Anatomy of a Dog’s Ear

It is well-known that dogs have the capability to hear well than humans do. The anatomy of a dog’s ear enables them to have higher sensitivity to a broader frequency of hearing any sound. In fact, the reason why dogs have survived through centuries. Unfortunately, the dog’s ear anatomy cannot save them from any dog ear infections or dog ear problems.

Ear flap - It is also known as pinna, which is the outer ear’s primary part. It can be in the shape of upright, floppy, or pointed. Pinna is composed of skin, hair, and cartilage. It can of hearing infinite amount of movement to regulate in better auditory angles and social cues transmission in dogs.

Ear Canals – Dogs have two types of ear canals: the vertical and horizontal canals. Cerumen is a waxy component that resists water. These two dog ear canals and cerumen protects the ears from water retention.

Inner Ear – It is part of the dog’s ear that is filled with fluid. Its primary function is to transmit sound to the appropriate nerves.

Middle Ear – It is where the ossicles and bulla are located. Ossicles vibrate when waves of sound smash them. On the other hand, bulla is responsible in detecting the lower sound registers.

Based on studies, the anatomy of dog’s ears are capable of hearing range up to 45,000 Hertz, while humans are only up to 23,000 Hertz. It is interesting to learn about dog ears. However, knowing the importance of it should motivate us take care of our dog’s ears. Read this Complete Guide for Dog Ear Care.

Dog Ear Care - A Way To Prevent Dog Ear Problems

One of the most common problems handled by many vets today is the dog ear infection. Surprisingly, most of the dog ear problems can be prevented by the pet owner. Clean, odor-free, pale pink color and a minimal accumulation of wax are indications of healthy ears. Check your pet's ears regularly. Prevent infections and dog ear odor by keeping ears clear of dirt, mites, and excess wax.

A few smart tips for dog ear care.

Avoid Wet Ears

Moisture is easily collected in your dog's ears often after a bath. For long-haired, or floppy-eared dogs such as Cocker Spaniel or Afghan hound dog, to help the ears dry up and to avoid moisture related infections and yeast troubles is particularly crucial. Also, consider using ear wraps to keep the ears out of water and food. They can also be used to help air out the ears.

Regular Grooming

Many pet owners do not realize that dogs can grow hair in the ear canal. Most of the grooming service includes bath and ear cleaning. Ear cleaning can be requested individually too. Keeping the hair short on and around the ear allows more air to reach the ear canal and keeps the internal ear drier. Make sure that the air is not blocked by excessive hair growth may promote better ear hygiene. Plucking hair remains controversy. The best method is to remove overgrowth hair gently, but avoid extensive pulling and plucking.

Regular ear check-ups and cleaning contributes to healthy ears, free of painful infections. When a dog shakes his or her head rigorously, it may be because of the discomfort of the ears.

Pet Insurance

There are a lot of dog insurance plans that cover dog ear infections. Check online if your dog's breed is prone to have ear issues. Hearing is one of the most highly developed senses in dogs. Keeping your dog's ear clean is extremely beneficial to maintain proper health. Check and clean your pet's ear regularly.

Dog Ear Infections – How To Treat and Prevent It?

Dog ear infection is common in dogs. It is can cause discomfort and pain for the dogs. For this reason, it is vital to learn how to determine its symptoms. Being aware of its known symptoms will help you identify if your dog is afflicted by it and how to cure it.

There are several factors that cause dog ear infections. The most common causes are yeast infections, bacteria, allergies, and ear mites in dogs. Constant scratching of ears and shaking of the head are just few of the known effects of ear problems in dogs. A brown-colored and foul-smelling ear wax discharge in your dog’s ears would also be another symptom.

If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, immediately take your dog to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, there are some people who have a tight budget for such veterinary expenses so mostly likely they would prefer doing that.

Generally, dog ear infections are caused by the yeast infection in your dog, so you can initially try to treat this at home. Doing this might help you avoid having a trip to the veterinary clinic and save some money.

If you try a dog ear problem remedy at home, learn how to clean and treat your dog’s ears properly. Home remedies for dog ear problems are helpful; however, if your dog still continues to experience some discomfort and pain, you shouldn’t ignore it. Take your dog to the veterinary.

Preventing dog ear infections begin at home. Keeping your dog’s ears clean and dry especially after a shower is one major step. Also, maintain a healthy and clean environment at home to protect not just your dog’s health, but also yours and your family.

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Common Dog Ear Problems

There are quite a few common dog ear problems. The most common dog ear problem is usually caused by allergies. Your dog may get allergies because of many factors. It ranges from food allergy to external environmental factors like dust, toxic plants, or pollen. Inflamed and itchy ears are common allergy symptoms. Also, your dog may often bite their paws due to itchiness.

The environmental factors that are external can be eliminated by keeping a healthy and clean environment for your dog. This should reduce external causes of allergies such as the pollens and dust. If it is caused by the dog’s allergic reaction to food, you might consider doing some tests to determine which food you should stop feeding your dog. Once you have identified the allergic food, you should replace it with hypo-allergenic dog food. Keeping your dog’s immune system is very important. A regular exercise with a healthy diet should strengthen your dog’s resistance with possible allergies or diseases.

Dog ear infections can also be a cause of many health problems; however, such infections are more likely to occur to dogs with low immune system. The ear infection increases because of the dim, warm, and moist in the dog ears. For this reason, the bacterial and yeast growth will lead to foul odor and other symptoms that affect your dog’s behavior, habits, and health.

The best remedy is to have a veterinary check on your dog ears. The veterinary will do some tests to determine the cause of the dog ear problem, and prescribe proper medication to cure it.

Alternatively, you can prevent this through proper dog ear care.

Solving Your Dog's Ear Problems

A typical dog ear has smooth internal lining with a tiny quantity of wax build-up. When the dog ears get inflamed, irritated, and infected, the indications of dog ear wax discharge, irritation, and unpleasant foul odor will be visible. As a result, dogs will keep on scratching and shaking their heads.

Generally, those dog breeds with long saggy ears and thin ear canals, dogs that live in a warm atmosphere are particularly at risks for ear problems.

Dog ear problems that are untreated can be very dangerous. It can result to ear infections, hematomas, hearing loss, and brain inflammation. Some of the common causes of dog ear problems are ear mites, allergy, and fleas.

Although there are ear cleaners, it is best to have a veterinary check the dog for further diagnosis and treatment. Home treatment and prevention are important too.

Dog Ear Yeast Infection Symptoms

Dog ear yeast infection is commonly caused by the overgrowth of Candida Albicans, a type of yeast. It is often found around the dog's ears. If the dog has poor immune system, most likely the yeast has will multiply greatly. In addition to this, if your dog is suffering from any other disease and is on antibiotic medication, the pH balance get imbalance. The imbalance of pH level in your dog will cause the yeast growth.

There are many external symptoms for dog ear yeast infection. These known symptoms include itchiness, foul odor, and crusty skin. The yeast infection can be in certain parts of your dog's body. Sometimes, it can spread out on the entire body. The moist and warm body areas are prone to yeast infection.

Yeast infection in the dog's ears at an early stage can be cured. Hence, dog owners should be aware and learn how to determine if their dogs are afflicted by this type of infection.

Learn how to spot and avoid ear yeast infection on your dogs before it's too late.