April 23, 2012
Posted in Common Pet Conditions, Pet Health, Pet Meds

Many dog owners are used to treating more typical chronic conditions like arthritis in dogs. Giving the dog a supplement like Dasuquin with glucosamine and supporting it with dog steps around the house makes it easier for the pooch to live happily despite its condition. However, when acute illnesses turn into chronic ones, it can be trickier to treat.

Ear infections are an example of a common acute condition. Chronic ear infections are less common than acute versions of this condition, but they certainly do exist and can be extremely painful to the dog. If your dog has had the ear infection for more than three months or it comes back after every treatment, your vet may start treating it like a chronic illness.

The vet may recommend keeping your dog on pet drugs like Zymox Otic ear solution, which is available over the counter. This particular solution treats the ear externally for inflammation caused by bacterial, fungal and yeast infections, and can relieve pain and itching in the area. This particular type of medication should be used alone on the ears, since using it with other pet products like Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleanser can disrupt its effectiveness.

However, if your pet does not have recurrent ear infections, you may be able to keep them at bay by cleaning the ears regularly with an ear cleaning solution. Never squirt the solution directly into your pet's ears – instead, soak a cotton ball and massage the medicine into the canal. Always reward your pet with a treat like Greenies dental treats for its good behavior during this experience, since it can be kind of uncomfortable. This has an added benefit – it will keep your dog or cat's teeth clean and free of plaque and tartar as it chews.

If your dog is itching and scratching its ears but an ear infection does not seem to be the cause, it might have a flea infestation or ear mites. Ear mites need to be treated with medication like Mita-Clear, which kills both adult and larval stages of ear mites. You can prevent future infestations of these pests with Revolution. You can prevent and treat fleas with pet drugs like Comfortis, which starts killing fleas within 30 minutes.

Related posts:

1. When ear scratching is too much
2. When your pet has mite-y itchy ears
3. What constitutes a chronic disease in my pet?
4. Kitty scratching her ears? Infection may be to blame
5. Maintain a good relationship with your dog’s ears