Does your dog hold his or her head to one side? Scratch at his ears? Shake her head from side to side? Have a moist yeasty smell and grayish yellow gunk coming out of the ear? 
These symptoms are some of the most common ones that veterinarians see daily, and they can be the hardest to permanently cure. I’m sure many of you have had dogs or know a dog that has developed ear problems that seem to need constant attention to stay clean. My nephew’s dog, Pepper, has been plagued with itchy skin and inflamed ears most of her life. At our hospital, we have seen anywhere from 2-5 dogs with ear problems daily for the last 20 years. Let’s see, that would be 20 years x 52 weeks per year x 6 days per week x 3 dogs per day or 18,720 cases of inflamed ears. That’s a lot of dogs.
The cause of red ears is a dog’s reaction to something they encounter in their environment (e.g., pollens, grasses, food ingredients, flea bites), something that gets in their ears (e.g., foxtails, ticks, plant awns), or poor air circulation and drainage of wax and water due to hairy or narrow ear canals.
The ear canal is a marvelous tunnel where sound waves are focused and delivered to the nerves of the brain. A thin ear wax coating constantly moves dirt and debris outside to keep the tunnel clean and clear. If the wax is stopped by hair or by swollen or narrow canals, the wax can build up and grow nasty bugs, which further inflame the canal.
Some Breeds Suffer More
Genetics play a big part because some breeds have more ear problems than others. If I don’t see a Lab, Shih Tzu, Golden, or German Shepherd daily with ear problems, then I am not working that day. These dogs develop more problems because of the way their canal is shaped, the amount of hair in it, or the way they react to the allergens around them. Why would the ear be the spot that would show a reaction to pollens, grasses, flea bites, or certain food ingredients like wheat and corn glutens or beef? Probably the same reasons humans get swelling in their throat, sinuses, or a rash on their neck from pollens or things in the food they are allergic to. It is just the way things work.
Ultimately It’s Necessary to Get to the Source of the Problem
Out of the thousands of cases in the 10 major, ear-problem breeds I’ve seen, about a quarter can be treated and cured with topical antibacterial, anti-yeast and cortisone cream and ear washes, regardless of the initial cause of the ear problem. Foxtails and ticks cause 10% to 20% of the problems in California canine ears and need to be removed before topical treatment. Another 20% of inflamed ears are due to hairy ear canals, narrow ear canals, and ears that stay moist after swimming. These can be cured by removing hair, keeping the ear wax thinned out with weekly washes and creams, or drying cleansers after swimming. However, the majority of ear problems are due to hay fever or food allergies. These painful, red, and inflamed ears can be treated with steroids, antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl), topical creams, oral antibiotics. The problem is most will, unfortunately, recur after the medicine is discontinued. The problem is, we are treating the resulting inflammation and not the cause. So it’s natural that the symptoms return after treatment. Allergic reactions are notoriously hard to treat if they are due to pollens, molds, and grasses. These are everywhere and hard to avoid. Allergenic food ingredients are easier to avoid because they are listed on the label of all commercial foods.
I have found that avoiding the most common allergens and adding certain healthy oils helps many ears to improve on their own. In many cases the ear problems are so improved, they rarely need further medications or treatments. That saves money, time, and needless suffering.
A Helpful Tip
If it’s after hours and your vet’s office is closed for the night or the weekend when your dog shows signs of an allergic reaction (painful, red ears and hives), here’s a little home remedy: You can use adult aspirin (1 tablet for every 30 pounds that your dog weighs), Benadryl (1 tablet per 25-50 lbs). Also wash the ear with a 1:10 solution of vinegar and warm water and apply some hydrocortisone cream to the
ear. You can also apply a little over-the-counter antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin. This should give your dog relief until the vet opens. I have many preventative health care tips in my book Dr. Greg’s Dog Dish Diet: Sensible Nutrition for Your Dog’s Health. Bon Appetit!
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Another great one.. love it!
Thanks for an interesting post. Still looking forward to your book