Dec 13, Dog Ear Infection - Symptoms and Home Remedy Treatment for Ear Infection in Dogs

Depending on a host of different factors, your pooch could end up suffering from a dog ear infection.

The condition can cause a substantial amount of pain and discomfort in a dog, so you'll want to know how to recognize it and what you should do about it. The good news is that ear infection in dogs is highly treatable and preventative measures can also be taken to help ensure that problems don't arise to begin with.

Picture shows a Vet is checking a dog for ear infection.

The two primary sources of dog ear infection are bacterial infections and yeast infections. There are natural balances of both bacteria and yeast in your dog's inner ears. Either one of these can become out of whack for a variety of reasons, potentially leading to overgrowth and a resulting infection. While these two problems are somewhat related you should be able to differentiate between fairly easily.

A bacterial ear infection in dogs could lead to unusual or excessive discharge from the ears, swelling and pain, and redness. The most important distinguishing characteristic is a pungent odor that you'll notice, and definitely recognize if you clear out your dog's ears from wax.

A yeast dog ear infection will carry some of those same symptoms, but could also lead to scaling, dryness and itching. This kind of infection can also spread to other areas of the dog's face. The odor from a yeast ear infection in dogs will be chalky, so you should be able to differentiate between these two primary causes.

Depending on the type of dog ear infection that your pal is suffering from your veterinarian could prescribe or suggest several different medication options. These include Otomax ear drops and Cephalexin antibiotic for bacterial infections, and Mometamax ear drops for yeast infections. In either case, Epi-Otic Flush or Temeral-P can also be used depending on your vet's recommendations.

Or, you may try home remedy dog ear infection treatment using white vinegar (also called as acetic acid). You have to dilute the vinegar using 1 part vinegar with 1 part water. After that you apply it with a squeeze bottle with a nozzle. This will change the pH in your dog's ear canal and make it an unpleasant place for yeast or bacteria to grow.

Dog ear infection can be caused by a variety of different factors. Often times they can be caused from a situation in which the dog was immersed in water. Water that then doesn't get removed from the inner ears can lead to imbalances and growth changes. So if you take your dog swimming or give him a bath, be sure to dry those ears out. Also regularly clean out your dog's ears in any case. Instead of using Q-tips those, use soft cotton balls. You can coat these in an ear cleanser for an effective and quick preventative cleaning.

Ear infection in dogs can also stem from hormonal imbalances and hereditary or genetic conditions. For example hypothyroidism can lead to a dog ear infection and can be treated with Soloxine from your veterinarian. Certain breeds of dogs are more prone than others and dogs with very floppy ears are also more likely to suffer from dog ear infection because it's easier for water and other substances or materials to get trapped in their ears.

It's also common to mistake certain ailments with ear infection in dogs when there are actually other causes. For example if your dog rolls around in the grass a lot, particularly high or weedy grasses, a foxtail could get caught in his ear. This can really get lodged up there and it will be very painful to the touch, causing a lot of discomfort. You can try to remove this with a pair of tweezers but they could become so deeply rooted that you may need to go to the vet for help.

Other ear problems that your dog can run into besides a dog ear infection will be infectious ear mites. These are usually received via contact with another animal that has the problem, and can be treated with specific medications. Fleas, ear tumors and of course direct trauma or impact on or near the ear can also lead to ear problems and can be mistaken for ear infection for dogs. Be sure to consider all of the possibilities and do your best to find out what's really causing the symptoms so you know how to proceed.

You might love those floppy ears on your pooch but they can make your dog more susceptible to ear infection in dogs. Even other breeds with smaller or pointed ears can be susceptible to dog ear infection. Learn to recognize between bacterial and yeast infections, along with all of the other potential ear ailments your dog could be suffering from and you'll be able to find the right course of action.

 

Jan 1, Dog Hot Spots - Dog Skin Allergies Causes and Home Remedy Treatments

Dog hot spots are a very commonplace problem that dog owners are going to run into, particularly with dogs that have thicker, longer coats of fur.

While they might be a hassle for you to deal with, they are even more annoying and irritating to your pooch. The problem is something that snowballs on itself, with the actions causing it continually also making it worse and worse. Learn about the symptoms and causes of dog hot spots, along with how you can treat them.

Every dog owner can probably recognize dog hot spots when they see them. These dog skin allergies or problems are irritated, red patches, often moist or oozing. Typically the hair in that patch will have fallen out. Conversely, the hair could be matted over the moist wound, hiding the true extent of the damage, while also providing an incubating moist environment that could lead to further and worsening infections than were originally present.

Dog hot spots are caused when your dog repeatedly itches, licks and even bites or gnaws at one particular area. The scratching and biting can open up the skin, leading to infection, or spreading infections that are present. This behavior just doesn't pop up in most cases however, there's always an underlying cause or reason for it.

Many times a dog will start going after a particular spot because he has been bitten by fleas Dog Flea Control)or other mites, insects or parasites. There could also have been an allergic reaction to something, some kind of bacterial infection and so on. Alternatively, in rarer cases dog hot spots could be sparked by stress or behavioral problems in the dog. In other words, there is no physical underlying cause for the behavior that then worsens the problem.

Another factor to keep in mind with dog hot spots is that they can seemingly pop up from out of nowhere, becoming large and seemingly serious without warning. This is because once the process begins and your dog is focused on it and bothered by it, just a day or even a few hours could be enough time for the animal to really go to work on it, creating a large problem when nothing was even visually present earlier.

Dog hot spots can often be treated at home with some careful care and cleaning. You need to remove the hair from the area so as to really see all of the damage, while also preventing the trapping of moisture by the fur which furthers infections. For small problems and short hair, you can cut or clip it off. Otherwise carefully shave off the fur in the area.

Once the area is fur-clear then you have to clean the wound. Use mild soaps and cleansers or specific dog skin cleansers with some cool water and a clean cloth to completely cleanse the area. You can then apply hydrocortisone spray to help reduce itching, give your dog antihistamines such as Benadryl or try some alternative anti-itch treatments such as a cold compress soaked in green tea. Leave the wound open as opposed to wrapping it up in bandages so that it airs out.

Another home remedy treatment that you can use is using Listerine antiseptic mouthwash. Put Listerine, mineral oil or baby oil and water into a bottle with 1-to-1-to-1 ratio. Then, apply the mix to the infected area. You may apply this mix as often as you want, depends on the severity of the hot spots. If your house does not have Listerin, you can use Apple Cider Vinegar. Put Apple Cider Vinegar into a spray bottle and spray on the hot spots area. Any skin eruption will dry up in 24 hours.

It's crucial that you prevent your dog from continuing to itch and bother the area, because this is what causes dog hot spots and enlarges and worsens them to begin with. In addition to these treatments you may need to use an Elizabethan collar, one of those large cones around the neck to prevent licking, biting and gnawing.

This takes care of the physical condition but keep in mind you need to understand and treat the root cause as well. Your veterinarian may need to prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, or you may need to apply topical flea creams or sprays, or other specific treatments depending on the cause. Some wounds from hot spots can be bad enough that they require antibiotic treatment on their own, and in some cases even stitches.

Remember that at the root of dog hot spots can be any number of different factors. Home remedy treatments can be very effective at taking care of the visual problem, but the underlying cause may still need medication. Dog hot spots are no fun for anybody, but the good news is that once detected the problem can be dealt with accordingly.