Signs and Symptoms of Ear Infections Your Pup's Ears

Dogs tend to be more susceptible to ear infections than people because of the shape of their ear canal. Not only that, if your dog swims a lot or has long floppy ears they will be even more prone to ear infections due to moisture becoming trapped in the ear and creating an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. 

That said, with a little care you can help to prevent your dog from developing ear infections, and if your dog does get an infection by seeing a vet early there's a good chance that it can be cleared up quickly and easily.

When ear infections are left untreated in the early stages much more serious infections can develop that can lead to symptoms such as balance and coordination issues, severe pain and in some cases facial paralysis.

Ear Infection Symptoms in Dogs

Ear infections can be very uncomfortable or painful for your dog. If your dog shows any of the following signs of an ear infection contact your vet straight away to book an examination for your pet. Early treatment of ear infections can help to prevent more severe symptoms from developing.

Common symptoms of ear infections in dogs include:

• Pawing or rubbing ear

• Brown, yellow or bloody discharge

• Redness inside of the ear

• Odor in the ear

• Head shaking

• Tilting head

• Swelling of the ear

• Crusts or scabs just inside the ear
  

If your dog's ear infection is more severe you may notice other symptoms such as:

• Loss coordination or balance

• Signs of hearing loss

• Walking in circles

• Unusual eye movements
  

Treating Your Dog's Ear Infection

With treatment, an uncomplicated ear infection caught early will typically clear up within a week or two. If your pup's ear infection is more severe or is caused by an underlying health condition, treatment may be more challenging and may take months to resolve. In many cases, more severe cases result in chronic or repeated ear infections over the course of the dog's lifetime.

If you suspect that your dog has an ear infection, please feel free to book an appointment with us or walk-in during our clinic hours (Thursday - Sunday 2pm-11:30pm).