Care of dog ears

Some dogs' ears don't ever require any attention to stay healthy. Don't you wish your dog was one of those. I have one dog like that. Very nice.

Other dogs require almost constant attention. You don't want that kind. I have one of those, too, and I love him. But it would sure be nicer if he didn't have that problem. He needs daily allergy medicine and weekly cleaning and medicine.

Most dogs are in between. They may need their ears cleaned occasionally. Big deal.

Usually it's the flop ears that have the most problems. I guess it's nice and warm and moist inside those ears.

It's generally pretty easy to know if your dog's ears need help.

Checking for problems:
- Look inside. Does it look clean? It should.
- Sniff inside. Can you smell anything? You shouldn't.
- Look again. Does it look red or inflamed? It shouldn't.
- Watch your dog. Does he scratch or paw at his ears? Shake his head? He shouldn't.

If all those things are as they should be, congratulations. You're one of the lucky ones.

If all are wrong, too bad. You've got a problem. A trip to the vet is in order. With luck he can solve the problem with a simple treatment, and you can prevent new problems with occasional cleaning and paying attention.

If only some are wrong, you can start by getting a bottle of dog ear cleaner from your pet supply shop and following the instructions. If that doesn't fix the problems soon it's time for a visit to the vet.

Some things that can go wrong with your dog's ears:

- Injury
- foreign object - foxtails, for example
- insects inside - ants, ticks, etc.
- infections - very common
- allergies - common and often leading to ear infections

For most dogs an occasional simple ear cleaning with a few drops of inexpensive cleaner is all that's required. You can get the ear cleaner at any pet shop. Just put a few drops into each ear then rub the ear for a minute or two. He'll shake his head as soon as you permit him to, and you're done. When you clean his ears you should also go through the steps listed above to check for problems.

For the more difficult dog ears you can follow your vetrinarian's instructions. He'll probably instruct you to use an antibiotic two or three times a day for 10 days, then follow up with frequent cleaning. Be sure to ask him to define "frequent." He probably means once a week.

Sister sites:
Auntie Donna's Dog care and training tips

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