Have you ever seen your dog rubbing his ear or tilt his head? If yes, your dog might have an ear infection. There are some causes of dogs ear infection. One of the causes of ear infection is mostly an overgrowth of yeast in his ears.
Do you know that tilting head is also one of the ways of how dogs try to communicate with you?
However, a yeast infection on the outer part of the ears also might happen. It might be easy to spot it on the outer part of his ears. There are some signs appear other than rubbing, such as a waxy residue and scabbing around the ear.
As an owner, it is important to know about the ways to treat yeast infection on your dog’s ears. Along with that, there will also be the cause, symptoms and ways to prevent it.
Causes of Yeast Infection in Your Dog’s Ears
A yeast infection in your dog’s ear is commonly associated with an underlying conditions or diseases, such as:
- allergies – food allergies or allergic skin disease. Make sure you know how to manage your dogs skin allergies and signs your dog has food allergies.
- bacterial infection
- moisture
- a ruptured eardrum
- tumor within the ear canal
- a trapped object
- moisture – triggers the growing environment for bacteria and yeast
- autoimmune disorders
- buildup of wax
- injury to the ear canal
- excessive cleaning
A dog’s ear canal is shaped like an “L” as it plunges downward and away from the opening. This condition gives a favorable environment for the yeast to grow.
If your dog swims or is bathed frequently, the water or debris trapped inside the ear canal can lead to yeast infections. There are some other allergens, such as pollens, dust, feathers, cleaning products and even certain foods can also lead to ear infections in a dog.
Signs of Yeast Infection in Dog’s Ears
If you see the your dog keeps scratching his ears or rubbing them on the floor or on a piece of furniture, then he might get yeast infection on his ears.
You can see the signs of yeast infection in your dog’s ear or even around your skin. When the signs appear around the dog’s skin, they might appear to become scabby, crusty or reddened.
You can see these following signs of yeast infection in your dog’s ear:
- odor
- redness or swelling
- crusted skin around the ear flap
- brown, yellow or even bloody discharge
- loss of hair around the ear
- loss of balance
- head shaking or tilting
- walking around (in circles)
- unusual eye movements
How to Treat a Yeast Infection in the Dog’s Ears?
The treatment for treating yeast infection in the dog’s ears is determined by your vet. By using an otoscope, your vet will be able to look at the dog’s canal to know whether there is anything present there.
The vet will also take a sample of material from inside and around the ear. Then, the sample will be examined under the microscope.
If your dog has a yeast infection on the outer part of the ears, the vet might give your dog a tropical antifungal cream to treat it. The examples of the medicines that are commonly effective are miconazole and ketoconazole.
If your dog is infected in the middle of the ear, it will be treated with systematic medications, such as injections and medications. Some tests and surgery might also be needed. It might take longer time for it to go away.
It’s very important to treat the yeast infection in your dog’s ears as soon as possible. It might get severe as time goes by and lead to deafness.
If you need some ways of treatment at home, you can try these steps to treat dog ear infection with apple cider vinegar and how to treat yeast ear infections in dogs.
How to Prevent it?
The first thing to do is by checking your dog’s ear regularly. Make sure to check for any discharge, odor or even swelling on your dog’s ear.
Then, if you bathe your dog regularly, you have to make sure that his ears are gently dried, both the inside and the outer part. If you are not sure about the cleanliness of the ears, you may use cleaning medicine that contains drying agent.
Yeast ear infection in dogs should be treated immediately. Even when you want to use the home remedies or treatment, make sure you consult with your vet. Your vet knows the best treatment better than you.