Puppy Gal's Opinions On
Medical Information - Ears
Some signs to be aware of in regard to ear problems are:
- Odor
- Scratching or rubbing of ears and head
- Discharge
- Redness or swelling of the ear flap or canal
- Shaking of the head or tilting it to one side
It is estimated that up to 20% of the dog population is affected by an ear disease of which the main causes are:
- Foreign bodies - plant seeds/parts
- Microorganisms - bacteria and yeast
- Parasites - ear mites, ticks, fleas
Foreign Bodies such as plant seeds that cling to our clothes and our dogs' fur, can sometimes enter the ear canal.
Flap Style Ears due to a lack of air circulation bacteria and yeast could not ask for a better environment to live in than a warm, dark, moist ear canal.
- Yeast Infections results in a brown waxy exudate and a bad odor. Daily cleaning of the ears will help, but often these infections are difficult to treat. We have recommended using Otomax, an antibiotic-steriod. You can get this product from your vet or if they do not have this product in stock get them to write you a prescription so it can be purchased from PetCareRx, Inc.
- Bacterial Infections have a bad odor and often a yellowish exudate. Daily ear cleaning will often times resolve this situation, but if it is a severe or chronic condition, antibiotics will be necessary. In this case we again recommend Otomax as explained above.
Ear mites: Ear mites can cause a dry, dark, crumbly debris in the ear that resembles coffee grounds. For this condition, ear cleaning followed by an ear medication to kill mites will eliminate the problem. My experience has been that only preseciption medications are affective and give fast long lasting relief/resolution.
To test for mites take a q-tip and extract some of the debris, put it on a black or very dark surface (black trash bag is best but you may be able to use a dark blue Wal-Mart plastic merchandise bag) Ear mite medicine can be purchases from an online Pet Supply company
Warning: If your dog has a ruptured or weakened eardrum, some ear cleansers and medications could do more harm than good.
See the English Bulldog - Grooming - Ears Forum for information on how to clean your Bullies ears prior to using any of the above treatments.
See this website for more information and less common problems affecting the ear.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1644&articleid=273
Information presented here is strictly my opinion based upon research and/or 50 years experience at rescuing animals of all sorts. Consult your vet and perhaps even get a second opinion from another vet about all you read on my website.