Dog Illness Symptoms

A common dog infection is that of the ears. These can be caused by such things as untreated ear mites, grass seeds, wax build up as well as wet ears after either swimming or more usually wet ears which have not been dried properly after the owner has bathed their dog.

The signs that a dog may have an ear infection include the dog scratching the ear, shaking the head or holding the head to one side, obviously if the dog winces or yelps in pain when the ear is touched indicates that there may be a problem. It is important to take the dog to the vets for a professional diagnosis, it is strongly advised not to use cotton buds to try and remove excess wax or discharge as this will push any foreign objects further down the ear canal.

If an ear infection is left untreated it will probably go deeper into the ear, the pain of an inner ear infection may affect the dog’s balance and coordination as well as causing the dog to vomit or walk round in circles.

Dog infection of the ear can also be related to skin allergies which cause the ears to become very itchy, the dog continually scratches the itching which can lead to the delicate skin tissue of the ear to be broken and sore. Once the skin has been damaged it leaves the skin open to infection which will need to be treated by a vet.

Another common cause for a dog infection of the ear is professional dog grooming salons plucking hairs out of a dog’s ear. This practice is not recommended as the open pores which are left are potentially a breeding ground for bacteria which can lead to ear infection. If the dog has matted hairs in the ear which are blocking the air flow the vet will remove this.

It is possible to soften the matt of hair with warm coat conditioner and then tease the matt open with the finger tips and very carefully cut off the matt. Regular grooming and care of the dog should prevent hair matt from forming, which is far easier than trying to remove them.

When a dog has been in long grasses the ears should be checked to ensure that there are no fox-tails. If a fox-tail is suspected the dog should be taken to the vet to have it removed as fox-tail left in place inside the ear can cause a dog infection which is extremely painful.