DIRTY EARS

My dog keeps shaking her head and scratching her ears. Is something wrong?

This pet is exhibiting signs of an ear infection. About one in five dogs will get an infection of the external ear canal in their lifetimes. Dogs with long, floppy ears like cocker spaniels, and breeds with hairy inner ear flaps like schnauzers are especially prone to developing this problem. It is recommended that dogs with signs of ear infections be taken to a veterinarian, since the condition, though usually not serious, requires medical treatment. However, there are things you can do to help protect your pet against future ear infections. Inspect the pet’s ears daily, sniffing for foul odors, and clean the ears at least once (or preferably twice) a week.

Use blunt pet tweezers to pluck hair from the inner ear flap, especially in “hairy eared” breeds like the miniature poodle. This will reduce the risk of ear infections.