Ear Stuff

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If your Dog is healthy you most likely won't encounter any of the typical ear problems the Vets see on a daily basis. If you do, there are many natural remedies that are much more effective and certainly alot cheaper than traditional medicine. First and foremost, prevention is the key. Feed your friend a nutricious diet making sure all his/her needs are met and clean their ears on a regular basis (a couple times a week) with one of natures cleaners. Below I will show some common ear problems with their symptoms and how to treat them with one simple combination of natures gifts.

My absolute favorite preventative and treatment is common:

            APPLE CIDER VINEGAR mixed with
                          PAU D'ARCO

Causes of Canine Ear Yeast Infections

Your dog's ears contain cells responsible for producing anti-allergenic hormones such as histamines. In the presence of an allergen, these cells cause your dog's ears to produce excessive earwax. Bacteria and yeast multiply quickly in the moist environment inside of a dog's ears, particularly if there is superfluous earwax. These conditions may lead to a yeast ear infection.

Symptoms of Yeast Infections

Unlike dog ear mites, ear yeast infections may not produce any visible irritation to your dog's skin. Keep an eye out for any of the following symptoms of yeast infections:

Excessive head and ear scratching
Oozing discharge from the ear
Foul smell

If you detect these or any behaviors that may suggest an ear yeast infection, have your dog examined by a veterinarian. The vet can determine if your dog has an ear yeast infection by closely examining your dog's inner ear for scar tissue or thickening.

Treatment for an Ear Yeast Infection

There are both natural and pharmaceutical treatments for canine ear yeast infections. A veterinarian may prescribe an anti-fungal or anti-microbial ointment to kill the fungus. However, natural treatments like diluted apple cider vinegar rinses and the herb pau d'arco may prove equally effective and less costly.

If your vet prescribes one of these natural treatments, follow instructions carefully to avoid damaging your dog's ears. In most cases, you should gently rub the ointment or solution into your dog's ear canal three to five times per day for one week. Once the infection has dissipated, continue to treat your dog with ointment twice a week for two more weeks to prevent the infection from returning.

Vitamin C supplements help to boost your pet's immune system and may also be an effective means of defending your dog against future infections.

Ear yeast infections can develop into serious health concerns if left untreated. However, if you are aware of the prevention methods, warning signs, and treatments for canine ear yeast infections, you can make sure that your dog is free from infection for years to come.

CANINE EAR MITES

Mites are a common and contagious parasite that can be found anywhere on a dog's body but are often found in the ear canal. A diagnosis should be confirmed by a veterinarian to rule out any other possible health issues like a bacteria or yeast infection.

Symptoms of Canine Ear Mites

Ear mites are difficult to recognize with the naked eye but signs of infestation that owners should look out for include:

excessive head shaking
pawing or scratching at the ears
dried blood in the ear canal that looks similar to ground coffee
inflammation of the ear canal

Once you see these symptoms in your dog it is important to take him to the vet's office for a correct diagnosis and to receive medication. Canine ear mites are very treatable but can lead to blockage of the ear canal and permanent hearing loss if the problem is not addressed. Ear mites are also extremely contagious so it is important to keep any other animals, including cats, away from the infected dog to prevent the spread of the parasites.

Treatment of Canine Ear Mites

First off, PREVENTION IS THE KEY!! I cannot stress this enough and you will see me write it many times. Dust your dog once a week with Diatomaceous Earth as well as their bedding and play area's, this will keep the mites off of your friend so they cannot migrate to his/her ears. If you do encounter earmites and wish to try a natural remedy, I have used...Apple cider vinegar mixed with Colloidal silver. You should gently rub the solution into your dog's ear canal three to five times per day for one week. Once the mites have dissipated, continue to treat your dog with solution twice a week for two more weeks to prevent the mites from returning.

Dog infections
are caused by many factors such as climate change, exposure to infectious bacteria and parasite, and consumption of contaminated food and water. Dogs often struggle with ear infections as the ears provide favorable conditions for the survival of bacteria. Ear infection is accompanied by a strong smell that emits from the ear.

Symptoms of Dog Ear Infection

Humid atmosphere, bacteria, ear mites, and the accumulation of ear wax often cause ear infections in dogs. The main symptoms seen in dogs with ear infection are as:

Loss of balance (related to inner ear infection)
Redness of the ear or bloody ear
Inflammation and swelling of the skin surrounding the ears of the dog, which is often accompanied with fever symptoms
Rubbing of ears and shaking of head
Foul smell from the ear
Waxy discharge from ear
Expression of pain on touching the infected ear
Unusual eye movements

Diagnosing the Ear Infection

The service of a veterinarian is needed for infected dog's illness diagnosis. The type, mode, density of the infection can only be determined by a veterinarian. Various methods of testing the severity of infection are as follows:

Otoscopy: an instrument called otoscope is introduced into the ear in order to examine for any foreign body that is the reason of infection.
The discharge from the ear is taken for microscopic examination.
Blood and discharge swab culture is done in order to find whether the dog's immune system is resistant to any medications.
Radiography imaging of the inner ear (tympanic bullae) is also performed in some cases.

Treating Ear Infections in a Dog

It is always necessary to take the opinion of the veterinarian before treating mild cases of infection at home. Some dogs are allergic to medications for ear infections. Therefore, a list of such medications should be maintained and the veterinarian must be informed beforehand.

Some of the home treatment options are as follows:

The dog's ears should be cleaned twice a day with solutions that kill yeasts and bacteria that cause infection. Clean the infected part with a gauze piece and extract the dirt as much as possible from the ear.
The ears can also be cleaned twice a day using a solution of vinegar, alcohol and water. Vinegar kills the bacteria as it reduces the ph level inside the ear. Alcohol is used to dry the inside of the ear.
Ointments (on the advice of the veterinarian) can be applied over the infected area.
Anti-inflammatory, analgesics, and medicines to kill yeast and bacteria can be orally administered on the advice of your Vet.
Medications OR home remedies to prevent survival of ear mites also can be given.
If hair mats accumulate inside the dog's ears, it is necessary to remove them carefully using a scissor and comb to avoid any possible infection due to the absence of air circulation. However, avoid plucking the hairs in the dog's ears during grooming unless there is a medical reason behind it. This helps in avoiding bacterial infection due to release of serum.
In severe cases, such as the infection of inner ear or ear canal, hospitalization is necessary. The treatment is started according to the diagnosis of a veterinarian. Antibiotics are started on the basis of culture and sensitivity reports. Intravenous fluid administration is given if necessary. Steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs are started at the earliest. Surgery is required only for chronic cases. Importantly, good nursing care is given to the dog.

Again, let me stress PREVENTION so you don't have to face the huge Vet billls and your buddy doesn't have to suffer.

CLEAN YOUR FRIENDS EARS TWICE A WEEK WITH
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR MIXED WITH PAU D'ARCO!!