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Painful, irritated, smelly ears can
cause your dog to shake its head vigorously and scratch at or below its ears.
The causes of ear problems include allergies, parasites, foreign bodies, yeast
or bacteria infection, ruptured ear drum or tumor.
Don't mess with my
ears!
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Ears need
careful examination by a veterinarian to determine the cause of an ear
problem. Don't try to treat ears yourself.
Dogs generally don't like to have their ears examined, and this is
especially true when ears are irritated and painful. Even the most
docile pet may snap or bite under these conditions.
Inappropriate medications or treatment can cause serious problems,
permanent damage and potential hearing loss. If you notice your dog is
frequently shaking its head and scratching at it's ears, or if you
notice an order or discharge coming from the ears, or you notice ears
are inflamed and red, consult your veterinarian.
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| A swab from inside the ear can be examined for yeast,
bacteria, white blood cells, or parasites such as ear mites. The
presence of white blood cells is an indicator that the ear drum may be
ruptured. It's important to know if the ear drum is intact before
treatment, because some medications can cause damage to the middle ear
if the ear drum in broken. |
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A video vetscope provides a live, color view of the vertical and horizontal ear canal, all the way down to middle ear.
The picture (left) was taken with a video vetscope. It shows that the
tympanic membrane (ear drum) is completely gone. Debris from infection
needs to be cleaned away and the dog will need systemic antibiotics to
help clear up the infection. Once the infection is resolved, the ear
drum can grow back.
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