghan hounds.

Inflammation of the outer ear

It is also called otitis externa. Signs of the disease are combing the ears, rolling on the ground, rubbing the ears against the corners of the room. All this the dog does is to reduce the itching that occurs. Another characteristic symptom is a sharp, sugary-sweet smell emanating from the organ of hearing. Allocations with inflammation of the middle ear can be purulent or serous. The causative agents of external otitis are mites, fungi, bacteria. The danger of this disease in dogs is that it often becomes chronic. Then otitis periodically recurs. Treatment of otitis externa consists in the use of antibiotics, steroids in severe forms of the disease, decongestants. Veterinarians in this case prescribe Oridermil, Aurikan and Aurizon.

Inflammation of the inner and middle ear is also treated with antibacterial drugs. However, their symptoms are more serious: loss of balance, stumbling, walking in circles, refusal to eat.

Auricular hematoma

This is the name of the disease, which is characterized by filling the cavity between the skin and the cartilage of the auricle with blood. The cause of the pathology may be strokes. Sometimes the disease occurs because the dog shakes its head violently when a foreign body enters its ear. It is important to examine the auricle, remove it. Treatment of ear hematomas involves opening and draining the affected cavity. Veterinarians also prescribe anti-inflammatory ointment therapy for caudate patients with auricular hematoma.

Allergy

Ear problems can be the first symptoms of an allergic reaction. If the owner notices that the dog has become passive, and his ears have swollen sharply, turned red, then you should quickly call the veterinarian, because these are clear signs of hypersensitization. The veterinarian prescribes antihistamines, and if the case is severe, then diuretics are prescribed to help cope with the swelling.

Problems related to hormones

They are fraught with the development of dermatitis and dermatosis in dogs, autoimmune reactions. The ears of dogs can also suffer from this, which is manifested by itching, the release of a large amount of secretion. Hormonal pathologies most often negatively affect the health of the long ears of dogs, for example, cockers, dachshunds. In case of malfunctions with hormones in the body of pets, their auricles are constantly wet, inflamed, and shiny. Plus, they smell bad. In this case, the treatment will be long. It consists in using hormone therapy as the main one. And symptomatic is the use of fungicidal drugs and antimicrobial agents. If the ears have suffered from hormonal disorders, then you must strictly adhere to all the recommendations of a veterinarian.

If you are going to become the owner of a dog, then first of all you need to decide on the breed and consult with an experienced veterinarian. If you master the basic rules for caring for an animal, you can avoid a huge number of mistakes.

Today we want to talk about the dog's ear. This is an external paired organ, which is easy to inspect, but which the owners often forget about and begin to sound the alarm when inflammation is already evident. It is very important to prevent this problem, which means that all pet lovers need to read the article.

Physiology

The dog's ear is similar to ours in structure. There are also outer, inner and middle ear. Let's take a closer look at each of them. dogs are the visible part where our knowledge of physiology usually ends. The shape and size of the shell can vary greatly, depending on the breed. Very often, this feature is decisive when choosing an animal. Some people like a dog more than others. The functional load is somewhat different, depending on the form. A dog's erect ear is a locator that picks up sounds. Long canvases are most often used by hunters, they serve not only as an organ of hearing, but also drive smells right to the nose when the animal follows the trail.

The middle ear is the sound-conducting and sound-forming parts. They consist of the membrane, the auditory tube and bones: the hammer, anvil and stirrup. The dog's ear is equipped with a longer auditory canal and a huge tympanic membrane. This is what provides acute hearing. The inner ear is a membranous and bony labyrinth.

Advantages and disadvantages of the system

As already mentioned, the hearing of our pets is many times greater than the human. However, such a structure also has its drawbacks. This arrangement of the ear canal practically negates the ventilation of the ear. That is, any liquid cannot leave it and gradually causes inflammation. This causes difficulty in the treatment of diseases. Therefore, the breeds of the nose are at risk and must constantly undergo preventive examinations.

