Editing Get Rid Of Your Dogs Ear Infection For Good
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The Secret to Getting Rid of Ear Infections for Good What Causes Ear Infections in Dogs? Ear infections are common in dogs. They can affect the outer ear canal, the middle ear canal or the structures of the inner ear. In humans, ear infections are particularly common in children. In most cases, human ear infections are in the middle ear. In dogs, the outer ear is most often infected. An ear infection that persists over time is known as chronic otitis. Ear infections can affect any canine causing pain, smelly ears and itching. There are several things that can cause ear infections. Parasites, allergies, growths, cysts are just some of the possible culprits. Chronic ear infections are not something you should ignore in pets or people. Besides the pain, itching, and unattractive odor, ear infections can cause serious and irreparable damage to your dog’s hearing. Allergies are a common reason for chronic ear infections. These can be food-based. Other causes for chronic ear infections include: Tumors, polyps, cysts, or other growths in the dog’s ear canal. Foreign substances such as: dirt, food, weeds, or sand stuck in your dog’s ear. External pests like ear mites, ticks, or fleas. Occluded ear canals from previous ear infections can form scar tissue, narrowing the ear canal and making it difficult for the dog’s natural ear wax to eliminate skin cells in the ear the way they naturally should. Fungal and yeast infections can turns into a bacterial ear infection. Often these are stimulated by the dog’s scratching at his ears. Like people, some dogs just have narrow ear canals. This can be an inherited abnormality. Unfortunately, it leaves Fido’s ears predisposed to ear infections because of a lack of sufficient room for drainage. If your dog is a swimmer, chances are water may remain in Buddy’s ears after his swim or even after you have given him a bath. This water may cause an ear infection. If your dog receives a hit, bite or other trauma to his ear, an ear infection may result. If you live in a climate that experiences stretches of hot, humid weather there is a greater chance that ear infections will develop because these conditions are hot beds for infection. Certain health conditions make Rover more predisposed to ear infections. These include thyroid irregularities, hormonal imbalances, and diabetes. Progression of Ear Infections Every dog is different but typically an ear infection begins as a reddening or irritation in the skin of the ear canal. Inflammation comes next. There may be an excess of ear wax. Itchiness comes next .This leads to Prince’s scratching at his ear. He may groan or whine or shake his head because he is uncomfortable. Signs of Ear Infection in Dogs How can you tell if your dog has an ear infection? If you notice a discharge or an inflammation, chances are your dog has an ear infection. Other signs include: Fido’s scratching at his ear. When you check your dog’s ears if you notice an odor or a brown debris that looks like coffee or you see white dots, this is a sign that mites are feeding on Rover’s ear wax. They can create an ear infection. If Lassie is irritable and seems constantly bothered, she may have an ear infection. Another indicator is if Beau won’t let you near his ears or snaps at you when you touch them, chances are he has an ear infection. If your dog keeps shaking or tilting his head, scratching at his ear or rubbing his head against floor or furniture, chances are he has an ear infection. If you notice redness on Spenser’s ear flap or inside his ear, he may have an ear infection. If Fido’s earflap is swollen he may be suffering from an ear infection. If the ear is bleeding or red, it may be infected. If your dog’s eyes are swollen or droopy he may have an ear infection. Does your dog stumble or go in circles for no reason? This may be a symptom of an ear infection! Watch for unusual things like a brown, black or yellow discharge from your dog’s ear or a pinkish ear wax. Noting symptoms and immediately seeking treatment is important. The sooner the infection is treated the less likely it is to do permanent damage to your dog’s ear drum. Natural remedies Home remedies for Fido’s ear infection can be made easily. You need to use therapeutic grade essential oils. The right oils are an ideal solution for attacking ear infections, yeast infections or mites. Before you employ home remedies, know what you are fighting. Contact Rover’s veterinarian for an informed diagnosis. Using visual examination, an ear swab and your information about symptoms and onset the veterinarian can accurately diagnose