There are several types of ear problems with dogs that need veterinary care and follow up care and treatment by you the owner. There are ear mites, which are common in cats as well as dogs. Your vet can easily diagnose ear mites and start the treatments. Treatments are usually successful if you diligently follow the vets treatment directions.
Minor ear problems and irritations to the ear tissues can also be successfully treated. It is the chronic ear infections that are painful to the pet and frustrating to the pet owner that need some extra diligence. I have a Basset Hound with very long ears (seen above). Long eared dogs, like my Goober, can have reoccurring ear infections. If your dog has this problem, you know when they start scratching their ears repeatedly, it's time to get them to the vet.
These problems can also be caused by flea allergy, food allergy, or bacteria. Of course if you have fleas, you need to start on flea treatments right away for the pet as well as for your home. Food allergy can be caused by some of the toxic substances in some dog foods. It is important for you to change to a natural, human grade, organic, or holistic dog or cat food.
Minor ear problems and irritations to the ear tissues can also be successfully treated. It is the chronic ear infections that are painful to the pet and frustrating to the pet owner that need some extra diligence. I have a Basset Hound with very long ears (seen above). Long eared dogs, like my Goober, can have reoccurring ear infections. If your dog has this problem, you know when they start scratching their ears repeatedly, it's time to get them to the vet.
These problems can also be caused by flea allergy, food allergy, or bacteria. Of course if you have fleas, you need to start on flea treatments right away for the pet as well as for your home. Food allergy can be caused by some of the toxic substances in some dog foods. It is important for you to change to a natural, human grade, organic, or holistic dog or cat food.
Some of these natural pet foods are made specifically for allergies. There are several excellent choices at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/NaturalDogFoods.html including Natural Planet Organics dog food. Goober loves it and hasn't had any ear problems since eating this food.
Vets usually give you a prescription medication for ear infections to be applied inside the ear. You then need to rub the base of the ear to work the medication down into the ear canal. You will usually be advised to use an ear wash on a regular basis after healing takes place to keep the debris cleaned out and reduce the chance of further infections.
Vets usually give you a prescription medication for ear infections to be applied inside the ear. You then need to rub the base of the ear to work the medication down into the ear canal. You will usually be advised to use an ear wash on a regular basis after healing takes place to keep the debris cleaned out and reduce the chance of further infections.
and click on "Ear" and you will find several excellent ear washes and other ear care products. I particularly like the Ear Cleanser with Aloe Vera. It cleans, dries, deodorizes, acidifies the tissues. Another good product is "Sulfodene Ear Cleaner Antiseptic for Dogs & Cats" which also helps to reduce the chance of further infection. Never use alcohol or harsh cleansers which are not only painful but irritate the already injured tissue.
Ear wash is applied by squirting a bit down the ears and rubbing the base of the ears. Then let your dog shake it out. Take a "Bio-Groom Ear Care Pad"and clean all visible debris from the ear and skin folds in the ear. This should be done twice a week to keep ears clean and ear odor down. Never poke a cotton swab stick down the ear or you could puncture the eardrum. Very serious. In fact, ask your vet to make sure your dogs eardrums are not punctured before using ear dryer. It could cause more serious problems if it gets in the inner ear and is never used on pets with punctured eardrums.
An excellent product for cats is "Lambert Kay Ear-Rite Miticide for Cats & Kittens" which kills ear mites and contains natural Aloe Vera to sooth and help heal.
There are other conditions of the ear. If you see any unusual signs of ear problems get to the vet. It's better safe than sorry! I also like to look up information to educate myself and keep some dog and cat manuals on health care. Some good ones for your pet care education are:
Ear wash is applied by squirting a bit down the ears and rubbing the base of the ears. Then let your dog shake it out. Take a "Bio-Groom Ear Care Pad"and clean all visible debris from the ear and skin folds in the ear. This should be done twice a week to keep ears clean and ear odor down. Never poke a cotton swab stick down the ear or you could puncture the eardrum. Very serious. In fact, ask your vet to make sure your dogs eardrums are not punctured before using ear dryer. It could cause more serious problems if it gets in the inner ear and is never used on pets with punctured eardrums.
An excellent product for cats is "Lambert Kay Ear-Rite Miticide for Cats & Kittens" which kills ear mites and contains natural Aloe Vera to sooth and help heal.
There are other conditions of the ear. If you see any unusual signs of ear problems get to the vet. It's better safe than sorry! I also like to look up information to educate myself and keep some dog and cat manuals on health care. Some good ones for your pet care education are:
- Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook
- Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
- The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat
- Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats : Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions, Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements
- Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook
- Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs
- Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions
- Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs
- The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Dog's Symptoms
- What's Wrong with My Dog?
- Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats
You can find all these and many more wonderful educational pet care books at http://www.everythingnaturalpetfood.com/PetEducationBooks.html and click on the "Pet Wellness Care" on the right side of the page. There are many pages of excellent books for you to browse through. As with all pet health care, you need to know where there is a good pet, have some good book resources to refer to, and have the proper first aide products available.
Also, if you have an emergency preparedness kit for your family, don't forget to include everything your pets will need also. Take the ear medications and other items to keep the ears in good condition if you are forced to leave your home or even be confined to your home.
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