Prevention of Canine Ear Infections
Ear-mites, fungus, and common allergies have many dogs – and their owners – scratching the heads. There are many treatment options for ear infections, but wouldn’t it be easier if they could be prevented in the first place? Fortunately, with a little extra effort and watchfulness, owners can greatly reduce the frequency and severity of their dogs outer ear infections.
Veterinarians use antibiotics to treat severe ear infections, these may include antibiotic/anti-fungal/anti-inflammatory medicines like Otomax or Malotic. Some owners also choose to take a more holistic approach to dealing with their pups infections before resorting to medicines
The easiest way to reduce the number of ear infections your dog has is to keep the ears clean and free of dirt and other gunk. Especially for long haired dogs, keep the hair around the ears trimmed and clean, Long hair can be a magnet for debris which can get carried into the ear canal leading to infection. Dogs with long, floppy ears are also at a higher risk of picking up dirt than are dogs with pricked ears.
Some dogs seem to always have stuff in their ears. For them a rinse made of a simple 1:2 solution of white vinegar and water may help stave off infections. Use the solution to rinse the ear, massaging gently with a towel, then rinse a couple more times using plain filtered water. A 1:1 hydrogen peroxide/water solution also work well. Try the Hydrogen Peroxide solution if your dogs ears are tender from a lot of scratching as it will sting less than the vinegar.
Commercial ear cleaners are often a step up from home-made solutions and for troublesome infections may go a step further to help keep your dogs irritations at bay. Many of the commercial varieties also come with an applicator which can make ear cleaning much easier on both the dog and their owner. Check with your local pet store.
One of the easiest ways to reduce all types of infections is to improve the quality of your dogs food. The fillers often used in cheap big brand dog foods offer little to know nutritional value. In addition to sometimes triggering allergies, non-nutritional fillers do your dog no good and only serve to add bulk to the product – and ultimately to your dogs too. Treat your pup to a healthy lifestyle by starting with a high quality dog food, check with your local specialty pet center for quality brands.
Its easy to reduce the severity and frequency of outer ear infection through simple grooming and good hygiene. While most ear problems affect only the outer ear, you should be aware of your dogs behavior and if they show signs of a deeper infection schedule a trip to the vet. Symptoms of more serious ear infections include: general clumsiness, walking in circles, or always holding the head tilted to one side.
