Page 34 - Chow Life - Spring 2018

Getting an Earful

By Sue Owens Wright

Thump, thump, thump . Flap, that dog.” [See sidebar for common environment for overgrowth of
flap, flap. Rub, rub, rub. That risk factors.] normal organisms that then can
syncopation of ear scratching, head Outerbridge has treated many increase in high enough numbers to
shaking, and the Rug Rub Boogie breeds for ear infections but sees cause an infection.”
may be all too familiar to you if your the problem most often in dogs If you suspect your dog has an
dog is plagued with frequent ear with allergies. “Dogs with allergies ear infection, don’t delay consulting
infections, but it’s not music to his often get itchy and inflamed ears,” your veterinarian. She’ll do a
ears. she says. “They also produce more thorough ear examination, test for
Inflamed or infected ears are earwax. Too much earwax in some bacteria, yeast, or mites, and review
painful and can affect dogs of dogs increases inflammation. your dog’s medical history for any
any age, although breeds with Inflammation increases the possible underlying problems. If the
certain health conditions are more temperature, trauma from itching infection is advanced and your dog
susceptible than others. Long-eared increases inflammation, and the has severe pain, it may be necessary
dogs, dogs with hairy or narrow cycle goes on, leading to a better for the doctor to sedate him and
ear canals, and waterloving dogs
are more prone to problem ears.
If you notice your dog tilting his
head oddly, a dark brown discharge
coming from reddish, swollen ear
canals, or if he yelps when you
touch his ears, he probably has Outer Ear
an infection. He may have trouble
eating, vomit, or lose his balance
if the infection is severe. And of
course it’s easy to tell that trouble
is brewing when you get a whiff of
stinky ears!

A Viscous Cycle
A dog’s ear canal consists of the
external ear canal, the middle ear
and eardrum, and the inner ear,
which controls balance. If an ear
infection goes unchecked, it can
spread through the eardrum to the Middle Ear
inner ear, leading to permanent Inner Ear
damage and hearing loss.
“Small numbers of bacteria
and yeast are normal in the
ears of dogs,” says Dr. Catherine
Outerbridge, assistant professor
of clinical dermatology at the UC
Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching
Hospital. “Infection occurs when
bacteria or yeast increase in
numbers within the ear
canal … because of any
number of risk factors in
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