Does your pet have dog ear infection? How can you tell?

Dog ear infection is a common health condition in dogs. It is estimated that at least 20% of the dog population has this condition. Its other name is otitis externa due to the fact that the infection often occurs in the outer ear canal.

Pet guardians sometimes wonder if their dog has a ear problem. They see the dog scratches his ears and shakes its head vigorously. Yet, they do not find any ear debris upon examining their pet's ears.

That's right. Sometimes, an infected dog's ear appears clean without dirt or excessive ear discharge. However, the ear is likely to have a foul odor. This is a sign of ear infection.

Some pets do not display any symptoms of a ear infection. The ear problem was only detected during a regular check-up at the veterinary. The veterinarian probably detected the infection in its early stage, before physical symptoms became apparent to the pet guardians.

Also, our dogs have different threshold for pain and discomfort. Some dogs whine at the slightest discomfort; whilst others remain resilient even when they are in pain.

In fact, a dog's smelly ear may be the first thing you notice when the ear canal is infected.

The foul odor from the ear may indicate a yeast or bacteria infection. Dog ear infection can be both itchy and painful for your pet.

A yeast infection usually produces brown or black ear discharge whilst a bacteria infection has a yellow ear discharge.

Malassezia Pachydermatis is the yeast found most frequently in association with ear infections. It can cause severe ear and skin infections.

Both yeast and bacteria thrive in the warm, dark and moist environment of the ear canal. These micro organisms multiply quickly when there is excess moisture, or when ear wax build up within the ear canal, resulting in a ear infection.

Dog ear infection is curable when diagnosed correctly and treated early. Do not leave an outer ear infection untreated. The infection could spread to the middle ear and inner ear. This could lead to irreversible damage to the ear drum, equilibrium structure and nerve centre in the ear.

Here is a simple tip to keep your dog's ears in the pink of health.

To prevent dog ear infection, make sure your dog's ears are clean and dry.

Clean your pet's external ear canal 1-2 times per week. Use a ear cleaning solution that contains powerful anti-bacteria and anti-fungi properties. It should help change the pH in your pet's ear to discourage the overgrowth of yeast and bacteria.

There is a variety of ear cleaning products you can use to prevent a dog ear infection. They are available through your veterinarian, pet supply store, or you can use natural home remedy to keep your dog's ears healthy.

Select a ear cleaning solution that works for your dog, is easy for you to use, so that you and your pet will agree to keep to the ear cleaning routine.

Go ahead, sniff your pet's ears for the tell tale sign of a dog ear infection.