Otitis

Almost everyone has experienced this disease, or at least heard about it. Simplicity in diagnosis creates the illusion that otitis media can be cured very quickly. However, this is not the case. Indeed, it is quite easy to determine what. If you know the symptoms, then suspect otitis literally from the first day:

Diagnosis and appointment

Don't delay going to the vet. Any breed of dog with large ears is prone to inflammatory processes, so any deviation in behavior should be the reason for contacting a specialist. In severe cases, the lymph nodes can become inflamed, which can even lead to the development of encephalitis, that is, inflammation of the brain. However, in order to prescribe a full-fledged treatment, it is not enough to evaluate the external clinical symptoms.

Causes of ear diseases

Any therapy begins with a full diagnosis. Veterinarians separate what causes otitis media into primary causes and contributing factors. In fact, in order to prescribe adequate treatment, we are most interested in what caused it in the first place:

• The most common causes are immunodeficiencies and weakening of the barrier properties of the skin. Do not forget that the structure and functions of the integument of our body are the same everywhere.
• Hypersensitivity is also often the cause.

Secondary factors in the development of diseases

A start has been made, one of the listed reasons led to the fact that inflammation began in the ear cavity. If you do not pay attention to it and do not provide your pet with proper assistance, then it will progress. Septic, or secondary, factors include all the huge number of microorganisms, bacteria and fungi present in the environment.

Now it is precisely on what exactly the ear cavity will be populated, that is, on the qualitative and quantitative set of pathogenic microbes that have settled in the ears of a dog, that the whole variety of external manifestations of otitis media will depend, that is, the amount and color of purulent discharge, as well as the duration of the course of the disease. So don't try to diagnose yourself. At the first symptoms, take the animal to a veterinarian who will examine the dog's ears. Photos and descriptions on the Internet will never provide such comprehensive information as the trained eye of a professional.

Treatment

If the disease is not running, and the dog is calm about such procedures, then most likely it will take only one or two visits to completely heal your pet. However, it also happens that examination and cleansing manipulations are possible only with general anesthesia. The first procedure is cleansing. It is necessary to remove all accumulated secretions, clean the cavity from accumulated pus or other contaminants. For this, disinfectants are used. Then all the affected areas are lubricated with a special ointment, treated with a spray or drops are instilled. There is usually some relief after that.

Duration of treatment

This is a purely individual factor. For example, a large dog with short ears is less likely to infect them. Therefore, the improvement will happen much faster. The short-legged creatures with long ears, which constantly get dirt, dust and bacteria, suffer the most. Therefore, the duration of treatment depends on a huge number of factors and can end either with a quick victory, or with the need to periodically perform preventive measures for a certain time or even a lifetime.

Weekly treatments

To be sure that your pet's ears are completely healthy, it is enough to conduct an examination once a week. To do this, stock up on cotton swabs and discs, as well as a solution of "Furacilin". The latter is used if signs of redness are noticed, as a wetting agent for discs. If the skin surface is light, even, there are no signs of inflammation or suppuration, then it is not recommended to use any additional means. Remove the sulfur with a clean stick and praise your pet for his endurance.

Instead of a conclusion

Ear diseases in dogs have many faces, and each of them has its own course. Moreover, for the owners of some breeds, it is simply necessary to know the subtleties of care and the first signs of the inflammatory process. This applies to basset hounds and dachshunds, beagles, poodles, that is, all short-legged representatives of the canine world that have long and heavy ears. If you regularly devote time to preventive examinations, then you will be able to notice the first signs in time and start treating your dog’s ears before it develops into a real tragedy.

Otitis media is one of the most common dog ear problems faced by pet owners. Otitis is a sign of an inflammatory process in the ears, but this does not mean that there is an infection in the ear. Ear infections can provoke otitis, and can be their consequence, i.e. one must clearly understand the difference between these two states.

