Dogs scratch their ears often, but if you notice your furry friend is constantly doing this, you should try to understand why, and once you have found the cause of their discomfort, you should treat them. Most itching is due to parasitic infections, bacterial and fungal ear infections or even foreign bodies that have entered the ear canal (such as blades of grass).
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Immediate Relief
Step 1. Know when to take your dog to the vet
If you find that he is constantly scratching his ears, it is necessary to have him examined. The vet will use an instrument (the otoscope) to deeply analyze the animal's ear canal and check the integrity of the eardrum. Your doctor will also check for other potential causes of your discomfort, such as by taking a swab to diagnose a possible infection.
- If your dog is in severe pain to the point that it is difficult to visit, the vet may decide to sedate and clean the ear. This way the doctor can see the eardrum accurately, as well as facilitating the absorption of topical treatments through the skin.
- Do not attempt to subject your furry friend to topical treatments without first taking him to the vet. If the eardrum is damaged, the drug could penetrate to the middle or inner ear causing permanent damage to balance and hearing (possibly even causing deafness).
Step 2. Be careful with tea tree oil
While some people recommend it to soothe inflammation or skin infection, remember that it contains terpenes, which are toxic to dogs. Pets can tolerate this oil if it is diluted between 0.1% and 1%, but many shampoos, disinfectants, and other topical treatments that you can buy in pet stores contain excessive amounts of it, even harmful. If you decide to use products that contain tea tree oil, make sure it is very diluted.
Be especially considerate in looking for signs of terpene toxicity if you use this oil. Watch out for episodes of nausea, vomiting, and even paralysis in both dogs and cats. Keep in mind that there have been several cases of paralysis, seizures and even deaths associated with the use of tea tree oil
Step 3. Give him antihistamines
If you are unsure of the cause of your dog's itchy ears, you should still try to relieve the discomfort until you can define the trigger. You can give him 2 mg of a common antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine, for every pound of body weight. Usually the drug is in the form of tablets to be taken by mouth three times a day, it works by blocking and preventing inflammation.
See if the itching persists even after starting therapy. In fact, antihistamines are not always completely effective in treating itching in dogs. See if your furry friend benefits from this drug, but keep in mind that only 10-15% of dogs get satisfactory results
Step 4. Offer your four legged friend some temporary relief
Your vet may prescribe a short corticosteroid therapy to temporarily reduce itching, until the antihistamines begin to work. These drugs are powerful anti-inflammatories and are great for relieving itching. If necessary, you can ask your doctor to recommend over-the-counter topical creams that contain on average 0.5-1% hydrocortisone. Apply this ointment to the pinna and around the base of the ear to soothe inflamed skin.
Keep in mind that steroids Not they must be used concomitantly with certain drugs, such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which are generally prescribed to specimens suffering from arthritis. Taking the two drugs at the same time can be deleterious and cause severe stomach ulcers, which can also lead to dangerous bleeding and even death.
Method 2 of 4: Recognizing and Treating Otitis
Step 1. Check for symptoms of an ear infection
This ailment is painful and causes irritation, so the dog may continually rub and scratch the auricle. Also be careful if the area is red, swollen, hot to the touch, foul-smelling, or leaking secretions (such as earwax or pus). The ear can become infected for a variety of reasons (ear mites, bacteria, or fungi), so it's important to take your pet to the vet to get an accurate diagnosis.
If you are concerned that one ear is infected, try comparing it to the other; they should look similar. If one looks different or irritated to you, you are probably dealing with otitis
Step 2. Take your faithful friend to the vet for a visit
Since otitis has multiple causes, it is important that the vet comes to a correct diagnosis so that he can prescribe the right antibiotic drops. If your dog has suffered from ear infections in the past, the doctor will take a swab and take a sample of pus for analysis. In this way it is possible to identify exactly the bacterium responsible for the infection and find the right antibiotics to eradicate it. If otitis is severe, topical ear drop therapy may need to be accompanied by a systemic oral antibiotic.
