Externally dog pinnas (ear flaps) come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, not always in proportion to the size of the dog itself! Long, floppy, hairy, erect and so on and so forth. Whatever the external shape the internal anatomy is the same and not that dissimilar to ours. It is only the external ear canal that is different, whilst ours is horizontal and points slightly forwards our dogs' drops vertically then turns a rights angle to run horizontally inwards to the tympanic membrane (ear drum). Due to the longer ear canal, if a dog suffers an ear issue then it can be a little more difficult to sort out.
You can palpate the vertical canal by lifting your dog's ear flap and placing your finger just below the opening. You will feel a "U" shaped gap in the bone. This is the vertical canal. At the bottom of the "U" is the start of the horizontal part. See video
What keeps ears healthy? Firstly a good air flow around the ear pinna and opening to the external ear canal. Secondly keeping the same area clean and dry. Bacteria love a warm and moist environment. This is not too difficult if your dog has short hair and pricked ears but owners of dogs with long and, or, hairy ears need to be more vigilant. Keep the hair short on the inner surface and well groomed overall, matted hair holds dirt close to the skin and restricts air flow through the coat. With all ears check for and remove any visible foreign bodies. Things like cleavers, goose grass bobbles and, in particular grass seeds, once caught up in the fur can work their way inwards and then into the ear itself.
EAR MITES:-
These not so cute little mites cause great irritation to the dog and are spread by direct contact between animals. Initial symptoms are constant scratching of the ears and head shaking. Ultimately there will be a build up of waxy, blackish discharge, this is due to severe irritation of the skin.
INFECTIONS: There are several infections which your dog can pick up, some by direct contact or those caused by, for example an unnoticed foreign body or, as mentioned before, bacteria transfer from dirty or matted hair. These will cause similar signs and symptoms as ear mites but the discharge may well be more purulent and smelly.
Should I clean my dog's ears? I'm a firm believer that "If it aint broke, don't fix it." The actual act of cleaning can irritate the skin inside the ear but if your dog is prone to having visible dirt in his/her ears then gentle cleaning NO MORE than once a week, unless otherwise advised by a vet, would be ok. However if you have visited the vet for ear issues and are given ear treatment then applying it correctly and effectively will save you money.
Cleaning: Expose the ear opening by, if necessary, lifting the pinna. Fill the ear canal with cleaner and massage well, 10-20 seconds. You need to massage, firmly but gently, at the base of the ear, where it joins the head, and you are looking to break up any lumps of muck and wax. Use cotton wool, tissue or soft cloth to clear anything that comes up, feel free to put your finger as far down as you can, repeat if necessary. Stand clear and allow your dog to shake his/her head. Don't be tempted to use cotton buds as the cotton bud can come off and thus become a foreign body!
Applying medication: This is the same as cleaner but after massaging you do not need to
clean the canal. Do keep the hair around the ear opening as clean and groomed out as possible, some treatments are very oily.
I hope this gives you a little bit more information about your dog's health and care. More in the next blog.
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