Otitis is a very common problem in a veterinary clinic and manifests itself in itching, redness, excess ears and ear pain in the dog, causing discomfort not only for him, but also for the guardian who monitors him.
A very common sign of otitis is the increased production of wax by the earwax glands. If your dog shakes or tilts its head, excessively scratches the ear, has too much wax and an unpleasant smell, you should consult a veterinarian.
- In this Animal Expert article.
- We will explain canine otitis.
- Its causes.
- Its treatment and one of the most recurrent symptoms.
- Ear pain in dogs.
The ear is divided into the inner, middle and outer ear, and the latter is divided into vertical and horizontal channel. Otitis in dogs is an inflammation of the ear (flag and ear canal) and, depending on the location, is classified as internal, medium and/or external otitis.
The most common type that occurs in veterinary clinics is canine external otitis. If treated poorly, it evolves into an environment and/or internal, causing more serious problems that can manifest in neurological symptoms.
There are risk factors that make animals of certain ages, breeds and lifestyles more susceptible to developing recurrent ear infections. Like what:
Otitis in dogs can have a variety of causes, including primary and secondary causes, such as:
A considerable percentage of dogs have some kind of allergic reaction/food intolerance or environmental allergy. If the dog is allergic to an environmental component, it develops atopic dermatitis at certain times of the year.
One of the most common symptoms of chronic allergies is ear pain in dogs and is usually the only symptom of this problem. As this is a generalized reaction, canine otitis is generally bilateral, i.e. both ears are affected, although they can be affected to varying degrees of severity.
An allergic dog has the skin of the ducts thickened and erythematous (red), a red and painful interdigital space, alopecia (hair defects) spread throughout the body. In case of food allergy in dogs, the area of the anus may be irritated, accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and / or vomiting.
In fact, foreign bodies are at the top of the list of differential diagnoses when a dog appears suffering from ear pain and suspected unilateral otitis. The veterinarian should look for thorns or seeds from plants (very common), small stones, dust, insects or hairs.
Polyps or other types of tumors can develop in the ear or ear canal and cause pain and ear infections accompanied by a secondary infection.
Parasites are more common in cats (otodectes), but in dogs it is also possible to observe parasites seen directly in the canal during otoscopy.
Autoimmune diseases can cause recurrent bilateral ear infections
Endocrine/hormonal problems are also included in the list of differential diagnoses of canine otitis, as they can lead to excessive earwax production by the glands and trigger secondary infections.
An animal predisposed to over-ear problems or good ear microenvironment can cause the proliferation of opportunistic microorganisms such as fungi (e.g. malassezia in dogs) or bacteria (Pseudomonas or S. aureus).
That is why it is very important to keep the ear canal clean, dry and free of foreign hair or bodies. Learn how to identify symptoms of dog ear pain in the next section.
At home, you should know the signs of ear pain in dogs and the main symptoms of ear infections in dogs:
At the veterinarian, the diagnosis is more complete and involves the combination of clinical signs, a history of the dog (provided by you), a clinical examination, and additional tests, such as:
The main goals of treatment of canine otitis include
Se você procura remédio caseiro para dor de ouvido em cachorro, consulte esses artigos do Animal Expert, remédios caseiros para otite canina e infeção de ouvido – remédios caseiros.
There are several cleaning solutions for a variety of situations.
If your pet has a lot of wax and wants to clean it, here are some tips for cleaning a dog’s ear:
There are situations that barely initiate the first approach without having to use the treatment solution for ear pain in dogs, such as situations where there is no infection and where canine otitis is not installed. This condition is determined by the veterinarian, only he can determine what is the best approach to take. If a treatment solution for canine otitis is needed, you should:
If you are wondering if I can administer dipirony in case of ear pain in dogs, check out our article and know what to do.
With canine otitis or simply as a result of a more vigorous head shake, microfractures of the ear cartilage can occur and cause a hematoma, the so-called otohematoma, where a buildup of serosanguine fluid occurs between the skin and cartilage, creating a bag. blood in the ear.
This situation is very uncomfortable and very painful for the dog suffering from ear pains. Treatment is surgical under anesthesia, during which otofhematoma is drained and cracks are created to continue drainage and no fluids accumulate. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications may also be prescribed after surgery to help heal and control pain.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to Dog Ear Pain: Causes and Treatment, we recommend that you visit our Other Health Problems section.