Create a Marine Aquarium

THIS IS THE LATEST EDITION VOL 06 NO 08 - TO GO TO PREVIOUS EDITIONS CLICK HERE

Clean EARS for pooches

Hearing is one of the dog’s keenest senses. Dogs can pick up sounds too faint for us humans to detect, and can also hear noises pitched at a much higher frequency. As dogs hearing is acute they rely far more on their hearing than eyesight to navigate the world.

Dogs’ ears come in all sizes and shapes, and can be carried erect, bent, or flopped over. Sound, which is really vibrations of the air, is collected by the ear flap and directed down the comparatively large ear canal. (In puppies there is no opening to the ear canal until sometime between 1 and 2 weeks of age, so they are virtually deaf until then.) The ear canal descends in a vertical direction and then angles horizontally to the end of the eardrum. This shape is the cause of many ear problems, since the moisture or debris that goes into the ear often gets trapped down there.

Ear problems are one of the most common reasons dog owners take their pooches to the vet. Wet ear canals can make dogs more prone to ear infections. It is important to remember when bathing your four-legged friend to keep water out of the ears. By inserting cotton wadding into the ear just before bathing can be effective. If water does enter the dog’s ears, use a cotton ball and gently wipe the opening of the ear. If you know from prior visits to the vet that your dog’s eardrums are intact, you can instill an ear solution that contains a drying agent. If a preparation is inserted into an ear canal with a perforated eardrum, it will enter the middle ear and damage structures essential to hearing.

Foreign materials such as grass seeds, which cling to the hair in the ears, can cause irritation and later infection, As the ear canal has a L shape, foreign bodies can become lodged and it can be difficult to throughly clean the ear without sedation. To avoid this always groom your dog under the ear flaps, especially when they have been running in tall grass, weeds and bush.

Routine ear cleaning is not always required. A small amount of light brown waxy secretion in the ear canals is normal, and some wax is necessary for the health of the ears. However, the insides of the ear flaps should be cleaned whenever there is a build-up of wax, dirt and debris. Gently wipe the skin with an ear cleaning solution bought from your tissues. If there is an excessive accumulation of wax in the ear canals that appears to be blocking the airflow; if the ear appears to be red or inflamed and moist, take your dog to the vet for treatment as the ear is either infected or likely to become so.

vet. Clean the ears with damp cotton balls, and NEVER with ear buds, as they can push wax and debris further down the ear canal. Also NEVER use alcohol, ether or other irritating solvents; they can cause intense pain and inflame the tissues. If there is an excessive accumulation of wax in the ear canals that appears to be blocking the airflow; if the ear appears to be red or inflamed and moist, take your dog to the vet for treatment as the ear is either infected or likely to become so.

After initial cleaning at the vet, you may be instructed to instill a cleaning solution at home. Apply as many drops as instructed by your vet of the cleaning solution to the canal and massage the base of the ear gently to loosen any wax and debris. Then gently wipe out the ear canal with cotton balls.

As a dog owner check your pooches ears regularly, especially if you see them scratching intensely or shaking their heads violently. The above symptoms can be indicative of ear mites or a serious ear infection and should be seen to by a vet as soon as possible.

Source: Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook

LOOKING FOR A HOME

These two good looking chaps arrived at our practice on Thursday 31 January. They are beautiful dark tabby cats about 6 months old.

They are very friendly and playful and are too gorgeous. They are now vaccinated and neutered and dewormed and ready to play all day long! Please come and visit them at Marine Way Animal Hospital if you are a dedicated cat lover.

These two will be favourite companions.