As a pet owner, detecting diseases in your pets is always a difficult task because of their inability to say it like humans do, and challenging health conditions and infections like ear infections, something which is seen in cats and dogs, and helping them ease the pain is a task for the owner. It will start with mild irritation, and if not treated early, it will lead to severe infections. If you have a dog or a cat, understand what can cause this and how you can help them prevent it. Regular checking in animal hospital Murrieta, CA is a first step in ensuring your pet’s health and well-being. Also, read this article about the ways you can prevent ear infections in cats and dogs.
What Causes Ear Infections?
This infection can develop into them maybe due to bacteria and yeast buildup in their ear, or a parasite called ear mites, which is mainly common in cats, are the external one that causes the infections, and factors like allergies and increased moisture levels in their ear due to improper drying after swimming getting wet also if there is grass seeds or debris stuck in their ear this can lead to infections.
How Can You Prevent It?
Clean their ear with pet-safe cleaning solutions regularly or according to what your veterinarian has recommended. Do not use cotton swabs, as they will push dirt into the canal of the ears. Whenever they are in water bodies, or they get wet during playing, pay attention that when you dry them, you carefully dry their ears thoroughly in case of bacteria growth in moist areas. Make sure to groom them properly, especially the pets with long ears, and cut their hair around the canal to improve airflow and reduce space for gathering dirt. If your pet has any allergies, coordinate with your vet to manage their symptoms because allergies will make them more susceptible to ear infections. Be careful when you take your pets outdoors, especially in parks, in case something goes in their ears, and clean their ears after coming back.
Symptoms and Treatment
If your pet is shaking its head too much and excessively scratching its ears, it might be due to ease of discomfort caused by infections. A foul odor with yellow, brown, or bloody discharge will be seen. Their inner ear will be red and swollen and will appear red, which is a sign of inflammation due to infection. In severe cases, because pets depend on their hearing for a lot of their movement, infections can cause them hearing problems as well as loss of balance many times.
When you see these signs or even a discharge of a different color, promptly get them checked by a veterinarian so they can assess the cause of the infection and start the treatment. The treatment plan is, firstly, to clean their ears properly to remove the dirt and discharge and disinfect them.
Also, medications for fungal growth, like antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, are prescribed for inflammation in case they are severe, and to soothe irritation, ear drops are prescribed. You will prescribe these medications after assessing your pet’s health and the severity of infections. You should not give these by yourself and always seek advice from a professional before doing so.
In the case of allergies, dietary changes are going to help with medications for the same. If ear mites cause the infection, insecticidal drops are going to help eliminate them. During professional cleaning, their ear vet is going to remove all the dirt and debris and thus will also remove foreign objects that have caused infections. After the treatment, you must make sure to visit your vet regularly to ensure the follow-up care for your pets is in proper order and they are recovering well.
