Infections are never fun – especially not for our furry friends. Unfortunately, ear infections are very common in dogs, especially floppy-eared breeds like Beagles and Basset Hounds.

It’s absolutely essential to know how to tell if your dogs’ ears are infected as dog ear yeast infection causes massive discomfort and could be a sign of something worse. You may be wondering - why does my dog keep getting ear infections? What are some signs of ear infection in dogs? Most importantly, how do I prevent and treat ear infections?

Tell-tale Signs of an Ear Infection

The ear canals of a dog are amongst their most sensitive body part, so catching symptoms of ear infections isn’t too difficult.

Typically, dogs suffering from an ear infection will try to gain relief by shaking their heads or whining and scratching at the infected ear. The skin around the ear will also become red, scaly and may even swell. Dark discharge with a bad odor will also be commonly found around the ears.  

How Do Dog Ear Infections Start?

Dog Ear infections come from a multitude of sources, but the most common is yeast infections. These infections are a result of an imbalance in the naturally-occurring yeast in our dog’s body. The right level of yeast helps keep their digestive system healthy, but tip the scales and excess yeast will manifest as an infection.

This imbalance could be a result of their medication, diet or are sometimes even a symptom of other, more serious illnesses. In fact, even taking sugary treats can negatively impact your dog as yeast thrives on sugar. An equally tasty and much healthier option isThe Barkery’s Bark Kwa Treats.

Aside from that, dogs with an active lifestyle that involves lots of swimming, running and sweating are at a greater risk of ear infections. As they sweat or come in contact with water, the liquid that stay in the creases of their ears provide a perfect environment for yeast to grow out of control.

Treating Ear Infections

As soon as your dog starts to show signs of an ear infection, it’s important to visit a veterinarian immediately as yeast infections can spread further into your dog’s ear. Only a professional can accurately assess the damage and assign the right kind of treatment.

Typically, when you bring your dog to the vet to treat ear infections, your vet:

1. Will thoroughly cleanse your dog’s ears
2. May prescribe medication to apply directly on your dog’s ear or antibiotics to be taken regularly.

Ensure that you follow your vet’s instructions exactly. In most cases, dog ear yeast infection treatments can resolve the problem in ten to thirty days, but if there are no signs of improvement despite no lapse in treatment, you may want to visit your vet again.

Preventing Ear Infections

Of course, even during treatment, your dog will still experience discomfort. Prevention is therefore often better than cure, especially in this case.

The best way to avoid ear infections is to properly clean your dog’s ears, especially after a long day outside or in a pool. Cotton-tipped sticks are a good tool to use to clean the folds in your dog’s ear and ensure there is no more moisture. However, you should never use these sticks inside the ear canals as they may push debris and bacteria further in and make the situation worse.

Instead, applyTropiClean’s Ear Wash on your dog’s ear and massage it into their ear canals from the outside before wiping away excess liquid. Outside of the ear wash, it’s also beneficial to useEarthbath’s Ear Wipes for less heavy-duty cleaning on a regular basis. 

Ear infections can also be caused by a poor immune system. UseArk Naturals’ Probiotics Supplements to boost your dog’s gut health and immune system to prevent ear infections, especially for dogs that are particularly predisposed to ear infections

Clean your dog’s ears regularly, and the chance that your furry friend will get an ear infection will fall. Ear infections are uncomfortable and could be a sign of worse things to come, so prepare ahead of time and make sure to get your dog to a vet stat, as soon as they exhibit any indication of an ear infection.

TAMMI CHNG

Tammi writes articles about anything from data analytics to animal health, and loves doing the occasional craft. But most importantly, she loves hanging out and doing photo-shoots with her dog.