written by Janie Knetzer |  

The cycle of repeated infections can be a daunting thing for both the owner and pet. When Fido develops a dog ear infection, he will typically paw at the ears and shake his head quite often. These types of infections can cause your pet pain and frustration. If you love your pet, then chances are that you will suffer as much as he/she does once you realize just how painful it can be. Compare it to an ongoing ear-ache and that will give you a good idea of what your dog is dealing with.

Although infections occur internally within the ear of the pet, ear infections are relatively easy to spot. The ears will be noticeably red inside. Another noticeable sign of an ear infection is if your dog frequently rubs the ears. They can also develop a dark wax substance inside the ears when a dog ear infection is present. This smelly substance is actually “yeast” and yeast thrives in warm-moist areas such as the ears.

Dogs can get ear infections for various reasons. Some of these reasons include yeast infections, fungal infections , and ear mites. Dogs with floppy ears often develop more ear infections than others. Fur inside the ear canal is also a reason that that makes certain dogs prone to ear infections.

Unfortunately for owners, dogs that love the water and swim a lot are often at high risk for problem ears. If you own a Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever or another breed of dog that loves the water, then your might find yourself with a pet that has an on going ear infection.

If not completely dried after swimming, then ear infections may become a common problem. Although there is nothing you can do to prevent a dog’s natural desire to swim, there are many things that every dog owner can do to help the dog’s ears stay healthy in the long run.

The best way to ensure the health of your dog’s ears is to keep them clean. If you keep your dog’s ears clean and keep the pH balance in check, then chances of an ear infection drop by at least fifty percent.

Follow these simple instructions for keeping your dog’s ears healthy:

Vinegar and Water: A home cleaning solution that many pet owners have found effective is a solution of fifty percent vinegar and fifty percent water. This solution serves as an inexpensive cleaner that can be used at home.

Cotton Balls: Since a dog’s ears are obviously larger than a human’s it is necessary to use something larger than Q-tips to clean a dogs ears. Cotton balls are a good solution to this.

Rub: After you have prepared the solution of vinegar and water it is time to use it. What you want to do is to dip a cotton ball in the solution and gently clean the dog’s ears. After you have done that use a dry cotton ball to clear out any left over residue. By doing this regularly, your dog will have a decreased chance of developing an ear infection. These same steps should be followed prior to applying ear infection medication.

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