Ear infections are common this time of year, and we at Powell Veterinary Service are seeing quite a few cases. Many ear infections are due to foreign bodies such as foxtails, arrow grass, or plant awns—all the little sharp grasses that stick to your clothing and your dog’s fur. These nuisances can get into your pup’s ears and work their way down deep where they are difficult to remove. They cause irritation, which causes your furry friend to scratch and rub on the ear. This can cause open sores that allow bacteria and yeast to grow, causing an ear infection. Environmental or food allergies and damp ears can also cause ear infections.

So What Do You Do?

If you notice your dog incessantly scratching her ears, take a look. Are they red and inflamed? Is there a discharge or dark, crusty scabs? If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to consult your veterinarian promptly. A foreign body or infection can penetrate or spread to the middle and inner ear causing damage to the ear canal and ear drum, causing hearing and equilibrium problems

Treatment

Your veterinarian will take a look deep into your pup’s ear’s to see what might be causing her problems. If it’s an embedded foxtail or grass awn, it will need to be removed—sometimes requiring sedation. The doctor may also take a swab of the infected ear to determine the microorganism causing the infection so it can be treated appropriately. He or she will likely thoroughly clean the ear and send you home with cleaning materials and antibiotics.

Prevention

If you live in an area with lots of weeds and tall grasses or frequently visit them on your outings with you dog, it will be difficult to prevent contact with foxtails and other sharp grasses. But you CAN reduce the likelihood that the grass will cause an infection. After every outing, check your furry friend thoroughly for foxtails and other sharp grasses. If they are in the outer ear canal or ear flap and easily removed without getting into the ear, carefully remove it. If it is deep in the ear canal, Do Not try to remove it yourself, as you can push it deeper into the ear canal and perhaps rupture the ear drum.  And don’t forget to check her body, tail, belly and between her toes, as foxtails can bury themselves most anywhere and cause problems.

Summer may be ear infection season, but that doesn’t mean your pup has to suffer. If you notice your dog scratching her ears constantly or shaking her head a lot, give Powell Veterinary Service a call at 970-352-9164. We’ll uncover the problem and provide the appropriate remedy.

The post Excuse Me. Is That a Foxtail in Your Dog’s Ear? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

However, some dogs do experience problems eating grain. They may be hypersensitive to certain grains, like wheat and soy, and develop allergic reactions when they eat them. Food allergies are the result of an over-reaction of your dog’s immune system to certain proteins in your dog’s food. Proteins are found not just in the meats in the dog food, but also the grains and vegetables. The top allergy-provoking ingredients are: beef, dairy, wheat, chicken, egg and soy. Therefore, switching to a grain-free diet may or may not solve the allergy problem.

So how do you know if your furry friend might have a food allergy? Signs to look for include:

• Itchy, red skin or a dull coat
• Chronic ear inflammation
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Shaking head or rubbing it on the carpet

Those symptoms are common indicators of many conditions, so owners don’t typically suspect food allergies. One reason is because their pup has been eating the same food for years. But food sensitivities usually develop and worsen over time.

The first step in diagnosing and treating a food allergy is to visit your veterinarian to rule out other conditions. If a food allergy is suspected, the next step is to determine which substance or substances are causing the allergy—and that can be a long, frustrating process. You can start by switching to a commercial hypo-allergenic dog food. If the symptoms improve in a few days, go back to your dog’s regular food. If symptoms reappear, you know your dog probably has a food allergy, but you don’t know which substance in the food is causing it.

Next, you could try a grain-free food to see whether symptoms improve. The results will tell you whether switching to a grain-free diet will help relieve your furry friend’s food allergies. If you find that eliminating grain doesn’t help, you’ll need to do food elimination testing to find the culprit. Your veterinarian can help set up a plan to systematically find the allergy-provoking protein. Do not do it alone as you could endanger your pet’s health by not providing essential nutrients.

If you live in Kersey or the surrounding area and suspect a food allergy, call Powell Veterinary Service, 970-352-9164. Together, we can determine the best diet for your canine companion.

The post Is Grain-Free the Right Option for My Dog? first appeared on Powell Veterinary Service.