There are several drugs. The doctor will certainly know how to choose the most suitable for the specific situation of your furry friend and will provide you with all the instructions regarding the dosage and duration of treatment. The type of treatment will greatly depend on the size of the dog and its health condition
Step 3. Clean the pet's ear
Choose a gentle, pH-neutral emollient product that evaporates quickly. Better if it is a liquid cleanser rather than wet wipes, because the liquid substance can better penetrate the ear canal removing pus and infection deeper. Place the bottle nozzle over your ear and spray a generous amount of substance. Close the ear canal with a cotton ball and massage the whole area. Then take off the cotton and wipe off the cleanser that comes out of your ear. Repeat this process until some clean ear cleaner runs off your ear.
- If you later notice that your dog is turning his head to the side, it could mean that his eardrum has ruptured and the cleansing product has touched the delicate area of the middle or inner ear. In this case, stop the treatment and contact your veterinarian.
- Cleaning the ear and eliminating the pus clears the area of a certain amount of bacteria and provides the pet with some relief from itching. However, if the cleaner creates severe discomfort or the pet is in too much pain, stop using it and see your vet.
Step 4. Recognize possible allergies
In some dogs, recurrent and unexplained ear infections could be linked to an allergic reaction. The dog may be allergic to something in the environment around him (to pollen or dust mites) or to an ingredient in the food. Consult your vet about these possibilities if infections occur frequently. Your vet might recommend putting your four-legged friend on a hypoallergenic diet as a test to see if things improve.
Method 3 of 4: Recognizing and Treating Parasites
Step 1. Recognize the signs of an external parasite infection
If you've already examined your dog's ears and both appear healthy to you, the itch could be caused by an external parasitic infection (such as fleas or mange mites). Check the pet's fur for fleas and their droppings by moving the fur on the ears against the grain.
- Fleas move fast, so you don't always get to see them. Their feces look like specks of brown dust, and if you place them on a damp cotton cloth, they turn orange, as they are mostly blood sucked through the bite.
- Sarcoptic mange mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye but, if the dog suffers from this infestation, it shows areas of alopecia especially on the auricles and on the paws.
Step 2. Stick to your veterinarian's treatment
If you think your loyal friend's itch is caused by a flea or mange mite infestation, you need to talk to your doctor to find the right products to kill these pesky parasites and relieve the itch.
There are several very effective and specific products to treat infestations and kill fleas and parasites. Ask your vet to recommend one and tell you the right dosage for your dog
Step 3. Check for signs of an internal parasitic infection (ear mites)
Since it is difficult to see deep into the dog's ear, you may only notice scratches and thick, brown, and even crumbly ear wax. This material is produced by ear mites, parasites that infest dogs quite often. Your vet will need to use magnifying tools (such as an otoscope) to look for fast-moving mites or check for their presence and eggs by placing ear wax on slides and using a microscope.
In otodectic mange, or ear mite infection, these parasites feed on the earwax normally present in the dog's ear canal and infest both the vertical and horizontal canals
Step 4. Follow your vet's directions to treat for this type of infection
At first, your doctor will advise you to administer pyrethrin-based medications that do not require a prescription. Typically this type of medicine is inserted directly into the ear canal once or twice a day, for 10 or 14 days. Topical pyrethrin is safe for dogs, as it does not easily enter the blood system.
- Although this active ingredient is effective against ear mites, it is not suitable for bacterial infections.
- The dog runs a hypothetical risk of intoxication if he ingests the drug, the same goes for another dog who accidentally licks the medicine from your ears. Signs of poisoning include excessive salivation, muscle tremors, agitation and, in extreme cases, seizures. If your pet exhibits these symptoms, place them in a dark, quiet room to minimize external stimuli and contact your vet for advice.
Method 4 of 4: Recognize and Remove a Foreign Body
Step 1. Check if the dog is scratching and tilting his head
Most of the time it could be a foreign body that has entered the ear canal, such as a blade of grass or awn of grasses. You may notice that the dog starts scratching suddenly after walking outside. In other cases, the dog does not show any problems until he returns to the house, bending his head and scratching frantically.
A foreign body, such as a blade of grass, can travel along the ear canal and cause intense irritation; the dog then tends to bend its head in an attempt to get the annoying element out
Step 2. Contact your vet to remove the foreign object
You will likely not be able to see deep into the animal's ear canal in search of the item to be removed, as the canal is "L" shaped and the object may have penetrated beyond the visible space. The doctor, on the other hand, has the possibility to observe in depth thanks to the use of the otoscope (an instrument capable of magnifying and illuminating) and will be able to extract the object using a long special tool called alligator clips.
