As a responsible
owner, you should learn how to prevent your dog from having
bad health. One of the most common problems that you can help
deal with is ear infection with dogs. This ear infection could
even lead to a dog being deaf.
Having a deaf dog could be very hard to play
with. However the love you give a deaf dog should be just the
same. Can you imagine yourself keep calling your dog but it
just keeps doing something else?
This article will help you learn more about
ear infections and how you can get them treated to prevent it
from getting worse.
The infection of dog’s ears is called otitis
externa. It infects the dog’s otitis media, ear canal and the
middle ear. Dogs that have pendulous ears or hairy inner flaps
will be more prone to ear infections.
The most common cause of ear infection is really
bacteria or yeast. Other causes of ear infection are thick or
matted hair in the ear canal, debris or foreign object, accumulation
of wax, or a tumor. In some rare cases, ear infections are just
secondary to other bodily infections.
A dog that has ear infections will usually
be very uncomfortable. The uncomfortable feeling will be shown
through constant shaking or scratching of the head. The ears
will then become red or inflamed that is accompanied by a foul
odor and a black and yellow discharge. If your pet has been
tilting its head constantly, it is also a sign of ear infection.
The best way to know for sure is bring the
pet to a vet. The vet will then administer lots of exams. The
ear exam will basically be an otoscope-an instrument that will
probe the ear of the dog for any damage in the ear drums or
any foreign object is present. If the pet suffers from pain
during this exam the pet can be sedated or given anesthesia.
The vet will do a process called cytology,
where the sample of the object retrieved from the ear is studied
under a microscope. This helps determine the organism that is
causing the infection. If a foreign object is found, the pet
will be sedated to remove the foreign object.
When it is the middle ear that gets infected,
it will be harder to clear up. X-rays, lab test or even surgery
would have to be done to diagnose and treat it. After, you would
need to restrict the activity of your pet for four to six weeks.
Remember during this time that the dog’s ears should be kept
way from the water.
If you have noticed signs that your dog has
got ear infections immediately bring it to the vet. The longer
it becomes untreated the more dangerous it becomes. It could
even lead to your pet going deaf.
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