Dogs and ear infections

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Ear infections are a common canine health problem, and they can be caused by allergies, yeast, ear mites, bacteria, hair growth deep in the ear canal, and more. Symptoms your dog may have with an ear infection include:

• Head shaking or head tilting
• Vigorous scratching
• Unusual back-and-forth eye movements
• Swelling of the outer portion of the ear
• Brown, yellow, or bloody discharge
• Ear odor
• Lack of balance
• Redness of the ear canal

Always take your dog to the veterinarian if you think he has an ear infection. In most cases, cleaning and medicating the ear canal will quickly clear up an infection. However, surgery can be needed for chronic infections or if forceful head shaking results in the rupture of a vessel within the outer part of the ear.