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!