Caring for Your Pet's Ears

One way to keep your pet healthy and happy is by practicing good pet ear care. Ear problems are one of the most common reasons for veterinarian visits among dogs and cats. Symptoms of ear problems in your pet include scratching the ears, head shaking, and not responding to commands or his or her name. The most common ear problems in pets are ear wax buildup, ear mites, and ear infections. Not only can all of these cause your pet a great deal of pain and discomfort, they can also have lasting effects that cannot be corrected or that require expensive surgery. Fortunately, proper ear care for pets can help avoid these complications.

Excessive ear wax buildup is a common problem in many pets, and it is often caused by poor ear care. If ear wax isn't removed regularly, your pet might have trouble hearing you. Your pet may also experience ear discomfort and infection.

Basic ear care for your pet should include a weekly cleaning using an ear cleaner formulated for pets. This can help prevent excessive ear wax buildup and remove any wax that has already accumulated in your pet's ears.

Ear mites are parasites that can live in or on the surface of your pet's ears. Ear mites can cause pain, inflammation, and irritation. If an infestation is left untreated, the result can be an infection of either the ear or the skin.

Ear mites are contagious, and are usually passed from one pet to another. If your pet has been in contact with a dog or cat that has ear mites, it's possible your pet now has them too.One way to prevent ear mites in your pet is to regularly use an ear cleaner to care for your pet's ears. There are also products available, such as topical creams or lotions, which can help prevent and treat ear mites.

Ear infections in pets can be caused by many things, including bacteria, yeast, allergies, poorly groomed ear hair, ear wax buildup, and ear mites. Ear infections cause your pet a great deal of pain and discomfort, and can have serious, lasting effects, like hearing loss. If your pet's ear is inflamed, excessively red, or emitting an unpleasant odor, he or she probably has an ear infection. As with ear wax buildup and ear mites, ear infections can be prevented with proper grooming and regular use of an ear cleaner.

If your pet already has an ear infection, he or she can be treated using Zymox Otic Enzymatic Solution with Hydrocortisone.