Dog Ear Care Guides

Ear infections are common in dogs and have many underlying causes. One of the most common reasons is excessive moisture in the ear canals. The excess moisture allows bacteria to grow quickly, which leads to an infection. It might be time to take your dog to a vet for diagnosis if you notice any of these symptoms:

Head shaking accompanied by ear scratching, Redness or swelling inside or outside the ears, Black or yellowish-brown debris (gritty-like substance) inside or around your dog’s ears, Odor near your dog’s ears or an ear discharge.

You should also take your dog to a vet if the scratching and head shaking does not stop in 24 hours, the scratching is accompanied by signs of pain, pus is observed in the ear canal, there is a fever present or you notice bleeding from inside your dog’s ears.

Wiping away any visible debris and cleaning your dog’s ears with a solution of distilled water and vinegar (1:3 ratio) will remove excess bacteria and keep new bacteria from growing.

After cleaning your dog’s ears, you can apply a warm compress to the area to ease pain and remove excess wax.

My dog has been shaking her head, licking her ear constantly… what should I do?

Ear mites are one of the most common causes of ear infections in dogs and should be treated with care, especially if your dog is under 6 weeks old. This could also indicate an allergy to something within the environment. If you are seeing dark brown debris that looks like coffee grounds, this might be a sign of ear mites. Ear mites are parasites that love to live in warm and moist areas, e.g., your dog’s ears!

Make sure to take your dog to the veterinarian right away for treatment or they will continue to bring more discomfort to your dog. The veterinarian will most likely prescribe you an ear mite treatment medication.

Alternatively, if you find the information in this article useful please consider supporting us by purchasing a dog ear infection medicine from us for between $5-15 and help us sustain this informational blog.