^{This information is provided as the 4th in our series of fundamental instruction on assuring the health and well-being of your pet’s health.  See our other blogs at :
_{http://powellvets.hms.c247.website/cleen-teeth-essential-to-the-health-of-your-pet/
http://powellvets.hms.c247.website/feeding-your-pet-the-right-food-and-the-right-amount-of-food-is-a-cornerstone-of-his-health/
http://powellvets.hms.c247.website/cleen-teeth-essential-to-the-health-of-your-pet/}}

 Keeping pets’ ears clean contributes to their health and wellness by preventing irritation and infection that can be painful and potentially lead to hearing loss. Ear infection (otitis externa) is one of the most common and significant small animal problems that is preventable.  If infections are left untreated, they can lead to hearing loss or extend into the inner ear and become life threatening. Pets are prone to otitis externa due to the long length and L-shape of their ear canals. Otitis externa is estimated to affect 20% of dogs and 7% of cats in the United States.

Remember, prevention of ear infections is the best “medicine!”

Observation of the ears regularly, and proper cleaning with appropriate cleaners go a long way to prevention of both acute and chronic otitis. I recommend cleaning healthy ears monthly. A small amount of ear wax buildup is normal for your pet. Excess hair around and inside the ear should be removed to allow for better air flow and prevention of infection. It is also recommended to treat any underlying condition (such as allergies or hypothyroidism) that predisposes your pet to ear problems. If there is a bad odor from the ears, the ear canals look abnormal, or your pet shows discomfort during routine monthly ear cleaning, see your veterinarian promptly to avoid long term painful ear problems.

Directions for ear cleaning:

1. Dry clean ears first with cotton balls and a hemostat.
2. Place a good amount of ear wash into the ear canal.
3. Massage the base of the ear for 30 seconds to soften and release any wax or debris.
4. Allow your pet to shake his or her head to further loosen the debris.
5. Wipe out the loose debris and excess fluid with a cotton ball.
6. Repeat steps 1-4 as needed until all debris is removed.

Infections of the ear

Causes or inciting factors of infection include:

• moisture (swimming, not drying after a bath)
• parasites (ear mites, ticks)
• allergy to inhalant topics, food allergens,
• foreign bodies such as grass, seeds
• bacterial/yeast overgrowth often due to inflammation of the ear canal

Endocrine disease, such as hypothyroidism, can predispose an animal’s ears to inflammation. Polyps and tumors in the ear canal or middle ear also can prevent drainage of wax and debris thus setting the ear up for infection. Narrowing of the ear canal due to tissue thickening (hyperplasia/fibrosis) prevents drainage as well.

What are signs that your pet may have an ear infection?

• Scratching or rubbing of the ears and/or head
• Head shaking or tilting the head to one side
• Pain around the ears—your pet may shy away from you petting his or her head
• Odor or discharge from the ears
• Redness or swelling of the ear flap or the ear canal
• Changes in behavior—ear infections are painful and many pets will become snappy or irritable

If you witness any of these signs in your pet, see your veterinarian for a thorough ear examination to determine the cause of the problem

Treatment of infections at your veterinarian’s office

When we see an infection in an ear we start by examining the ear canal with an otoscope checking for foreign bodies, etc. We are often unable to see very deep in the ear due to debris so the next step is to remove some debris to examine under the microscope using special stains for bacteria and yeast. We are also looking for mites, etc. With chronic infections we would have to first culture the ear before doing anything else. Next we clean the ear, tubes are often required to flush the ear canal clean. Some pets allow us do this while awake, other do not. Hopefully after cleaning we can see the ear drum (tympanic membrane TM). Topical medications will depend on whether the TM is intact or not and depends on the organisms we see on cytology. With chronic ear infections we clean and apply anti inflammatory medications until we receive the results of the culture.

Home care after treatment Home care is critical for the prevention of ear infections. This consists of dry cleaning and instilling some type of liquid ear cleaner to get deeper into the canal on a daily basis. Once ears are cleaned and dried, instill a small amount of an appropriate medication. Some animal’s ears only require twice weekly or less cleaning. I use a small hemostat and a cotton ball. Use a piece of cotton larger than the ear canal but small enough to get deep into the ear. Trust me, you can’t hit the ear drum. Gently clean all the crevices in the ear as deep as you can go. Cotton size depends on ear size. Good cleaning is the most important part to resolve your pet’s ear infection. Stay after them. It’s a long term project, often months. Just because you can’t see the infection doesn’t mean it’s gone. Ear canals are long. At least every 2 week rechecks by your veterinarian with an ear scope while the infections are active is important to be sure things are improving. I like to medicate after every cleaning.

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