Routine home dog ear care is very important to
the health of your dog. Performed between your regular
checkups with the veterinarian, it will help keep your dog's
ears healthy and pain free. If you see signs of trouble you
may be able to head them off before they require an extra
visit to the vet. Excessive wax, foul odor, redness, constant
scratching, excessive matting of hair in the external ear,
rubbing the ears against other objects, head shaking, and
disorientation can all be signs of ear problems.
Inspect Your Dog's Ears
Regularly By Using Your Eyes & Your Nose!
By performing
a home dog ear care inspection; you will be able to detect
problems early. Use both your eyes and your nose. If you need
help seeing inside your dog's ears you may want to invest in a
pet scope. A tool very similar to the kind your doctor uses to
check your ears. Check for redness, excessive wax build up or
any other foreign matter.
Sniffing your dog's ears is another way to detect problems
early. Normally a dog's ears shouldn't smell foul in any way.
If you see a dark waxy discharge this may be a sign of ear
mites. On the other hand, if you see a pus-like discharge
along with a foul smell this may be a sign of a bacterial
infection. Allergies are also known to cause some dogs to have
smelly ears. If you're new to this and are unsure have the vet
check your dog's ears. Right after the vet gives your dog a
clean bill of health make sure you inspect your dog's ears.
This way you will learn how your pet's ears should normally
look and smell.
Is Your Breed of Dog More Susceptible To Dog Ear
Care Problems?
Due to the warm, damp, and dark environment, as well as
poor air circulation, your dog's ear canal can be the perfect
breeding ground for mites, yeast or bacterial infection. This
is why, for certain breeds, home dog ear care is even more
important. Some pets may require routine applications of dog
ear care products to keep their ears free of mites, yeast or
bacterial infections.
Some dog's ears stand straight up which allows for more air
to flow into the ear canal. Dogs with floppy ears, like
Spaniels and Bloodhounds, are very prone to ear infections
because very little air flows into their ear canals. There are
also breeds, like the Lhasa, that have a heavy growth of hair
inside their ears. This hair must be routinely removed as a
prevention against chronic ear problems.
If Excess Ear Hair Is A Dog Ear Care Problem - Learn
How To Remove It
If you suspect that excess ear hair is a problem, you may
need to pluck the hair that grows inside your dog's ears. This
is a routine dog ear care task that can be performed at home
and is much easier then it sounds. You will want to apply dog
ear powder to the inside of both ears. Make sure that the hair
is completely covered, especially at the base. Once the powder
has dried start plucking a few hairs at a time with your
fingers or a tweezers. Plucking just a few hairs at a time
will be less irritating for the dog.
You may want to stop a few times to give your dog's ears a
good rub. Make sure you give your dog lots of praise and a few
dog treats too. Once all the inside hair has been removed,
follow up by cleaning and inspecting the ears. If you are
unsure about this dog ear care procedure, have your vet or a
professional groomer show you how to do it.
Things You Should Know About Cleaning Your Dog's
Ears
Some vets recommend that owners routinely flush their dog's
ears with warm water at the slightest hint of odor. Other home
dog ear care cleaning remedies include mineral oil, hydrogen
peroxide, or a combination of equal parts of vinegar and
rubbing alcohol. If your dog has open sores it's best not to
use the vinegar and alcohol because it will cause a burning
sensation.
If your dog is prone to ear infections you may want to use
a pet ear care product that is specifically formulated to
clean and dry up excess moisture in the ear canal. A dog ear
wash containing Tea Tree Oil, which is also formulated to dry
the ear canal is an excellent choice. Tea Tree Oil's natural
antiseptic, antibacterial and fungicidal properties can help
keep your dog's ears problem free.
It's also a good idea to use a pet ear-drying agent after
bathing or swimming especially if your dog's ears retain
moisture and don't dry promptly. There are many good pet ear
care products available for routine ear cleaning that will
dissolve wax, remove foreign debris and dry the ear canal.
There are also home dog care treatments available that will
kill pesky ear mites and ear ticks.
A dog's ear canal is L-shaped. It descends vertically and
it makes a 90-degree horizontal turn before it reaches the
eardrum. Even though your dog's eardrum is better protected
than a human's, you should still proceed with caution when
cleaning the ear canal. Many vets urge caution when inserting
anything into the ear canal, especially cotton-tipped swabs.
They can actually push dirt and foreign matter deeper into the
ear if not handled properly. You can even lose the cotton tip
in the ear canal.
Start cleaning the external part of the ear by swabbing
inside the earflaps and all around the gnarled area at the
entrance of the ear canal. If you choose to use a
cotton-tipped swab you will need a long type since a dog's ear
canal is much deeper than ours. If your dog will tolerate it,
gently and carefully swab the inside of the ear canal. A much
safer method is to fill the ear canal with a pet ear cleaning
solution and gently massage the outer ear. After a few minutes
allow your dog to shake his head to help clear the ear canal.
If you're using a commercial pet ear care product be sure to
follow the instructions carefully.
Make Ear Inspections An Important Part Of Your Home
Dog Ear Care Routine: Checking your dog's ears only
takes a few minutes so make it a part of your dog grooming
routine. And when your dog's ears need a cleaning don't put it
off. Remember regular cleanings can prevent many common ear
problems. If you think a problem may be developing that is
beyond the scope of your home dog ear care routine, take your
dog to the vet for a check up immediately. An infection, if
left untreated, can be very painful for your dog and could
even damage your dog's hearing.
Article courtesy of Dog-Supplies-Advisor.com a website dedicated to providing dog care advice on a broad range of dog-related topics. Includes informative articles, frequently asked questions, recommendations, and Free Ezine.
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