Are You Hearing Me?

Ear care is extremely important for your pets.  Are you hearing me?  Okay, no more jokes about a serious pet maintenance issue.  Anyone who has ever had an ear ache as a child or as an adult understands the immense pain this malady creates.  Imagine now being a dog or cat and being able to do little more than feebly scratch at the outside of your ear.  Unfortunately, many times, persistent dogs and cats will manage to get a nail inside the ear resulting in a loud whimper.  The key to ear care for your pet is prevention!  Too often ear itching or head shaking is ignored as "not critical" and it can lead to reduced hearing or even hearing loss.  At the very least it can be very painful for your pet.  Moreover, ear problems are often a symptom of larger pet issues like allergies.

Symptoms of ear problems are typically east to spot and can include the following:

• Foul odor
• Regular scratching at ear or back of ears
• Head-shaking
• Whimpering and "pawing" at ears or face

Additionally, certain dogs are more inclined to be prone to ear infections.  These include:

• Dogs with large, floppy ears
• Most hound breeds
• Dogs with narrow ear canals
• Poor grooming/hygiene that includes excessive hair in the ears

So, what do I do?  Where do I start?  If you are fairly certain your animal has an ear infection it is always smart to begin with a trip to your pet's veterinarian. If your pet isn't displaying any of the aforementioned symptoms or if you just want to start regular maintenance you can start with basic grooming.  This includes a bath (I always recommend a hypoallergenic shampoo - is the only thing we use at Paws & Claws Urbana).  Either as part of the bath or after the main bath is complete using a soft wash cloth that is wet with luke warm water gently wipe away any visible ear debris from the immediate inside of the ear.  DO NOT go inside the pet's ear canal very far.  There are ear flushes available over-the-counter but I don't recommend these unless under the direction of a veterinarian as I have seen issues arise due to improper or excessive flushing.  Additionally I do have clients who flush their pets ears with a mixture of 3 parts water and 1 part white vinegar.  Whether you are simply wiping away easily reached ear debris or attempting to flush the ear pay close attention to your pet's behavior.  Any pain or severe discomfort should signal an immediate stop and a scheduled trip to your vet.  If you notice severe ear debris beyond the outside of the pets ear and/or black crumble like material you will most likely want to see a vet.  This is usually a sign of ear mites.  Cats are very prone to ear mites and while dogs don't get ear mites as readily as cats they can still have mites so pay attention to the debris you are cleaning.

Severe cases of ear infections can require surgery.  Most times adequate cleaning or application of veterinarian prescribed topical ointments or powders can address issues after a thorough cleaning by your vet (this may include putting the dog under anesthesia in order to clean the ear canal(s) adequately.  In animals who have had long-standing ear infections where irreversible damage has occurred to the ear canal/ear drum the vet may recommend a Total Ear Canal Ablation (TEAC).  During this procedure the diseased ear canal is completely removed.  Approximately 50% of all dogs who have chronic ear infections already have a ruptured ear drum and middle ear infection so a TEAC is considered a final option and the dog has all but lost hearing at this point.  Prognosis for a full recovery after a TEAC is extremely good.  That worst case scenario covered don't let your pet get to that point ;)

Listed below is a link to VetDepot.com with some of the ear flushes available and ointments available.  Again, the key to healthy ears is regular maintenance.  Grooming keeps your pets happy AND healthy and in tune with your pet's medical condition.

Til' next time!

https://www.vetdepot.com/ear.html