What’s Going On in Those Ears? Common Pet Ear Problems Explained

Have you noticed your pet displaying one of these symptoms: shaking their head, scratching their ears, having a foul smell from their ears or not letting you look at their ears? If so, they may have an ear problem.

Ear Infections

*SEVERE EAR INFECTION CONTAINING WHITE BLOOD CELLS (LARGER PINK AREAS), COCCI (SMALL ROUND BACTERIA) AND RODS/CHAINS OF RODS (ROD SHAPED)

One type of ear problem is ear infections. Ear infections can be caused by various things, including moisture trapped in the ear or allergies. Dogs with floppy ears are more likely to trap moisture in their ears and develop an infection. We will take a swab of your pets ear and look under the microscope to determine what is growing. The organisms can be yeast and/or bacteria (rods or cocci). The treatment for the ear problem is based on what is growing. We may need to re-check your pet after treatment to ensure the infection is resolved.

*MULTIPLE EAR MITES UNDER A MICROSCOPE

Ear Mites

More common in cats is a parasite called ear mites. Ear mites can spread between animals. Similarly to ear infections, we will take a swab of your pets ear to check exactly what is in there to treat accordingly. We will clean your pets ears and typically apply a topical dewormer (also treats ear mites) in clinic. An additional dose may be recommended to ensure the ear mites are completely gone. Other pets in the household may need to be treated as well.

Aural Hematomas

Does your pets ear look puffy? If so, they may have an aural hematoma. An aural hematoma is when the vessels in the ear burst and the ear flap (pinna) fills with blood, often due to excessive shaking. There is usually an underlying ear infection that caused the animal to shake their head in the first place. To treat an aural hematoma you need to treat the underlying infection and the aural hematoma. There are multiple ways to treat the aural hematoma. One way is to drain all the blood that is in the ear, inject a steroid and prevent the pet from shaking its ear (wrapping the head or using an ear cover). Another way is to perform surgery. This involves suturing material (buttons, x-ray film, small pieces of IV lines, etc.) to the ear (removing in 2 weeks) allowing scar tissue to form to prevent the aural hematoma from recurring.

Other

Other possible problems that your pet could have with their ears is a foreign object stuck in the ear, a growth or vestibular disease. The veterinarian will ensure to look in your pets ear and decide the best course of action to determine what is needed to figure out what is happening with your pet.

How to prevent ear infections?

The best way to try and prevent ear infections is by cleaning your pets ears. After they have gone swimming or taken a bath, anytime they could have gotten moisture in their ears, clean their ears as soon as you can. Leaving moisture in the ears will create a breeding ground for yeast and could develop an infection. If you notice your pet shaking their head or scratching their ears, look in their ears and clean them if you see debris. Ensure you use an ear cleaner and not water and ear cleaner has a low pH that yeast does not like.