Dog Ear Infection Symptoms - Head Shaking & Scratching, Discharges

Dog ear disorders are common health problems that required the attention of a vet. The common signs and symptoms of dog disorders are head shaking, ear scratching, and discharges from the ear canal. When your dog display these symptoms, dog ear mites is a highly possible cause.

Dogs with pendulous, more furred ear flaps, such as spaniels are more likely than breeds like German shepherd, with erect ears, to suffer from such ear problems. The more serious ear disorders symptoms would be swelling of the earflap, difficult in hearing and loss of balance.

Swelling of the ear flaps would cause the dog to do chronic heading shaking. This action can cause internal bleeding, especially in older dogs, and the tip of the ears bleed more easily and are more prone to damages from dog bites and other related injuries.

Deafness can be hereditary in some breeds and is very often associated with white coat dogs. Impaired hearing and eventual deafness is a condition often associated with elderly dogs. In cases of temporary deafness, it can be due to excess production of wax or to seborrhea, which produce a yellow malodorous substance that build up in the ear. This symptom is commonly seen in dogs with narrow ear canal like poodles.

Loss of balance is largely cause by infection in the inner ear from the external ear, the infection causes the dog to tilt its head in the direction of the affected ear and the eyes to flick in the same direction. Since the semi circular canals in the inner ear control the balance and movement of dogs, any infection there would make a dog unsteady on its feet.

A proper veterinary examination is advisable when your dog has ear disorder problems. Remember to take note of the signs and symptoms that your dog has shown to help your vet in diagnosing your dog’s ear problems fast and accurate.

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