The reason why dogs shake their heads

In fact, this is because the ear canal structure of small long-haired dogs is narrow and the hair in the ears is long and dense. They often fail to dry thoroughly after bathing, thus causing external otitis.

What is canine otitis externa?

Canine otitis externa refers to acute or chronic inflammation of the epithelium of the external auditory canal of dogs, sometimes accompanied by auricle disease or otitis media. The main symptoms are itching of the dog's ears and erythema on the pinna and ear canal.
“You can get otitis externa just by taking a bath?”
“That’s true!”
The most common cause of otitis externa in dogs is water immersion. As mentioned above, small dogs The ear canals of long-haired dogs are narrow and the hair is long and dense. After taking a bath, the water immersed in the ear canal is not easy to be discharged automatically. In addition, the hair cannot be dried when blowing (commonly caused by dogs hating the hair dryer blowing on the head). All kinds of non-cooperation shortened the hair blowing time). At this time, the microorganisms in the ears develop and multiply in the moist and warm environment, eventually causing otitis externa.
In addition, trauma caused by friction and scratching, entry of foreign bodies, and parasitic parasites are also causes of otitis externa.

How to tell if your dog has otitis externa?

1. Once a dog suffers from otitis externa, its ears will itch and swell, often showing restlessness, shaking its head, and frequent scratching of its ears. Therefore, once the above abnormal phenomena appear in the dog, the dog owner should pay attention and it is recommended to open the dog's ears for inspection.
2. When a dog suffers from otitis externa, it is common to see flushing and edema in the ear canal with light yellow serous discharge when the ears are opened, and symptoms of hair loss or dermatitis at the base of the ear. In severe cases, it can cause the tissue in the ear canal to thicken and even cause tumors, resulting in thickening and deformation of the auricle skin, and the dog will have certain hearing impairment.
So, how to prevent and treat canine otitis externa?
First of all, after bathing or going out in the rain, you need to focus on drying the coat of the dog's ears, especially small long-haired dogs; secondly, regularly use cotton swabs to clean the dog's earwax to avoid bacteria If microorganisms breed, you can also cut off the hair in the ears that is too long.

Treatment methods for canine otitis externa

1. Rinse. First block the ear canal with absorbent cotton balls, cut off the surrounding hair, and then flush the external auditory canal with normal saline, 0.1% hydrochloric acid or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. When rinsing, remember to tilt the dog's head toward the affected ear to allow the irrigating liquid to drain out. After rinsing, use a cotton ball to blot it dry.
2. Apply medicine. After rinsing according to the above method, you can observe the deep part of the ear canal again, use tweezers to remove foreign objects, earwax, etc. in the ear, and then apply boric acid glycerin (1:20) solution or tannin glycerin (1:20) solution to the external auditory canal, and apply it daily. Rub 2-3 times.
3. If the dog is seriously inflamed and suppurates, it is recommended to apply antibiotic ointment after rinsing. However, if the auricle is deformed or has a tumor-like growth, it is recommended to send it to the hospital for medical surgery.