One way of monitoring your dog’s health is to check the ears.
Most owners do not think this is necessary but in “How to clean your dog’s ears” in wikiHow, it is important to examine the ears weekly.
This is more important for dogs with floppy ears or dogs with allergies.
“Many times, when inspecting the ears you will find that they need cleaning. Cleaning a dog’s ears at home is fairly simple as long as the ears are not infected or damaged. Ensure proper ear care for your loyal companion by regularly inspecting and cleaning its ears, floppy or otherwise,” wikiHow stressed.
Checking a dog’s ears and what to look out for:
1. Make your dog sit or stand where you can easily examine the ears. If you see only dirt or normal wax, you can clean the ears.
2. If there is any drainage of fluid from the ear (clear or gray/brown), thick waxy material, wounds, any scratch, or scabs, DO NOT clean the ear and contact your vet instead.
3. Do not clean deep inside the ears without a vet’s instruction as you will not see deep into the ear canal where it meets the head and takes a sharp turn.
4. Do not use a cotton bud in the canal. You may push a hard wax material deeper inside the canal or even hit the eardrum.
5. Check for parasites and foreign bodies in the ear such as grass or seeds. You can gently remove these objects. If you can not do so, take the dog to your vet.
6. Mites, ticks and fleas can be hiding inside and around the ears. Mites can cause severe itchiness and can be the cause of a thick , brown discharge. Bring your dog to a vet.
7. Yeast infection makes the ears smell quite bad, causes itchiness, and makes the ear produce a brown discharge. Your vet can prescribe a special medicine for fungal infections. Cleaning the ears alone might worsen the condition.
8. Check for bacterial infection in the outer part of the ear. Only a vet can say if the infection is mild which can easily be cleared with medication, or serious which will make your dog feel really sick. A vet is needed to prevent serious complications.
9. Though rare, check for any tumor, lumps or bumps in and around the ears. These are mostly skin cysts or reactions to trauma or bug bites. But it is best to be sure so please contact your vet when you see or feel bumps or lumps, specially if the lumps or bumps grow larger within a week.
Next week: How to clean your dog’s ears