Ear disease in dogs
Article donated by Dr. Paula Short, Tasman Bay Vets, Mapua
Dogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and so do their ears. Some "ear styles" predispose dogs to developing ear disease, notably long, droopy ears which prevent natural airing and drying of ears and dogs with hairy ear canals, which also prevents good ventilation.
One of the first signs you will see when your dog has an ear infection is head shaking, this is because your dog can feel that something is in its ears that shouldn't be there. Once he gets really fed up with it he will start scratching his ears and may rub his head on the ground.
If you examine the ears, you will notice that one or both ears have a horrible smell. It is likely that you will be able to see some discharge in the ear. This discharge may be blackish/brown in colour, it may be yellow and look like pus, or it may contain blood.
If you notice any of the signs above then letting your veterinarian professionally examine and clean your pet's ears is a very wise idea! Your vet will look into your pet's ears with an otoscope to find out what is causing the problem. If mites are present, they will be visible but, in many cases, bacteria or yeasts without ear mites cause the infection. There may also be foreign bodies present, such as grass seeds, which need immediate attention. Sometimes it is necessary for your pet to be anaesthetised for the vet to examine its ears correctly, remove any foreign bodies present and clean up the messy discharge in the ears.
A sample of the discharge is often taken and this will be examined under the microscope to find out what bugs are present. A swab may also be sent off to a laboratory for a 'culture and sensitivity' test. This is done to detect what bugs are present and what medications are best suited to kill them as some bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics.
In many cases your pet will need antibiotics or other prescription medications to solve the problem. Ear medications like this are not available over the counter, they can only be prescribed by your vet.
If you feel you pet's ears are causing it problems, don't delay. Ear infections left untreated can be a very difficult problem.
For a fuller discussion on ear disease, please visit our website
www.tasmanbayvets.co.nz