Ear infections in dogs are not all that uncommon, and they are very much treatable, however if your dog does have an ear infection, you do want to get it treated as soon as possible so damage to your dogs ears do not occur as well as the longer you take to fix it, the longer your dog will feel miserable or be in pain.
If you are human, I am sure you have had an ear infection probably at least once in your life, and some of us more than once! If you are lucky enough to of never had one – consider yourself lucky! Whether you are a human or a dog – the ears need to be clean to prevent infections from happening, not only is it not fun for your dog but each time your dog gets an ear infection and you need to have it treated – those costs will add up quite a bit pretty quickly!
If your dog’s ears look nasty, one thing you can try pretty easily first at home is by taking a washcloth, or cotton ball with mineral oil and gently try wiping out your puppy’s ears, going no deeper than the first bend on your finger (typically 1-inch MAX or less)
“Ear Mites” are a common cause to your dog having an ear infection, mites plus an ear infection = more mites and worse ear infections and it will keep getting worse until you take care of the problem. Watch for your puppy scratching his/her ears, or even just not acting like normal. Check the ears!
I suspect my dog has an ear infection, but how do I know if my dog has an ear infection?
There are a few questions you must ask yourself that will help you find out or not.
1. When is the last time your dog’s ears were cleaned?
If you have not cleaned your dog’s ears in quite some time, the possibility of them having an ear infection is much higher.
2. Do your dog’s ears look healthy, pink and clear of dirt?
If your pups ears look clean and healthy as far down as you can see, that is great!
3. Do your dog’s ears have a foul smell?
Your dog’s ears should not have any nasty smell coming from them if they do then your dog most likely 99% of the time has an ear infection!
4. My dog’s ears smell fine, look fine, and I keep up with cleaning them or having a professional clean them, but I still suspect an ear infection or something wrong with my dog’s ears! Now what?!
When in doubt, put the safety and health of your dog first, take them to your local licensed veterinarian and have your dog checked out!
So… What is the best way to prevent your dog from getting an ear infection? The answer is simply to do your best to keep your dog’s ears clean as good as you can, and also keeping up on some kind of dog ear mite medicine! Prevention for anything is always BEST & CHEAPER for you and your dog compared to treatment!
If you do not feel comfortable cleaning your dog’s ears, or you do not know how, as your local vet or find a reputable dog breeder that can show you how if you would like to learn, if not, you need to find someone to help you clean your dogs ears and try to do it on a monthly basis or every few months at least!
At your local pet store, big box store, or even at your vet – there are many very affordable products that help with the early treatment and prevention of ear mites, as well as things to help you keep your pups ears clean! If you keep your dog’s ears clean, and free of mites, you should not have any ear infection problems in your future!
If you got your puppy from us and ever have any questions or need any tips, we are always a phone call or text away from giving you the best advice that we can!