Itchy Ears? How to Know if Fido has an Ear Infection

Dogs are prone to many skin infections, but none is more frustrating to pet parents than an ear infection.

Ear infections can bring your dog pain, loss of sleep, itching, and could cause him to be reluctant to participate in the activities he loves.

There are several different types of ear infections, and some dog breeds are more predisposed than others.

Treatment of ear infections can be frustrating and often the issue needs to be approached from many angles to manage it on a long-term basis.

Ear infections in dogs are caused by the overgrowth of either yeast, bacteria, or sometimes, both, in the external ear canal. (2)

Determining which microscopic organism is responsible for the infection is of utmost importance so the infection can be appropriately treated.

However, to prevent recurrence, it is also important to identify the underlying issue that led to the overgrowth of the organism in the first place.

Left uncorrected, the dog will fall victim to more ear infections in the future.

The first step to identifying the cause of an ear infection is an exam with the veterinarian. It is vital to ensure that the dog’s ear drum has not ruptured as many of the ear medications used to treat ear infections can cause permanent deafness if administered into an ear with a hole in the ear drum. (3)
After a thorough exam, a sample of the discharge will be taken from the ear, put onto a microscope slide, stained, and examined microscopically to identify what organism is present and causing the infection.
In chronic or severe cases, it is recommended to send a sample of the discharge from the ear into a laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing. This will determine exactly which organism is present and test its susceptibility to medications. This is an important step to fight drug resistant bacteria. (4)
Dogs with large ears that hang down and cover the external ear canal are more prone to ear infections. Examples are Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, and Basset Hounds.
Other factors, such as the dog’s allergies, water getting into the ear, ear hair in the canal, autoimmune disorders, and other lifestyle and environmental factors need to be considered as contributing factors.

If discharge and exudate are present, the ear canal should be flushed prior to medicating. This can be painful for a dog with an ear infection and some patients require sedation.
Once daily liquid preparations are available to be used at home for dogs that will allow medicating of their ears.
“Otic Packs” can be placed into the ear canals at the veterinarian’s office and will release medication into the ear canal continuously for up to 14 days with no treatment needed at home.
For certain types of infections, one dose treatments are available and may be sufficient.
Oral pain medications and anti-inflammatories should be prescribed as needed.
If the infection is severe or chronic, surgery may be necessary. The first surgery that may be recommended is a lateral ear resection. This procedure removes the vertical part of the ear canal and gets rid of the damaged tissue in the horizontal canal.
Another surgery that can provide permanent relief is a total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy (TECA-BO). This surgery removes the entire ear canal therefore removing the source of infection. Dogs undergoing a TECA-BO commonly have permanent hearing loss, but providing a life pain-free from ear infections is the goal of this procedure. (5)

Always try to keep water out of the ear canal. This includes while swimming or bathing and is especially important if your dog is prone to ear infections. If the ear canals do get water in them, dry them gently with a soft gauze or cotton ball and consider using a flushing/drying solution.
Treat underlying food and environmental allergies. Allergies are a huge contributing factor to dog ear infections.
Practice good ear hygiene. Flush ear canals with an otic cleansing solution once weekly and swipe out dirt and debris with a clean gauze or cotton ball. Do not put cotton tipped swabs into the ear canal as an unexpected movement of the dog’s head could result in a ruptured eardrum. (6)