Is your dog shaking his head or scratching his ears?  If so, your dog may have an ear infection.  You may also notice a foul odor, yellow-brown discharge, and redness & inflammation.  Just like in humans, it’s very painful and should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.   The veterinarian will take a sample from the ear and look at it under the microscope to determine the type of infection in order to properly treat it.  If you catch an infection early, it may only be malassezia, which is yeast, normally found on the skin in certain locations.  An abnormal overgrowth can cause a yeast infection and inflammation.  If the yeast infection is not treated in time, it may develop a secondary bacterial infection.  The veterinarian will need to clean out the ear and put the treatment of choice inside.  At Ez Vet, we have a very convenient gel for yeast infections that conforms to the heat inside the ear and stays in for 7 days, with nothing required of the owner.  We can also mix it with an antibiotic if there is bacteria too.

Yeast infections can be caused by several things.  If the ear canal becomes wet from swimming, getting a bath, grooming, or even high humidity, yeast and bacteria can grow.  Dogs with big floppy ears are more prone to ear infections because they don’t have good airflow into the canal.  A good way to prevent them is to clean the ear out at home after going for a swim or getting a bath.  You can purchase a solution from your veterinarian.  It’s very important for owners not to use a q-tip, as it can damage the ear drum if not careful.  The best way to clean the ear is to insert the solution and massage the base of the ear.  Next, you want to insert a big cotton ball into the ear canal and let your dog shake its’ head.  During that time, the solution will get deep in the ear and not all over you or your house.  You can then remove the cotton ball (full of solution) and wipe around the outside of the ear.

Ear infections can also be caused by allergies such as the environment or food.  The allergy causes inflammation in the skin, allowing for yeast and bacteria to grow.  If you dog gets a lot of ear infections and has been itching his body, you might want to look into finding the cause of the itching to reduce the occurrence of ear infection and give your dog relief from itching.

At Ez Vet, we can diagnose and treat ear infections right in the station.  We also have a variety of treatment options for you to choose from.  Ear cleaner is always in stock to help you prevent future ear infections.  We can offer pain medication, which is very important for the first few days while the inflammation is present.  Let Ez Vet conveniently treat your dogs’ ear infection!

Yes, it is early winter but that doesn’t mean you can stop worrying about ticks.  Or maybe you should start worrying about ticks if you haven’t yet considered the threat of tick diseases.  Did you know ticks become active at 45 degrees or higher?  With warmer winters, you still need to be diligent about flea and tick control as well as heartworm prevention.

Why worry about annoying little ticks?  One, they are creepy little parasites that like to stealthily crawl on us or our pets and take a bite.  But more importantly, they carry nasty infectious diseases that are transmitted when they bite.  We have several species of ticks in the Northern Virginia area that can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis, or even cause tick paralysis.  Amazingly, a single female tick can lay up to 6,000 eggs.  Ticks like to hide in long grass, bushes, and brush where they are just waiting for your pet or you to walk by so they can latch on for a delicious blood meal.

So what can you do if you find a tick on your pet?  For proper removal, use blunt tweezers and wear disposable gloves if possible.  Grasp the tick close to the skin attachment and pull with slow steady pressure for the tick to release and come loose.  It is important to get all of the tick without leaving any mouthparts behind.  Disinfect the area and wash your hands with soap and water.  You can preserve the tick in alcohol for identification or take a picture on your smart phone camera so that you can magnify.

Okay so now you realize that tick control is important.  What can you do to protect your furry family member?  There are many flea and tick prevention products on the market.  Topical medications are available such as Frontline, Advantix, and such but you must follow certain guidelines about bathing your animal for best results.  Bravecto is an oral chewable tablet that provides 3 months of protection that we carry at our EZ Vet Stations.  A vaccine is available for Lyme disease as well which should be part of your dog’s routine vaccination protocol.

If you need more facts about tick borne diseases, IDEXX has a map that you can access online for your region at www.dogsandticks.com/map.  Northern Virginia has had approximately 85+ cases of Ehrlichiosis, 850+ cases of Lyme, 350+ cases of Anaplasmosis, and 85+ cases of heartworm disease reported just from the IDEXX laboratory system in the past 5 years.  These numbers only reflect their lab cases, not other tests run by other laboratories or veterinary offices.  That is a lot of tick borne disease cases!

Anesthesis-free dentals for pet’s dental hygiene.

February 1^st starts the beginning of National Pet Dental Health Month.  Bad breath and discolored teeth are more harm to dogs and cats than most owners realize.  Studies in dogs have shown oral disease causes changes to the kidneys, liver, and heart.   Periodontal disease is one of the most commonly diagnosed health issues in dogs and cats, by three years of age.  The best way to manage oral disease is by PREVENTION!

Periodontal disease begins in the mouth when bacteria form a substance that sticks to the teeth, called plaque.  Minerals in the saliva harden the plaque and form tartar.  Plaque and tartar will move under the gum line if not treated and damage the tissues that surround the tooth.  This process causes inflammation, pain, and redness of the gums, and eventually loose teeth from the breakdown of the tissues and bone surrounding them.  Bacteria that is in the mouth can enter the blood stream and “shower” all the organs in the body, causing the changes in the kidneys, liver, and heart.

Treatment of periodontal disease is based on the severity.  In the early stages an anesthesia-free dental may be appropriate (available at EZ VET). The dogs and cats are not anesthetized, and they still receive a proper scaling and polishing.  If the severity is moderate to severe, going under anesthesia is necessary to take radiographs to see what is going on under the gum line and to extract any teeth that can’t be saved.  After either treatment, maintenance is a vital part of keeping your pets mouth healthy.  There are several options that can help prevent periodontal disease and maintain a healthy mouth after treatment.

Again, the best way to manage periodontal disease is prevention, starting from an early age.  There are many different types of products that work to prevent disease, including a liquid that you put in the drinking water, oral wipes you use to wipe the teeth, oral gel that goes on the teeth, dental treats, dental diets, dental rinse, and even a toothbrush with some toothpaste (made for dogs & cats, NOT human toothpaste!).  Chewing on bones help remove the plaque but they can actually do more harm by breaking the teeth, especially in puppies.  If you start brushing the teeth or wiping them with the dental wipes at an early age, they will learn to tolerate it; it’s harder to start when they are adults because they aren’t used to anyone going in their mouth.   At Ez Vet, we have several options on hand that we can show you how to use, we can guide you with the store products, and we offer anesthesia free dentals. If you remember anything from this article, PREVENTION, PREVENTION, PREVENTION!