General information about otitis and the causes of their occurrence

Otitis externa

Inflammation of the ear canal causes a lot of inconvenience to the pet, including pain, itching, fever and general malaise. Initially, the structure of the ears in all dogs is such that there is always a risk of otitis media. There are also breeds with a clear predisposition to this pathology. These are the animals:

• with long ears;
• with hairs in the ear canal;
• with skin folds on the body;
• prone to allergic reactions.

The potential risk group is made up of breeds:

• German Shepherds;
• setters;
• hunting dogs;
• bulldogs;
• spaniels;
• sharpei;
• bassets;
• labradors.

In dogs, otitis occurs in the form of:

• inflammation of the ear canal and outer ear (otitis externa);
• inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media);
• inflammation extending to the inner ear (the rarest type of otitis media).

Suppurative otitis media	Otitis media and ear mites
Tumor in the ear	Allergic otitis media If you do not find out the cause of otitis media, treat it incorrectly or not treat it at all, then this will all provoke perforation of the eardrum (rupture or dissolution of it with pus). In this case, purulent discharge will accumulate not only at the base of the auditory canal, but will also go to the inner ear, penetrating into the meninges. With such a course of the disease, at best, the dog will lose his hearing, at worst, he will die from purulent meningitis. The main symptoms of ear problems There are a number of main signs of otitis media, according to which the owner of the dog will involuntarily pay attention to his ears. Symptoms of inflammation in the ears: the presence of scratches, hematomas (bruises), wounds or any other damage on the ears; a constant desire to scratch your ears or shake your head; a lot of emitted sulfur (more than usual); any kind of discharge (including purulent) with an unpleasant odor; obvious signs of the inflammatory process - redness, swelling, soreness and an increase in local temperature; hair loss on the ears (from scratching) or inside; the presence of crusts and scabs around the ears or at the entrance to the ear canal; soreness not only inside, but also the entire organ of hearing (the animal does not allow it to be examined); an increase in submandibular lymph nodes with a prolonged inflammatory process; changes in the general condition of the animal - depression, lack of appetite, fever, etc. In addition to the general symptoms for all ear problems, there are individual clinical signs of otitis, depending on the causes: with otitis media due to increased hair growth, in addition to the classic signs of inflammation, you can find hair growing deep in the ear, which must be removed both for the prevention of otitis media and before starting the treatment of an existing problem; with ear mites, black-brown groaty discharges are observed, under which bleeding wounds can be observed during their separation. Both sides are usually affected; bacterial or fungal otitis is usually accompanied by purulent discharge and an increase in local temperature. When sowing secretions on nutrient media, a specific causative agent of inflammation can be isolated; with otitis due to tumors or foreign objects, in addition to all the signs, specific causes are revealed - in fact, tumors and foreign things that can only be detected by an otoscope due to their deep location in the ear canal; with otitis media caused by the ingress and stagnation of water, the discharge is always liquid, although of a different nature (purulent, serous, cloudy or transparent); if otitis is allergic, then usually signs of individual sensitivity appear on other parts of the body: urticaria, swelling, itching, etc. What Hosts Shouldn't Do You can not self-medicate, because. improperly selected antimicrobials will not help, cause bacteria to become resistant to other agents, and can also cause additional irritation and increased inflammation. If you find any sign that something is wrong with the hearing organ, you should immediately contact your veterinarian! How to treat otitis media depends on the cause of its occurrence, which can only be determined by a specialist. You should not try to clean the dog's ears with ear sticks - it is impossible to clean the discharge as it should be, and there is also a risk of remaining cotton wool inside the ear cavity. In veterinary clinics, the ears are cleaned with tweezers or a hemostatic clip, which firmly hold the cotton swab and, with a good metal support, allow you to clean out all dirt and secretions. It is impossible to bury hydrogen peroxide in the ears of a dog - when it reacts with bleeding wounds and pus, it begins to foam strongly, which is perceived by the dog as a loud extraneous noise. The animal from fear can behave inappropriately. Peroxide can only process the auricles from the outside. You can't clean your dog's ears