Some dogs are plagued with chronic ear infections, ongoing smelly discharge from the ears, itchy ears, head tilting, pain, frustration and so many other symptoms develop because of this type of infection.
Is my dogs ear infected?
Initially you might notice your dog is itching their ear, they may be showing signs of irritation and there may be some smelly discharge present. So what does an infected ear look like?
Symptoms of Ear Infections in Dogs
- Shaking/tilting of the head
- Discharge that may be yellow, brown or bloody
- Inflammation
- Excessive itching or rubbing of the ear
- Smell
- Imbalance/vertigo
- Difficulty with chewing, discomfort when yawning
What causes a dogs ear to become infected?
Many dogs will suffer from at least one ear infection during their lifetime and this is ok, you can easily treat the ear infection. Some dogs will suffer with chronic ear infections when they are not treated correctly.
Causes of Dog Ear Infections
1. Allergies – Generally lead to chronic ear infections
Allergies are one of the most common causes for ear infections in dogs. Your dog can be allergic to something in their environment such as dust mites, grass mites and parasites. Dogs can also be allergic to an ingredient that is contained within their diet.
Some dry foods are produced with poor quality protein sources and complex carbohydrates such as rice, barley and maize. These ingredients are common allergens for dogs as their digestive tract is not equipped to digest complex carbohydrates.
Allergies are most likely to lead to chronic ear infections, no matter how much you treat that ear infection, if you do not remove the ‘trigger’ the infection will continuously return.
2. Ear Mites – These are nasty buggers!
Tiny little parasites that will irritate the life out of your dog. They will cause severe itchiness, they do not infect the ear canal initially but they will cause severe irritation to the outer ear and if not treated effectively symptoms will worsen. If your dog has a mite infestation, do not panic. They cannot live on humans and it is really easy to treat. EcoEars will kill those buggers and give your dogs ears relief quick!
3. Yeast – When it gets out of control
Yeast naturally lives in your dogs ears and that is absolutely fine but when it gets out of control due to overuse of antibiotics and/or a weakened immune system or excessive water entering the ear then yeast can take over and cause your dog a lot of discomfort.
There is a very distinctive smell to a yeast infection and it also produces a dark waxy discharge that lines the outer ear canal. It may also cause the skin to flake and an itch is generally present.
EcoEars is the first ear infection treatment we have found that will kill yeast. But… there is always a but when it comes to yeast. If your dog is suffering from other conditions such as a skin irritation, fatigue or a compromised immune system then you need to look further and ensure you support the gut bacteria too with a good Pro-Biotic. If you need more assistance with a complex case then book a consult with us here.
There are many causes for a dog ear infection:
How to treat a dog ear infection:
It is best practice to get your vet to check your dogs ear to confirm if there is an infection, an ear mite infestation or possibly something else.
When your dog has received their diagnosis you can then look to treat the ear infection and prevent it from reoccurring with EcoEars.
If your dog is suffering from chronic ear infections due to allergies then you will need to remove the allergen from their diet to ensure long-term results.
If you need to discuss your dogs diet and general wellbeing you can book a consult with our pet experts here.
Our go to ear cleaner is EcoEars. It is is completely natural, avoids nasty side effects and balances the bacteria in your dogs ear. It can also works to prevent ear infections in dogs. EcoEars has treated 94/100 dog ear infections successfully.
