Ear infections in dogs tend to be quite common and can be caused by bacteria, yeast, allergies, and even fungus. The most common types of dogs affected are breeds that have long droopy ears. This tends to reduce air circulation in the ear canal providing a good environment for bacteria to grow.
Another factor that may contribute to whether or not your dog gets chronic ear infections is how narrow their ear canal is. Some dog breeds like the Chinese Shar Pei have a very narrow ear canal which makes them much more susceptible to this disease.
Even foreign bodies like grass seeds or fox tails when lodged in the ear can lead to ear infections.
Normal signs of an ear infection include excessive head shaking, scratching, and rubbing of the ears as well. In severe cases the dog my always hold its head in a tilted position.
Dogs that have painful ear infections will not want anyone to touch their ears so they might try and bite you if you examine the area.
This is why you should contact your veterinarian if you think your dog has this condition.Treatment involves usually thoroughly cleaning and drying the ear canals and instilling medicated drops. These drops could contain antibiotics to kill bacteria or an anti-fungal medication. In severe cases steroids are given to help control the immune response.
In very severe cases surgery might be done to make the ear canal more open to allow more air to circulate into the ear.
Ear Infections and Dogs