Why do Dogs Scratch their  Ears?

There are a variety of reasons why a dog will shake his head or scratch his ears. In order to offer your dog the most effective treatment, a veterinarian will need to do an examination, looking at your dog's ears with an Otoscope. This enables him to look inside the ear canal and make an accurate diagnosis. In addition, he may suggest an ear cytology to determine if there is an infection present.

Symptoms of ear infections

Your dog will usually tell you when his ears are bothering him by scratching, rubbing his head against the carpet or furniture, or shaking his head. You may also notice an unpleasant odour coming from your dog's ears when an infection is present.

Sometimes the itching and irritation associated with an ear infection will cause the dog to traumatize the ear, producing what's called an Aural Hematoma. A dog will often vigorously shake his head, causing the rupture of tiny capillaries in the earflap. The ear then fills with blood, taking on a large, swollen appearance.

Causes

Yeast and bacteria is normal flora in the ear canal of dogs, but water, foreign bodies, or excessive hair can lead to a bacterial or yeast overgrowth that causes infection.

Ear mites are very small (they cannot be seen with the naked eye) parasitic insects that inhabit the ear canal of dogs. These mites are picked up from contact with other infested animals. An animal suffering from ear mite infestation will continually scratch at his head and ears. As a result, a bacterial infection may settle in the ears as well.

Fleas around the head area may cause a dog to scratch at the ears. Because the irritation is so intense, the dog may dig at the ears so hard that he ruptures a blood vessel and the earflap fills with blood.

Untreated effects

If left untreated, ear infections and parasites can cause long-term damage to your dog's ear. Chronic ear infections can rupture the eardrum, infect the middle ear and disturb your dog's equilibrium, making him unable to maintain his balance.

Treatment

Treatment of any ear problem begins with an examination of the ear canal. In addition, we may recommend ear cytology to determine the type of infection present.

If your dog has itched so hard that he has produced an Aural Hematoma, the vet will need to place the dog under anesthesia, lance and drain the fluid, and then stitch the incision site.

In severe ear mite infestations or ear infections, your veterinarian may want to do an ear flush. By putting the dog under anesthesia, the doctor is able to thoroughly rinse any debris from the entire ear canal. The treatment of ear mites consists of instilling a liquid medication into the dog's ears once a day for seven days. You then discontinue the medication for seven days, allowing any ear mite eggs to hatch into the adult stage, and then repeat the drops once a day for another seven days. Your veterinarian may also recommend using a flea powder around the outside of the ears to kill any remaining ear mites.

If your dog has been diagnosed with a flea problem, you will need to bathe the dog, as well as treat your home and yard to get rid of the fleas.

Using ear drops

No matter what the diagnosis, your veterinarian will want to send home medication to heal the infection, or a general ear cleanser to keep the ear from becoming infected again.

You should instill the ear drops at the visible opening to the ear canal, then gently massage the ear to help the medication work its way down. Don't worry if your dog shakes his head after you administer the drops--it's a common reaction, but he won't shake it all out.

Follow-up

Your veterinarian may recommend seeing your dog again in a week or so. That's to ensure that the procedure and/or medication have taken care of the problem. Without proper follow-up, an ear problem can linger on, leading to more serious inner ear conditions.

Who's susceptible to ear infections?

Dogs with long, floppy ears, like Cocker Spaniels and Basset Hounds. Unlike dogs with erect ears, pendulous ears do not allow air to circulate. Yeast and bacterial infections are common.

Dogs who go swimming a lot, like Labrador and Golden Retrievers, or dogs that are bathed frequently. Water in the ear canal can lead to infections.

Dogs like the Poodle, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Bichon Frise, who have excessive hair in their ears.

Genetic inheritance. Some breeds, like the Shar Pei, are more likely to suffer recurrent infections.

Back