Ear Problems
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by: eileen43302
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As a dog owner, most of us have had to deal with an ear problem or two over the years. Unfortunately some ear problems are persistent and chronic.
Some breeds are more prone to develop ear problems than others. Cocker Spaniels are one of these breeds. In general dogs with long floppy ears have more ear problems than dogs with erect ears. The hanging ears create a warm moist environment perfect for bacteria to grow.
When your dog has a problem with his ears there are usually signs but not always. Usually in erect eared dogs you can see some redness or swelling. Sometimes you can smell a bad odor coming from your dog. If you do detect an odd odor from your dog it is a good idea to check his ears for any problems.
Ear problems can be very itchy sometimes. A dog will often scratch at their ears or even rub them on the floor to get some relieve. This constant itching often causes more damage to the ear if left untreated. If the ears get to painful to scratch a dog will often resort to shaking his head. Sometimes an owner does not always connect the head shaking to an ear problem until it is too late.
Constant head shaking will eventually cause hematomas. The violent head shaking causes broken blood vessels in the ear flap. The blood has nowhere to go so it pools in the ear flap causing a blood bubble. This is called a hematoma.
Hematomas usually need to be surgically opened and allowed to drain. As you can see quick treatment is best. Treatment usually consists of ear drops and antibiotics. This is far less expensive for you and less traumatic for your dog.
Ear problems are often connected to other allergies. I had two dogs with skin problems that fell into this category. Extra care also needs to be taken with dogs that like to swim. Always dry their ears well and you may want to ask your vet about an ear product that helps dry and or keep the ear dryer. There are several products for this purpose.
I have two dogs right now that have had ear problems in the past. One is a German Shepherd and the other is a Siberian Husky and both have erect ears. It seemed about every 3-6 months their ears would get red and itchy. Treatment with antibiotics and drops did help but the problem would reoccur. Over the years I have tried some home remedies to help soothe itchy ears and prevent future incidents. I did find that zinc powder such as gold bond did seem to give temporary relief and sometimes resolved the problem if caught quickly.
After all these years I have found a home remedy that has worked like magic for me and others. It is tea tree oil. I had been looking into natural remedies for our family and picked up some tea tree oil. It has many uses. It is used for itching and can be added to shampoo. It is also good to clean abrasions. it has antibiotic and anti fungal properties. I suggest you read more about it and decide for yourself but we think it is a wonderful thing to have around for your family and pets.
Anyway one of the dog’s ears were getting red and itchy again so i wiped them out with the tea tree oil and we did not have another problem for about 6 months. the next time I did the same and now it has been about 2 years since either dog have had a problem with their ears.
I have recommended this to a few people with very good results also. My sister was one of them. Her dog Bella has chronic ear problems. Each year they seemed to get worse. the last time she had to have surgery to drain a really bad hematoma. After she healed from than incident I recommended the tea tree oil and she has not had any further problems since.
I am not saying it will work for everyone but if all else fails you may want to try it. I know it has been wonderful solution for many of us. You can find tea tree oil in many stores in the 1st aid isle usually or at health stores such as G.N.C.
I would love to hear feed back from anyone who tries the tea tree oil.
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