the problem. a) Herbs Herbs have proven effective in treating Apollo’s ear infections.Using herbal drops inside the ear canal can enhance Buddy’s immune system and fight off ear infections as well as relieving the pain and inflammation associated with ear infections. Use herbs in tincture or herbal oil form. These are available in health-food stores or the upscale pet supply stores. You can purchase them as over-the-counter preparations at pharmacies or online pet medication e-businesses. Using herbal drops inside the ear canal can enhance Buddy’s immune system and fight off ear infections as well as relieving the pain and inflammation associated with ear infections. Use herbs in tincture or herbal oil form. These are available in health-food stores or the upscale pet supply stores. You can purchase them as over-the-counter preparations at pharmacies or online pet medication e-businesses. For mild ear infections, you can make your own mullein mix. Here’s how to do it: Place mullein leaves and flowers in a glass jar. Cover with olive oil. Add a clove or two of garlic per pint of oil. Allow to sit two to three weeks. Strain the liquid. Warm the oil. Apply several drops in Fido’s infected ear canal. It is crucial that the oil come into direct contact with the parasites or bacteria. Other effective herbs: Garlic added to herbal mixtures is an effective antibiotic. Witch hazel is a good astringent. It decreases both pain and swelling in your dog’s ear. b) Essential Oils High quality or therapeutic grade essential oils may be blended into a cleansing natural treatment solution for ear infections. The most commonly used ones include: lavender, aloe vera, citrus bergamia, mullein flower, grapefruit seed extract, bergamot, niaouli, calendula, pau d’arco, manuka and chamomile. Use very small, diluted amounts of essential oils for Rover’s. Avoid solutions that are alcohol based as these are drying agents. You can make your own solutions using essential oils or you can get a premixed solution from a health-food store, a pet medications online store or froma holistic veterinarian.Ear Dr. is a much recommended source of pre-mixed oils. Essential oils or therapeutic grade oils contain no synthetic materials or harmful chemicals. Essential oils can be used to combat ear mites. Particularly effective ones for this are: Lavender, Melrose, purification, tea tree and oregano, rosemary and/or clove essential oils. Melrose and purification essential oils have powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties. They repel insects including fleas and ticks so they are a good preventative measure too. A drop each of Tea Tree, Lavender and Roman Chamomile or Melrose essential oil will ease a dog’s ear ache. c) Chiropractic Adjustment Adjusting the upper cervical vertebrae where it hooks onto the head with chiropractic adjustment has shown some success in treating ear infections. How to prevent future ear infections in dogs While there is no tried and true means of preventing ear infections in dogs, there are some good preventative techniques. Careful and consistent cleaning of your dog’s ear canals is a good first step. Regular cleaning and check-ups at the vet’s often catches potential infections before they are inflamed. A good rule of thumb is to cleaning Rover’s ears every week or two. Use a mixture of 1 part apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and 1 partfiltered water. You might also use green tea cooled and dropped into the ear. You can also buy natural ear cleansing solutions or mite protection. Don’t overdo it. Cleaning Fifi’s ears too often can cause problems.Clean them when they need it. Use a soft plastic dropper and massage the base of the ear. When Lassie shakes her head, she will eject the debris. Clean around the ears and dry with a soft cloth. Keep ear hair clipped. This allows better air circulation. Use blunt-tipped scissors or an electric trimmer. Be a detective. If Buddy seems to have food allergies, switch gradually to natural food without additives or chemicals. Read labels so you know what you are feeding your best friend. If ear mites are a chronic thing, place a few drops of extra virgin olive oil or almond oil and vitamin E mixture into the ear after cleaning. Be vigilant. Check Apollo’s ears regularly. Look for abnormal discharge, smell or redness. Keep Spenser’s outer ears clean. Use gentle shampoo in water. Dip a cotton ball into solution. Dry completely with a soft cloth. After Rover’s bath or swim dry his ears thoroughly. Routine pet care to prevent ear infections and mites should be part of Fifi’s regular check-ups. As well, a good home preventative program adds the following to Rover’s