It's pretty easy to tell when your dog has an ear infection. They shake their head, they (can) whine, and you can smell the special odour of a yeasty, bacterial, ear infection. And, of course, if you take a close look, you will see that the ear canal is hot, red, inflammed, and full of goo. If you touch the ear it will often hurt.

Possible causes of ear infections:

There are many possible causes of ear infections in dogs including:

• foreign bodies in the ear canal
• masses in the ear canal
• drug sensitivities
• food allergies
• thyroid disease
• immune disorders
• parasites
• metabolic disorders including diabetes and cushings disease
• Other factors include "swimmers" ear, excessive hair growth in the ear canals
• excessive hair removal from the ear canal
• excessive bathing, sensitivity to harsh ear wax cleaners
• yeast and fungus in addition to bacteria.

What can you do about it?

Visit your vet as soon as you can.

Links

For more information on ear infections, visit The Animal Pet Doctor