Why dogs get ear disease
A dog's ear is shaped very differently from a human ear. The human ear canal is straight and runs horizontally to the inner ear. A dog's ear canal opens at the top of the head, runs straight down and only then turns at a right angle towards the inner ear. On top of that, some dogs have floppy ears that partly cover the ear opening, so the canal can get very hot and moist.
Many things can irritate a dog's ear. Foreign bodies can get stuck in it, and sometimes ear mites live in the canal. The original cause of the inflammation is often hard to find. Because of the inflammation, the dog often scratches its ears hard, and this leads to infection.
How to tell if your dog has ear disease
Ear disease is not hard to spot:
- the dog shakes its head from side to side;
- it often scratches its ears or rubs them on the ground;
- the ear smells bad and the ear canal is full of dark discharge;
- some dogs simply sit with their head tilted to one side.
Sometimes a dog shakes its head so often and so hard that a blood vessel in the ear flap bursts and a haematoma forms. Surgery may then be needed to drain the blood.
Why the vet cannot prescribe treatment over the phone
Even if your dog has had ear disease before, there is no guarantee that the cause is the same as last time. The vet needs to look inside the ear with an otoscope to see how badly it is damaged and to make sure there are no foreign bodies. If a foreign body is not removed, the ear can be damaged permanently.
How ear disease is treated
Your dog will need medicine to reduce the irritation. Treatment depends on the cause: any foreign bodies are removed, and ear mites or infection are given specific treatment. Sometimes the vet needs to take a sample of the ear discharge to decide which treatment is needed.
The vet may prescribe ear drops or even tablets. But if the ears are not cleaned properly, the drops will not be able to work. In more severe cases the ears may need to be flushed at the clinic, while in milder cases the vet will show you how to clean your dog's ears properly at home.
To help your dog recover as quickly as possible, follow the vet's instructions carefully and finish the full course of treatment, even if your dog seems better early on.
Can I use ear drops I already have at home?
No. Never put anything into your dog's ears without talking to your vet first. Even if the drops were prescribed for your dog in the past, today they may do more harm than good. Many drops go off a few weeks after opening. And this time the inflammation may have a completely different cause.
Remember that inflammation can make your dog's ears very itchy and painful, so see a vet as soon as you can.
What happens if you do not bring your dog in for treatment?
It is very unlikely that the inflammation will clear up by itself. The longer you wait, the harder it is to cure. Each recurrence damages the ear canal further. Its walls can thicken so much that air can no longer reach the inside of the ear. Part of the ear canal then has to be removed so that medicine can reach the inner ear.
Why ear inflammation keeps coming back
Some dogs are simply prone to ear infections:
- Dogs with long, floppy ears. These ears do not get enough air, and the hair growing in the ear gets matted with discharge, which makes things worse.
- Dogs that love swimming. Water that gets into the ears is an ideal place for microorganisms to multiply.
- Dogs with allergies. They also often get ear inflammation. Read more on our allergy treatment page.
How to stop ear problems coming back
Unfortunately, in some dogs relapses cannot be avoided: once a dog has had ear inflammation, it is very likely to come back. What you can do:
- check your dog's ears regularly and see your vet as soon as you notice they are red or itchy;
- clean your dog's ears regularly, but do not overdo it, as cleaning too often damages the ear;
- unless your vet advises otherwise, clean the ears once a week;
- if a lot of hair grows in the ear, it should be plucked so the ear can get some air.
You can read about ear examinations and treatment at the clinic on our ear treatment service page.