diet: • Prebiotics likeseaweed • Probiotics like plain yogurt. • Feeding Rover naturally anti-fungal foods • Feeding Rover naturally anti-inflammatory foods The role diet and foods they eat causes it and what kind of diet dogs should have Ear infections may be caused by your dog’s allergy to ingredients in his food. Thus, food trials may be necessary until you find a food that doesn’t upset his system. Generally, the more natural the food and the fewer the ingredients the better the chances Fido won’t have allergies to it. Once you know what he is allergic to, you can read the label and decide if this food will agree with your dog. Ten percent of dogs have food allergies. Others have food intolerances. Most dogs with allergies are allergic to more than one ingredient. Common allergens are beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish. The only way to diagnose food allergies is an elimination diet. Take Rover off all the foods he's presently eating. Put him on a food he's never had. Once Rover’s ear infection has improved, start reintroducing the old foods that may have caused the problem. If Rover has a reaction, then he has a food allergy.During food trials, if ear infections don’t flare up after three or four months on a restricted diet, you can begin to add foods to Rover’s diet. When to see a vet The easy answer to this question is: As soon as you note something isn’t right. Prevention involves paying close attention to your dog’s ears and keeping them clean. You know the symptoms of ear infection. The moment your dog exhibits any of these symptoms, get him to his veterinarian. Ear infections are not something to be waited out. They can be very painful. Worse yet, if left untreated ear infections can harm your dog’s ear canal, the middle ear, and his hearing. The veterinarian will examine your dog’s ears. Share symptoms and unusual behaviors with him/her. Don’t attempt to clear up an infection with home remedies until your vet has pinpointed the problem. Often natural treatments at an unknown condition can cause more harm than good. Rover may first need ear drainage or antibiotics. Treatment First treatment for chronic ear infection is to clean the ear. Next medications are often employed to clean up the infection. Depending on the cause of the ear infection Lassie may be given an antimicrobial, an anti-inflammatory antibiotics, anti-fungal medications to get the infection under control. In rare cases of recurrent ear infection flare-ups, surgery may be necessary. There may be problems with adjustment to the drugs. The chemical balance of the ear and the bacterial balance within the body are often affected by the medication. For example: Antibiotics can kill off beneficial bacteria while fighting the ear infection. This allows yeast to flourish. Unfortunately, recurring ear infections are common. So, treatment can be a vicious circle. Parts of the dog’s ears that lead to ear infections and ailments The L-shape ear canals of your dog are designed to protect his highly developed hearing. Unfortunately, this design allows moisture, debris, parasites, and wax to get trapped in the ear canal. Thus, it is a breeding ground for infections. 80% of all ear infections arise from allergies. Many more are caused by yeast. Both of these leadto bacterial infections. Affected Breeds Dogs with floppy ears with an ear flap that goes down over the ear canal and dogs that are swimmers are more prone to ear infections. Dogs that have a lot of hair growing inside and around the ear are more likely to have debris and water trapped in the ear canal, resulting in an ear infection. Dogs with food or other allergies can also be predisposed to developing ear infections. Conclusion: Dogs that have the most severe and/or chronic ear infections are most likely to develop a cycle of inflammation followed by infection resulting in a thickening of the tissue inside the ear canal. This leads to a narrowing of the ear canals and subsequently ruptured ear drums, and middle ear infections that are chronic and painful. The scar tissue not only narrows the canal. It prevents air circulation and wax being able to do its job. The canal can also become so narrow that medication doesn’t reach the infected part of the ear. Wax and dry skin accumulate with nowhere to go. Bacteria builds and infection is imminent. Chronic otitis is painful for Rover. It is frustrating for you and tedious for your dog’s veterinarian to treat. http://www.amazon.com/Betta-Bridges-Pets-Cleanser-Best-Fast-Removes/dp/B00HQOHGUA/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1421534524&sr=1-2&keywords=betta+bridges+pets
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