if you've never done it before. There is a high risk of causing pain, after which the animal will in every possible way interfere with examinations even by veterinarians (it will run away, hide, bite, etc.). How to help a dog with signs of otitis media before going to the vet If it is not possible to immediately seek help from a veterinarian, the pet owner can somewhat alleviate his condition with simple procedures: carefully inspect the organ of hearing, without causing pain to the dog and without using foreign objects, so as not to cause additional damage; treat the outer surface of the ears with hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green, if there are wounds and scratches on the ears; drip 3-4 drops into the ears with Otinum or Otipax preparations and gently massage the base of the ears (if there are no signs of pain). These are absolutely safe drops for dogs that relieve itching, eliminate pain, dissolve sulfur and soak crusts and plaque in the ear canal (if any). The funds do not give an antimicrobial load, eliminating the risk of developing resistance of the bacteria that caused inflammation before starting antibiotic therapy; after soaking the ear contents and anesthesia, clean the ears with a cotton swab wound around tweezers. The procedure can only be carried out if you have experience in cleaning the ears of a dog! If up to this point you have never done cleaning in your life, it makes sense to wait for a visit to the veterinarian, removing pollution within the visible convolutions of the outer ear. If squelching is felt inside the pus or other contents in the absence of the ability to clean everything, a mixture of streptocide powders with boric acid (1: 5 ratio) is poured into the ear. If the dog wants to shake his head - you need to let her do it! Soaked dirt, secretions and sulfur will move closer to the outer ear, from where they can already be removed on their own; if the dog has an increase in body temperature, you can give Analgin once as an antipyretic - inside 0.5 tab. / 10 kg or intramuscularly 0.1 ml / kg. All subsequent treatment at home should be carried out with the drugs prescribed by the veterinarian and in the order determined by him. In special cases, for example, when the auditory opening is overgrown, a reconstructive surgical intervention is performed, during which the ear canal is re-formed. Important: it is impossible to cure secondary otitis without eliminating the cause that caused it! With one symptomatic treatment, the disease can become chronic. The sequence of medical manipulations: Ear cleaning. The external ear is cleaned with a swab well moistened with hydrogen peroxide or a 2% solution of salicyl-tannin alcohol. Soak and remove all crusts. Ear cleaning. The ear canal is cleaned with a swab moistened with a solution of chlorhexidine or after instillation into the ear of prophylactic lotions or drops for cleaning the ears. Lotions and drops well soak the internal dirt, waste products of mites, dried blood, crusts, etc. In the process of cleaning the ears, material is taken for microscopy and bakposev to identify the causative agent of otitis media for the rational prescription of the drug. Treatment of bleeding wounds with a solution of brilliant green. With deep scratching and bleeding wounds on the surface of the auricle, the use of wound healing and antiseptic ointments is recommended. After cleaning the ears, ear drops are used for their intended purpose, depending on the identified pathogen - antifungal, antimicrobial or anti-mite agents. If it is not possible to identify the pathogen, combined broad-spectrum drops are used to remove mites, fungi and microorganisms. With purulent otitis of any etiology, general antibiotic therapy is prescribed for a course of 5-7 days. If signs of general intoxication are observed, droppers with detoxicants are used. Regardless of the degree of development of the disease and the causes of otitis media, immunostimulating agents are always prescribed. Consolidated list of drugs for otitis media They are most often used in the treatment of otitis media of various etiologies. Prevention of otitis media For the prevention of otitis, it is enough: trim the hair around the ears to ventilate the ear canal (after prior consultation with a veterinarian); pluck the hairs that grow right inside the ear; do not rinse or treat healthy ears with anything, because this can lead to an imbalance in the microbial balance in the ears; conduct regular examination of the ears independently (weekly) and in the veterinary clinic (once every six months); pay attention to the smell from the ears; make sure that during bathing water does not get into the ears, after swimming in natural reservoirs, remove water from the ears with a cotton swab; do not let the dog ride in a passenger car leaning out the window; do not feed the animal with sweets; monitor allergic reactions by adjusting the diet.