Monday, March 08, 2010

Care of your dog's Ears

The most common ear problems in dogs is inflammation of the outer ear, technically known as otitis externa. The area between the outside opening and eardrum can become irritated by infections, parasites, allergies, foreign objects. 

Symptoms of Ear Problems


Signs of irritation include scratches, shakes his head, and react painfully when the ears are touched. You can also see a release. Ear hematoma, (a fracture of the blood vessels in the ear flap causing ear flap to swell) is common if irritation goes untreated. Depending on the cause, one or both ears can be affected. 

Diagnose Ear Problems


Your veterinarian will use a Otoscopes look into your ears. She will also take a sample of ear discharge and examine it microscopically to check for signs of infection or ear mites. If infection is present, the sample can be sent to a laboratory for culture. Growing your ear can vet give information on the types of bacteria and types of antibiotics are best way to treat ear. During ear exam, the veterinarian may find foreign objects such as fox-tails or ticks in the ear canal. If your dog ears are very painful, sedation or anesthesia may be necessary to fully examine and treat your ears. 

Common Causes of Ear Problems


Some pets are simply more prone to ear problems either because of their ear structure, allergies or skin diseases. Air Ventilation in the ears are bad for dogs with long, floppy ears, resulting in a warm, moist environment that is perfect for the bacteria and yeast to grow. Certain breeds are also more likely to suffer from skin allergies and disorders such as seborrhea. These skin problems affecting the ears also cause chronic inflammation and susceptibility to infections. 

The inner lining of the ear canal, like the rest of the skin is normally inhabited by bacteria and yeast. These organisms at normal levels are harmless and only cause problems when they multiply out of control. Overgrowth of these organisms to cause irritation, inflammation, foul odor and discharge. Chronic infection can lead to damage of the ear tissue, including breaches of the eardrum. If the eardrum is ruptured, the infection may access the middle ear, causing serious problems such as head tilt, loss of balance and inability to walk normally. Chronic ear infections may require surgery to remove the diseased ear canal (ear ablation) or to improve air flow to the ear (lateral ear canal resection) 

Parasites in the ear include ear mites and ticks. Ear mites are tiny creatures barely visible to the naked eye. You can see the video ear to observe the magnified mites. They are very contagious between animals. They cause severe itching and produce large amounts of black, waxy discharge. The ear mites cause the ears to scratch and PET will scratch at it constantly. This can lead to ear or skin infections and ear damage to deeper structures. Ticks can attach to the inside of the ears. They can irritate the ear canal or prevent, prevents normal ventilation and interfere with hearing. 

The most common foreign bodies in the ears is the fox-tails or grass awns. Those pointy seeds get caught in the pet cat and gradually work their way into the skin, nose, ears and paws, where they can cause major damage. Fox-tails in the ear canal is very annoying. If they are not removed from the ear canal, they can actually puncture the eardrum. 

Treatment for Ear Problems


The first step in treatment of ear problems in your dog is to thoroughly clean the ears. This may require sedation or anesthesia. When the ears are clean, so specific medication prescribed for treatment of the ears. Antibiotics used for bacterial infections, antifungals for yeast, anti-inflammatory irritation and allergy, and insecticides for ear mites. Ear medication is instilled directly into the ear canal and are crucial for an effective treatment for the ears. You should follow your ear medication instructions exactly and treat the full prescribed length, although the ears seem better before. If your ears were especially full of dirt, weekly flushing may be needed to get all remaining out of the ear. 

The last step is to minimize the factors that can put pets at higher risk for ear problems. Skin problems and allergies may react to dietary supplements, antihistamines, or anti-inflammatories. Routine ear cleaning with a product recommended by your veterinarian can help. It is essential that the ears stay clean and pH in the ear adjusted to minimize the return of yeast or bacteria. Do not allow pets in areas that contain fox-tails and control of fox-tails, when they return from the outdoors. If ear problems remain, seek treatment quickly, before your ears get worse. 

For routine cleaning of your pet's ears, usually we use T8 Solution Ear. 

If your pet has a discharge, pain or itching in the ears, you should take your pet to your veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. Using the wrong medicine, will only prolong your pet's problem and takes longer for the ear to heal.

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