Diagnosis of dog otitis externa symptoms

1. In the early stage, the external auditory canal is flushed, edematous, and itchy, and light yellow serous secretions flow from the ear canal, staining the coat of the lower part of the ear. Dogs often show restlessness, often shaking their heads, or scratching their ears.
2. As the disease progresses, local swelling intensifies, or pustules appear, and brown-black foul-smelling purulent secretions flow out. This often leads to hair loss at the base of the ears or dermatitis, and the sick dog's hearing decreases.
3. When it becomes chronic, it will be good and bad, with repeated attacks, and can cause the tissue of the ear canal to thicken, and even tumors to occur, resulting in thickening of the auricle skin, auricle deformation and hearing impairment.

Causes of otitis externa in dogs

1. There are many factors that cause otitis externa, such as friction, scratching, foreign bodies, and parasites. In particular, water immersion is a common cause of otitis externa. reason.
2. Especially for small long-haired dogs, the ear canal structure is very narrow, and the coat is very long. After bathing or being exposed to rain, if water enters the ear canal, it is difficult to drain out, causing microorganisms to develop in a humid and warm environment. reproduce, causing otitis externa.

Treatment measures for dog otitis externa

1. Before treatment, block the external auditory canal with absorbent cotton balls, then cut off the hair around the ears, and use normal saline or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Rinse the external auditory canal.
2. When flushing, tilt the dog's head toward the affected ear to facilitate the flow of flushing fluid, then remove the cotton ball plugged in the ear canal, and then use a dry cotton ball to absorb the fluid in the ear canal.
3. Use an otoscope to examine the deep part of the external auditory canal, and use otological forceps to remove foreign bodies, earwax or tissue fragments from the deep part. Finally, apply boric acid glycerin (1:20) solution or tannin glycerin (1:20) solution to the external auditory canal.
4. For suppurative otitis externa, apply antibiotic ointment to the ear canal after cleaning it as mentioned above.
5. In severe cases, rinse 1 to 2 times a day and then apply ointment. Dogs with obvious systemic symptoms can be treated with systemic antibiotics. External ear drainage should be performed on sick dogs with deformed ear shells or tumors.

PS: The special structure of dog ears determines the difficulty of cleaning and treatment, and requires professional tools. If the symptoms are severe, it is recommended to consult a pet doctor. Otherwise, improper operation may cause secondary damage.

How to prevent otitis externa in dogs

1. When bathing, it is best to stuff cotton balls into the dog’s ears to prevent water from splashing in.
2. Puppies should avoid lying on their backs to nurse. Since their physiological structure is not yet complete, choking on milk can easily lead to otitis media.
3. Frequently use cotton swabs to clean the dog’s earwax to ensure it is clean and pollution-free; after taking a bath, use a hair dryer toThe wind dried the hair in and around its ear canal. (Do not insert the cotton swab deep into the ear)
4. Make sure the ear canal is clean and clean the ears at least once a week.
5. Get more rest during the illness, avoid strenuous exercise, ensure adequate sleep, and try to keep the sick side of the puppy facing down to facilitate the flow of fluid.
6. If the dog is restless due to pain, you can feed it some aspirin and apply hot compresses with a hot towel or water bag, which will also have certain effects; in the case of very severe otitis media, you can consider injecting antibiotics.
7. Add more vitamins and manganese-rich dog food and formula to your dog. Nutrition needs to be strengthened at this stage.